Asura
From The Book of THoTH (Leaves of Wisdom)
- This article refers to the mythical beings of Hindu and Buddhist mythology. For the Islamic festival, see Day of Ashurah
Contents |
In Hinduism
In Hindu mythology, the Asura (Sanskrit: असुर) are a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes misleadingly referred to as demons. They were opposed to the devas. Both groups are children of Kashyapa. The name is cognate to Ahura - indeed, the Oxford English Dictionary recognises the use of the term in reference to Zoroastrianism, where "Ahura" would perhaps be more appropriate - and Æsir, which implies a common Proto-Indo-European origin for the Asura and the Æsir.
The negative character of the asura in Hinduism seems to have evolved over time. In general, the earliest texts have the asuras presiding over moral and social phenomena (e.g. Varuna, the guardian of rta, or Bhaga, the patron of marriages) and the devas presiding over natural phenomena (e.g. Ushas, whose name means "dawn", or Indra, a weather god).
Mitra, Varuna and Vritra are the most well known Asuras.
The term corresponds to the Zoroastrian word Ahura. In Zoroastrianism the Ahuras are supreme, while the devas are demonic. This observation corroborates with some intepretations of the Indo-Aryan migration hypothesis, that a single tribe in Central Asia split into two parts, both ideologically and geographically, one migrating to India and the other to Persia.
In both cultures, this antagonism is worked out along the axis of sacrifice. The first Zoroastrian Gatha excoriates the worshippers of the daewas (devas) for their cruel treatment of sacrificial cows, while the Ahuras make efforts to protect the sacred cattle. In later Vedic ritual, the asuras and devas are frequently portrayed as fighting with one another over the offerings.
According to one hypothesis, the opposition between asuras and devas is rooted in proto-Indo-Iranian social structure. At important festivals, perhaps for new-year celebrations, it is postulated that two clans or sub-tribes would compete in making the most perfect ritual offering to the gods, seeking to outdo their peers in beauty of hymns sung, richness of offerings, and minute observance of traditional formulae. One clan would sacrifice to the devas, the other to the asuras. When proto-Indo-Iranian society grew and split, the two daughter societies slowly forgot the old agonistic context, and eventually chose one set of deities over the other.
Further reading
- Sethna, K.D. 1992. The Problem of Aryan Origins. New Delhi: Aditya Prakashan.
See also
- List of Asuras
- Deva
In Buddhism
Asuras also appear as a type of supernatural being in traditional Buddhist cosmology. For information on this subject, see six lower realms.
In fiction
- Asura is also a character from the video game, Samurai Shodown. See Asura.
- Asura is the main antagonist from the Karmatrón comic book.
- A chojin wrestler named Asuraman in Kinnikuman and its sequel Ultimate Muscle.
- In Fist of the North Star there is a country called The Land of Asura that is home to many of the series' martial arts and merciless warriors called Asura who fear only the rakshasa.
- Asuras are a race of extraplanar creatures in some editions of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.
- Asura is a central character in the Iain M Banks science fiction book Feersum Endjinn, with an explicit reference to the Hindu etymology.
- In Outcast: Dragon Secrets, Ivar, the last of the Asura, is the loyal companion of Timothy, the main character. Ivar's body is covered with a swirling design that allows him to change the pigmint of his skin, allowing him to blend with anything.
- In the Digital Devil Saga dualigy, Asura is a term referring to certain tuners (humans with a virus that causes them to transform into demons). All the main playable characters are Asuras, and their Avatar forms are all based and named around the mythological Asuras and Devas.
- In the Naruto anime/manga, the character Gaara, is named after an asura.
- In the RG Veda manga, Ashura is the name of a main character as well as a clan of gods. The series is very loosely based off of the Vedas, most references of which are found in character names alone.
- In Marvel Comics, The Asura are a group of corrupt, fanatical Angels (created by Warren Ellis) who are enemies of Daimon Hellstrom.
- Asura is the name of a server for the MMORPG, Final Fantasy XI. It is also the name of the Queen of Summons in Final Fantasy IV -- an ally who casts healing and protective spells on the party. In addition, Asura is a name given to various mid-level swords in the series, usually katanas.
- Asura's armour is a very powerful chest plate found in Venus lighthouse in the RPG, Golden Sun.
- In that same game, Asura is the special attack delievered by the artifact weapon Kikuichi-monji.
- Asura Strike is a skill for the Monk class in the MMORPG, Ragnarok Online
- Azura is a deadra (demon) in the RPG Elder Scrolls Series.
- Asura is a powerful sword with a counterattack(Asura'sRevenge) bought from Fascinaturu in exchange for LP in the RPG, Saga Frontier.
- Asura is a character class in the MMORPG Tantra Online, which resembles an assassin.
{{Navbox
|name = Hindu deities and texts
|titlestyle = background:#FFC569;
|title = Hindu deities and texts
|image = Image:HinduSwastika.svg
|groupstyle = background:#FFC569;
|liststyle = line-height:1.4em;
|group1 = Female deities |list1 =
Devi ·</span> Saraswati ·</span> Lakshmi ·</span> Sati ·</span> Parvati ·</span> Durga ·</span> Shakti ·</span> Kali ·</span> Sita ·</span> Radha ·</span> Mahavidya ·</span> Navadurga ·</span> Matrikas ·</span> more </span>
|group2 = Male deities |list2 =
Deva ·</span> Brahma ·</span> Vishnu ·</span> Shiva ·</span> Rama ·</span> Krishna ·</span> Ganesha ·</span> Murugan ·</span> Hanuman ·</span> Indra ·</span> Surya ·</span> more </span>
|group3 = Texts |list3 =
Vedas ·</span> Upanishads ·</span> Puranas ·</span> Ramayana ·</span> Mahabharata ·</span> Bhagavad Gita </span>
|belowstyle = background:#FFC569; |below =
Hinduism ·</span> Hindu mythology ·</span> Indian epic poetry </span>
}}
Categories: Buddhist mythology | Asura
