asura
Sign in to savethumb|300x300px|Asura depicted in the Samudra Manthana bas-relief from [[Angkor Wat]]
AI overview
Asuras are divine or semi-divine beings in Hindu and Buddhist mythology, often depicted as powerful entities that can be either beneficial or antagonistic depending on the tradition. They matter because they appear prominently in major religious texts and artwork across Asia, reflecting complex ideas about good, evil, and cosmic struggle in these ancient belief systems.
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Article
23 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Traditional etymologies
- Modern scholarship
- In Hindu literature
- ''Rig Veda''
- Samaveda
- Mahabharata
- Brahmanda Purana
- Vishnu Purana
- Shiva Purana
- Context
- Indo-Aryan context
- Relation to Germanic deities
- Characteristics
- Symbolism
- Asuri
- Buddhism
- Asura realm
- Deva-Asura War
- Asurendra
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|300x300px|Asura depicted in the Samudra Manthana bas-relief from [[Angkor Wat]]
Asura () are a class of beings in Indian religions. They are described as power-seeking beings related to the more benevolent Deva (also known as Sura) in Hinduism. In its Buddhist context, the word is translated as "titan," "demigod," or "antigod".