Asura

The Asuras (Sanskrit, m., असुर, asura, demon, evil spirit ), the demons, the opponents of the luminous devas or suras in Hinduism. According to mythology, they are the children of the powerful goddess Diti. In the Rig Veda the term appears partly also in the meaning " divine ," " good spirit " or " high spirit ".

Etymology and original meaning

The word Sura in Sanskrit means " being of light " (cf. " Surya ", the name of the Hindu Sun God ). By the prefix " a" is the negation or the description to the contrary is expressed. Asuras are therefore " enemies of the light beings ", and the word Asura is often translated as demon. However, they are not creatures of hell, but ambitious, jealous and envious creatures fighting the Devas ( gods ). Features a Asuras is his personal conduct by which he is the divine order, the Dharma opposes.

Mythology in Hinduism

According to Hindu tradition they once were heavenly who were ousted by the Devas. In the Rigveda there is no clear separation between Devas and Asuras, but the term asura is applied especially to the group of the highest gods, the Adityas, the main Varuna is the Lord of the universe. The other celestials like Indra, Agni, Soma were called Devas. Only in later layers of the Rigveda and the Atharvaveda gets the word the meaning demon and since then this meaning was retained.

According to mythology, she created together with all the celestials, humans and animals, from the Asu, the breath of the Creator Prajapati. In their creation they were like all other creatures as a gift of the truth and the lie. Later, however, they should have taken the truth and thus developed their demonic nature. They are considered as shape changers and are often in human form, often depicted as a corpulent, gross or even animal beings, which, inter alia, represents its function as the embodiment of negatives and destruction. The Asuras are the demonic group of Daityas and the Danavas.

Characteristics

In the religious symbolism of the Hindu scriptures addressing the Asuras in many places occurs. Thus, the Bhagavadgita ( BhG16.4 ) goes into detail on character properties, which make up the Asura, namely " ... boastfulness, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness and ignorance ... " as opposed to the properties of the divine nature, including " Force, forgiveness, purity, strength ... ( BhG.16.3 ).

Redemption ability

In Hindu thought but are also Asuras, the personifications of "evil", capable of redemption. In the story about the origin of Durga example is the tyranny of Mahishasura, the mighty buffalo demon, the cause of the manifestation of the Goddess. Fought to rescue all creatures and kill them him (see also Durga Puja ). The subsequent praise of the Heavenly expresses, however, that this "death" by the goddess for Asuras salvation means. " You furnish arms against them, so they cleaned reach the higher worlds " ( Devi Mahatmya IV.19. )

The decline of the Asuras

Detailed information about the cause of the decline of Asuras in a distant mythical past can be found in the Mahabharata, where they are referred to as " the older brothers of the gods". In a passage of the third book ( Vanaparvan ) the seer Lomasha reported the hero Yudhishthira, as originally mighty Asuras were decadent due to blindness. " One day, in the age of the gods, I witnessed all of this, like the gods Dharma estimated, while the Asuras award gave him." It is further stated then that the Asuras were filled with pride, arrogance, and which was to eventually developed into anger and shamelessness, the latter of which they corrupted. "So good luck and wealth to the gods to the misfortune to have been provided during the Asuras fell into misfortune. Fallen prey and their minds full of pride, the Daityas and Danavas odds ... and immediately was their destruction. "