A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History, and Literature c5.155

c5.155

ASURA. ‘Spiritual, divine.’ In the oldest parts of the *Rig-veda* this term is used for the supreme spirit, and is the same as the Ahura of the Zoroastrians. In the sense of ‘god’ it was applied to several of the chief deities, as to Indra, Agni, and Varuna. It afterwards acquired an entirely opposite meaning, and came to signify, as now, a demon or enemy of the gods. The word is found with this signification in the later parts of the *Rig-veda*, particularly in the last book, and also in the Atharva-veda. The Brāhmanas attach the same meaning to it, and record many contests between the Asuras and the gods. According to the Taittirīya Brāhmana, the breath (*asu*) of Prajāpati became alive, and “with that breath he created the Asuras.” In another part of the same work it is said that Prajāpati “became pregnant. He created Asuras from his abdomen.” The Satapatha Brāhmana accords with the former statement, and states that “he created Asuras from his lower breath.” The Taittiriya Āranyaka represents that Prajāpati created “gods, men, fathers, Gandharvas, and Apsarases” from water, and that the Asuras, Rākshasas, and Pisāchas sprang from the drops which were spilt. Manu’s statement is that they were created by the Prajāpatis. According to the Vishnu Purāna, they were produced from the groin of Brahmā (Prajāpati). The account of the Vāyu Purāna is: “Asuras were first produced as sons from his (Prajāpati’s) groin. *Asu* is declared by Brāhmans to mean breath. From it these beings were produced; hence they are Asuras.” The word has long been used as a general name for the enemies of the gods, including the Daityas and Dānavas and other descendants of Kasyapa, but not including the Rākshasas descended from Pulastya. In this sense a different derivation has been found for it: the source is no longer asu, ‘breath,’ but the initial a is taken as the negative prefix, and a-sura signifies ‘not a god;’ hence, according to some, arose the word sura, commonly used for ‘a god.’ See Sura.