Asura (Hinduism)
The Asuras ( Sanskrit , m., असुर, asura, demon, evil spirit) are the demons in Hinduism , the opponents of the luminous Devas or Suras. According to mythology, they are the powerful children of the goddess Diti . In the Rigveda , the term also appears in part to mean “divine”, “good spirit” or “supreme spirit”.
Etymology and basic meaning
The word Sura means “light being” in Sanskrit (cf. “ Surya ”, the name of the Hindu sun god). The prefix “a” expresses the negative or the designation of the opposite. Asuras are thus "opponents of the beings of light", and the word asura is often translated as demon. However, they are not hell beings, but ambitious, jealous and envious creatures who fight the devas (gods). The hallmark of an Asura is their personal behavior through which they oppose the divine order, the Dharma .
Mythology in Hinduism
According to Hindu tradition, they were once heavenly ones who were ousted by the devas. In the Rigveda there is still no clear separation between devas and asuras, but the term asura is mainly applied to the group of the highest gods, the adityas, whose head is Varuna , the lord of the universe. The other celestials such as Indra , Agni , Soma were called Devas. Only in later layers of the Rigveda and the Atharvaveda did the word get the meaning demon and this meaning has been retained ever since.
According to mythology, they arose from the Asu , the breath of the Creator Prajapati, together with all heavenly things, humans and animals . When they were created, like all other creatures, they received as gifts the truth and the lie . Later, however, they are said to have discarded the truth and thereby developed their demonic nature. They are seen as shape changers and are often depicted in human form, often as fat, coarse or even animal beings, which u. a. represents their function as the embodiment of the negative and the destruction. The Asuras include the group of demonic Daityas and Danavas .
Character traits
In the religious symbolism of the Hindu scriptures, the argument with the Asuras occurs in many places. The Bhagavadgita goes into detail on character traits that make up the Asura, namely "... boastfulness, arrogance, arrogance, anger, roughness and ignorance ..." (BhG16.4) in contrast to the qualities of divine nature, including "power , Forgiveness, purity, strength ... ”(BhG.16.3).
Capacity to redeem
In Hindu thinking, however, asuras, the embodiment of “evil”, are also capable of redemption. In the story of the creation of Durga, for example, the tyranny of Mahishasura, the mighty buffalo demon, is the cause of the goddess's manifestation. To save all creatures she fights and kills him ( see also Durga Puja ). The subsequent hymn of praise from the heavenly ones expresses, however, that this “death” through the goddess means redemption for Asuras: “You turn your arms against them, so that they can reach the higher worlds cleansed” ( Devi Mahatmya IV.19.)
The decline of the Asuras
Detailed explanations about the cause of the decline of the Asuras in a distant mythical past can be found in the Mahabharata , where they are also referred to as "the older brothers of the gods". In a passage from Book 3 (Vanaparvan) the seer Lomasha tells the hero Yudhishthira how the originally powerful Asuras became decadent due to delusion. “One day, in the age of the gods, I witnessed all how the gods cherished the Dharma while the Asuras gave it up.” It then goes on to say that the Asuras were filled with pride, which turned into arrogance and eventually into anger and evolved into shamelessness which eventually corrupted them. “So happiness and abundance were given to the gods, while the Asuras fell into misery. Having fallen victim to the misfortune and their spirit full of pride, the Daityas and Danavas fell out ... and immediately their destruction took place. "
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ For example, as a name for the god Varuna. See Monier-Williams, Sanskrit-English Dictionary , “Asura”, p. 121, col. 1. This older positive meaning of the asura as a light being (which is no longer present in later Hinduism) is reflected in the etymologically related old Iranian word ahura . In Zoroastrianism, Ahura Mazda is the highest god, creator and world lord who fights against Ahriman , the power of darkness.
- ↑ This etymological interpretation of the word is a common popular explanation of its origin. There are also other approaches, for example the Sanskrit dictionary by Monier-Williams refers to as in the meaning “to throw; scare away "as the underlying root.
- ↑ RC Zaehner: Der Hinduismus , W. Goldmann Verlag (p. 32)
- ↑ Mbhr. 3.34.58, Pune Critical Edition. All the following translations from this edition, German text by Raimundo.
- ↑ Mbhr. 3.92.6-12
- ↑ Two tribes of asura