Asura

E448889
class of supernatural beings figure in Buddhist mythology figure in Hindu mythology figure in Jain mythology mythological being

Asura is a class of powerful, often antagonistic supernatural beings in Indian religions, particularly Hinduism and Buddhism, frequently depicted as rivals of the gods (Devas).

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Observed surface forms (2)

Surface form Occurrences
Asuras 4
the asuras 1

Statements (55)

Predicate Object
instanceOf class of supernatural beings ⓘ
figure in Buddhist mythology ⓘ
figure in Hindu mythology ⓘ
figure in Jain mythology ⓘ
mythological being ⓘ
appearsInReligion Buddhism NERFINISHED ⓘ
Hinduism NERFINISHED ⓘ
Jainism NERFINISHED ⓘ
early Vedic religion ⓘ
appearsInText Buddhist sutras ⓘ
Mahabharata NERFINISHED ⓘ
Puranas NERFINISHED ⓘ
Ramayana NERFINISHED ⓘ
Rigveda NERFINISHED ⓘ
hasAttribute desire for power ⓘ
great strength ⓘ
magical powers ⓘ
shape-shifting ability ⓘ
hasCosmicFunction opponent of cosmic order ⓘ
tester of gods and humans ⓘ
hasEtymologyLanguage Sanskrit NERFINISHED ⓘ
hasEtymologyRoot Sanskrit word "asura" ⓘ
hasGeneralNature often antagonistic being ⓘ
powerful being ⓘ
supernatural being ⓘ
hasMoralValence often malevolent ⓘ
sometimes morally ambiguous ⓘ
hasNotableMember Hiranyakashipu NERFINISHED ⓘ
Hiranyaksha NERFINISHED ⓘ
Mahabali NERFINISHED ⓘ
Namuci NERFINISHED ⓘ
Rahula (in some Buddhist traditions) NERFINISHED ⓘ
Ravana NERFINISHED ⓘ
Shukra (Shukracharya) NERFINISHED ⓘ
Vritra NERFINISHED ⓘ
hasRoleIn Buddhist cosmology ⓘ
Hindu cosmology ⓘ
Jain cosmology ⓘ
influences later demonology in South Asian religions ⓘ
inhabitsRealm lower heavenly realms ⓘ
netherworlds ⓘ
isContrastedWith Deva NERFINISHED ⓘ
isDepictedInArtForm Buddhist temple painting ⓘ
Hindu temple sculpture ⓘ
isObjectOf fear and propitiation in later Hindu traditions ⓘ
worship in some early Vedic contexts ⓘ
isOftenDepictedAs demon-like being ⓘ
enemy of the gods ⓘ
proud and ambitious being ⓘ
warlike being ⓘ
isRelatedConcept Asura realm in Buddhism ⓘ
Deva-Asura dichotomy ⓘ
demon in Hinduism ⓘ
isRivalOf Deva NERFINISHED ⓘ
undergoesReinterpretation shift from positive to negative connotations in later Vedic period ⓘ

Referenced by (7)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Vamana → associatedWith → Asura ⓘ
this entity surface form: Asuras
Varuna → epithet → Asura ⓘ
Samudra Manthan → involvesGroup → Asura ⓘ
this entity surface form: Asuras
Hiranyakashipu → kingdom → Asura ⓘ
this entity surface form: the asuras
Wu Lei → notableWork → Asura ⓘ
Devas → opposedTo → Asura ⓘ
this entity surface form: Asuras
Neelkanth → relatedGroup → Asura ⓘ
this entity surface form: Asuras