The asuras fight the goddess Kali

Asuras (Sanskrit: असुर) are a class of beings or power-seeking clans, related to the more benevolent devas (also known as suras) in Hinduism.[1]

Clans

The two major clans of the asuras are the daityas and the danavas.

  • Daitya - a clan of asuras
  • Dānava - a clan of asuras (Known as Dānaveghasā in Buddhism)
  • Rakshasa - a class of beings sometimes categorised as synonymous with asuras[2]

Legend

  • ॐ - mentioned in Hindu scriptures
  • ☸ - mentioned in Buddhist scriptures

A

  • Adi ॐ
  • Aghāsura ॐ
  • Andhaka ॐ
  • Anuhlāda - Son of Hiraṇyakaśipu
  • Apasmāra ॐ☸
  • Aśva - Son of Diti ॐ
  • Āyu - Son of Hiranyakaśipu (Harivaṃśa) ॐ
  • Alāmbāsa - A powerful asura in the Hindu epic Mahabharata ॐ
  • Alāmvūshā - A powerful asura from the Mahabharata ॐ
  • Alāyūdhā - A powerful asura from the epic Mahabharata ॐ

B

C

D

G

H

I

J

K

M

N

P

R

S

  • Saṁbara ॐ
  • Saṁhlāda - Son of Hiraṇyakaśipu ॐ
  • Śibi - Son of Hiraṇyakaśipu (Harivaṃśa) ॐ
  • Śukra - The 'guru' of the asuras and personification of the planet Venus ॐ
  • Somaprabhā - Daughter of Mayāsura ॐ
  • Sucitti (Pali) - Present at the teaching of the Mahāsamaya Sutta ☸
  • Sugriva (asura) ॐ
  • Sujā - Daughter of the asura king Vemacitrin ☸
  • Śumbha ॐ
  • Sunda ॐ
  • Śūrapadmā ॐ
  • Svarbhānu ॐ
  • Sumālī - Rāvaṇa's grandfather and also a rākṣasa ॐ

T

U

V

List of asuras slain by Krishna

In the Puranas and other texts of Hindu literature, the deity Krishna is attacked by a number of asuras and rakshasas sent by his uncle Kamsa, as well as others he encounters and slays in his legends.

  • Putana - A rakshasi who was sent by Kamsa to appear in the form of a beautiful woman to kill baby Krishna by breastfeeding him poison, but who was killed by the deity when he sucked her life-force out, and was granted liberation.[3]
  • Sakaṭāsura - A cart-demon sent by Kamsa to crush a three-month old Krishna, but was reduced to pieces by the infant with a single kick.[4]
  • Trinavarta - a whirl-wind demon who abducted the child Krishna and carried him to the sky, but was choked by the deity and crushed to death against a rock upon his descent.
  • Vatsasura - A calf-demon who attacked a cattle-herding Krishna in Vrindavana, whose legs were whirled about and hurled to death under a kapittha tree.[5]
  • Bakasura - A crane-demon who attempted to swallow Krishna in Gokulam, but was forced to throw up, upon which Krishna snapped his beak and slew him.
  • Aghasura - A snake-demon who lured Krishna's cowherd friends into his mouth, but was slain when Krishna expanded in size inside him and burst out his form.
  • Arishtasura - A bull-demon who charged against Krishna, and met his end when the deity seized his horns and kicked him with his foot.[6]
  • Keshi - A horse-demon who dueled against Krishna and attacked him with his hooves, and perished when the deity thrusted his left arm into Keshi's mouth.
  • Vyomasura - A sky-demon who abducted Krishna's friends inside caves, and was slain when Krishna hurled him against the earth and suffocated him.
  • Śaṅkhacūḍa - A jealous asura who abducted a number of gopis at Vrindavana, slain by Krishna in a fight.[7]
  • Cāṇūra - a pugilist asura who served Kamsa, slain by Krishna in a wrestling match.[8]
  • Kamsa - The tyrannical ruler of Mathura and uncle of Krishna who was slain to fulfil a prophecy, regarded as an asura by the Padma Purana.
  • Pañcajana - A conch-shaped asura who slew Krishna's preceptor's son, destroyed by Krishna under the sea.[9]
  • Shishupala - the cousin of Krishna, the incarnation of Jaya, previously betrothed to the deity's chief consort Rukmini, beheaded after he insulted Krishna 101 times.[10]
  • Dantavakrta - the incarnation of Vijaya slain by Krishna.[11]
  • Kalayavana - An asura king who was killed by Krishna by tricking him into waking Muchukunda.[12]
  • Narakasura - A powerful asura ruler slain by Krishna, and his wife Satyabhama, with the Sudarshana Chakra.

See also

References

  1. ↑ www.wisdomlib.org (2008-06-01). "Asura, Asūra, Āsura, Asurā: 37 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  2. ↑ www.wisdomlib.org (2012-06-24). "Rakshasa, Rākṣasa, Rakṣasa: 38 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  3. ↑ www.wisdomlib.org (2015-06-28). "Putana, Pūtanā, Pūtana, Puṭana: 23 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  4. ↑ www.wisdomlib.org (2017-03-05). "Shakatasura, Śakaṭāsura, Shakata-asura: 2 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  5. ↑ www.wisdomlib.org (2022-07-16). "Verse 2.4.21 [Garga Samhita]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  6. ↑ Sundaravadanan, K. V. (2021-02-14). One God Many Names: We are Children of One God. Notion Press. pp. Verse 36.13. ISBN 978-1-63606-985-2.
  7. ↑ www.wisdomlib.org (2017-06-06). "Shankhacuda, Śaṅkhacūḍa, Śaṅkhacūḍā: 7 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  8. ↑ www.wisdomlib.org (2009-04-11). "Canura, Cāṇūra, Cānura: 13 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  9. ↑ www.wisdomlib.org (2017-02-21). "Pancajana, Pañcajana, Pancan-jana, Pamcajana: 12 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  10. ↑ www.wisdomlib.org (2012-02-26). "Shishupala, Sisupala, Śiśupāla, Shishu-pala, Śiṣupāla: 17 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  11. ↑ www.wisdomlib.org (2017-11-30). "Dantavaktra: 7 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  12. ↑ Mani, Vettam (2015-01-01). Puranic Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Work with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 373. ISBN 978-81-208-0597-2.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.