Asuras: gods of chaos

Nadai

Active Member
I came across the myth of the Asuras very recently. The Asuras were the Hindu gods of Chaos. Apparently they were more behind-the-scenes immortals who focused more on power than humanity. They affected humans in terms of our emotions (pleasure, violence, ecstasy). They also oversaw karmic justice.
They live in the Netherworld and guard the Thousand Hells and protecting the Seals from being broken and releasing the Daevas. There are four of them. Serhadis guards the tombs of the dead. Anshar is strife and fire and believes war is the root of creation. Taranis is vengeance. Lastly, Thiasus is trickery and the god of soma (a type of wine considered to be the drink of the gods).
 

Caburus

Active Member
Your accompanying picture is of Greek mythology, not Hindu Auras. It's Adolf Hiremy-Hirschl's "Souls on the Banks of the Acheron" (1898). Hermes, with his winged hat and caduceus, stands at the edge of the River of the Dead (Acheron), facing a crowd of recently deceased souls who implore him to save them from their trip to Hades. But it's still a very powerful and evocative image of despair. Thanks for posting it.

In Hindu and Buddhist cosmology the Asuras are enemies of the Devas, although some can be allies of them, and as heroes to mankind. There are hundreds of them (not just four), and they used to live with the Devas in heaven, although they were always arguing with them. However, at a celebration in Heaven, all the Asuras got drunk and the Devas used this opportunity to literally push them out of the sky, and the Asuras fell into the world below. The Asuras are continually fighting with the Devas to get back into heaven, and because of this struggle to get back 'on top' they are seen as hyper-competitive and paranoid. They are driven by a desire to beat everyone at being better, having the most, and being powerful. They therefore resemble the material side/negative emotions of man - anger, war, pride, ignorance, arrogance, greed, etc. They might accomplish good things with these powers (and so be beneficial to man and gods), but ultimately they are self serving.

I'm not familiar with the names you give as being Hindu. Anshar is a Mesopotamian sky god, Taranis is a Celtic god of thunder, and Thiasus is the drunken retinue of Dionysus.
 

Alejandro

Active Member
The information and the image seem to be from this page>> http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/the-golden-wastes/wikis/asuras which actually enumerates eight deities which it calls Asuras, four of them male, four of them female. It appears to be for a fantasy narrative entitled The Golden Wastes, related to the Dungeons & Dragons game. Another page on the site says that "The Golden Wastes is a monthly D&D 3.5 campaign set in an unique setting which uses the rules set, but with completely different monsters, perils, and ideas."
 

Nadai

Active Member
Your accompanying picture is of Greek mythology, not Hindu Auras. It's Adolf Hiremy-Hirschl's "Souls on the Banks of the Acheron" (1898). Hermes, with his winged hat and caduceus, stands at the edge of the River of the Dead (Acheron), facing a crowd of recently deceased souls who implore him to save them from their trip to Hades. But it's still a very powerful and evocative image of despair. Thanks for posting it.

In Hindu and Buddhist cosmology the Asuras are enemies of the Devas, although some can be allies of them, and as heroes to mankind. There are hundreds of them (not just four), and they used to live with the Devas in heaven, although they were always arguing with them. However, at a celebration in Heaven, all the Asuras got drunk and the Devas used this opportunity to literally push them out of the sky, and the Asuras fell into the world below. The Asuras are continually fighting with the Devas to get back into heaven, and because of this struggle to get back 'on top' they are seen as hyper-competitive and paranoid. They are driven by a desire to beat everyone at being better, having the most, and being powerful. They therefore resemble the material side/negative emotions of man - anger, war, pride, ignorance, arrogance, greed, etc. They might accomplish good things with these powers (and so be beneficial to man and gods), but ultimately they are self serving.

I'm not familiar with the names you give as being Hindu. Anshar is a Mesopotamian sky god, Taranis is a Celtic god of thunder, and Thiasus is the drunken retinue of Dionysus.
As I said, I'd never before heard of them. I came across this picture actually and when I clicked on it I found the following information. Perhaps it is another version of the same myth. I couldn't say though.
 

Nadai

Active Member
The information and the image seem to be from this page>> http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/the-golden-wastes/wikis/asuras which actually enumerates eight deities which it calls Asuras, four of them male, four of them female. It appears to be for a fantasy narrative entitled The Golden Wastes, related to the Dungeons & Dragons game. Another page on the site says that "The Golden Wastes is a monthly D&D 3.5 campaign set in an unique setting which uses the rules set, but with completely different monsters, perils, and ideas."
Ah. That would explain it:rolleyes: Thanks guys:p:D

It's still a very interesting story. At least I thought so.
 

Alejandro

Active Member
Yes, it's an interesting mesh of characters from myths & religions from around the world to incorporate into the universe created for the game. According to Wikipedia, there've been quite a few other pop culture uses of the word "Asura" for such games>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asuras

The Hindu āsuras are also quite fascinating. There were entire tribes and races of them, most of them very closely related to the devās [gods], who were their bitter enemies. In early Vedic times, however, the distinction between them and the devās would appear to be more that they were simply another class of gods, somewhat similar to the difference, in Norse mythology, between the Æsir and the Vanir (who also at some point were at odds with each other).
 

Nadai

Active Member
Yes, it's an interesting mesh of characters from myths & religions from around the world to incorporate into the universe created for the game. According to Wikipedia, there've been quite a few other pop culture uses of the word "Asura" for such games>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asuras

The Hindu āsuras are also quite fascinating. There were entire tribes and races of them, most of them very closely related to the devās [gods], who were their bitter enemies. In early Vedic times, however, the distinction between them and the devās would appear to be more that they were simply another class of gods, somewhat similar to the difference, in Norse mythology, between the Æsir and the Vanir (who also at some point were at odds with each other).
Very interesting, Alejandro, thank you. As always, you are a wealth of information;)
 

Benst

New Member
The Asuras are ridiculous sometimes. They are definitly not what that webpage puts them out to be.

They're mostly mortal, but live an incredibly long time. They are generally seen as demons though, not gods, which is an important thing to understabd. You see, in Hinduism and Buddhism especially... any being can reincarnate as various other different beings. A God might die and be reborn as a Human, to be reborn again as a God. A Human might be wicked and be born as an Asura, and through penitence be reborn as a Human again.

The Asuras are etymologically related to Persia, where in Persia the old and the new Zoroastrian religion the roles are reversed. Ahuras is the name given to gods, while Deevs were considered demons. In India, the role reversed and the Devas become the word for Gods and Asuras as demons, or unbelievers. From the linguistic connections within the Indo-Aryan family group we get our word Deity and Demon meaning both ends. So, Hinduism Asuras were one tribe of Gods at the beginning who were then tricked by the Devas, who managed to swallow all of the amrit (similar to the Greek ambrosia) which gave them immortality, while the Asuras were thrown out of the divine realm. Ofcourse over the ridiculously long time of mythic time, Asuras have retaken the divine realm over and over, and this is what gives us some of the most memorable images from Hinduism. Some sources for you all to look into are the Purananas, the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana... where demons are often as antagonists.
 

Nadai

Active Member
The Asuras are ridiculous sometimes. They are definitly not what that webpage puts them out to be.

They're mostly mortal, but live an incredibly long time. They are generally seen as demons though, not gods, which is an important thing to understabd. You see, in Hinduism and Buddhism especially... any being can reincarnate as various other different beings. A God might die and be reborn as a Human, to be reborn again as a God. A Human might be wicked and be born as an Asura, and through penitence be reborn as a Human again.

The Asuras are etymologically related to Persia, where in Persia the old and the new Zoroastrian religion the roles are reversed. Ahuras is the name given to gods, while Deevs were considered demons. In India, the role reversed and the Devas become the word for Gods and Asuras as demons, or unbelievers. From the linguistic connections within the Indo-Aryan family group we get our word Deity and Demon meaning both ends. So, Hinduism Asuras were one tribe of Gods at the beginning who were then tricked by the Devas, who managed to swallow all of the amrit (similar to the Greek ambrosia) which gave them immortality, while the Asuras were thrown out of the divine realm. Ofcourse over the ridiculously long time of mythic time, Asuras have retaken the divine realm over and over, and this is what gives us some of the most memorable images from Hinduism. Some sources for you all to look into are the Purananas, the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana... where demons are often as antagonists.
Haven't heard this before. That's amazing. I've never gotten into Hindu myth but it sounds really interesting.
 

Benst

New Member
I'm sorry to ay but the original webpage you put up is fiction. Hindu and Buddhist myth is where the Asuras can be found and they don't appear anywhere else except in Indian based religions.

The thing is, in trying to understand and familiarize yourself with the mythology you have to take it step by step. Most myths follow a number of similar themes and use a particular logic. Dharma, Karma and reincarnation are very important... and no being is truly eternal. Also, just like in Norse myths... where frost giants are antagonists and protagonists there are examples of good asuras helping. There are also examples of other divine beings being cursed by a God and being transformed into an asura... such as in the Ramayana where Ram and his brother Lakshman fight an asura who when defeated turns back into his heavenly form, blesses them and explains what happened to him.
 

Alejandro

Active Member
The prevailing feature in stories about the āsuras would appear to be them constantly antagonising the gods with the result of wars which last for protracted periods of time like hundreds or even thousands of years. (I find it really difficult to imagine any place which could survive a sixteen-thousand-year-long[!] war like Hayāgrīva's war against the gods :eek: or even a one-thousand-year-long war like the battle between Varaha [Viṣṇu's giant boar incarnation] and the Daitya Hiraṇyākṣa.) At any rate, here's one such showdown story, in all its random weirdness:

There was once a powerful āsura king named Ruru, who ruled over Ratnapuri, the “City of Jewels,” which stood in the middle of the sea. Having received a boon of invincibility from Brahmā (who is apparently unaffected by previous experience of handing out such favours to his own enemies!), Ruru attacked and defeated all the gods in battle, and they fled for help to the goddess Śakti or Rudrāni, who was also called Camunda. The Goddess, who had manifested or been born from Śiva’s matted hair, was performing tapasya on the Blue Mountain called Nilgiri. Ruru and his army pursued the fleeing deities to Mt Nilgiri, where the gods prostrated themselves before the Goddess. When Śakti saw Ruru and his forces, a loud laugh burst forth from her, and from the laugh emerged a horde of devilish beings which descended upon and decimated the āsura’s army. The Goddess then slew Ruru himself using one of her toenails :confused:
 
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Myrddin

Well-Known Member
At any rate, here's one such showdown story, in all its random weirdness:

There was once a powerful āsura king named Ruru, who ruled over Ratnapuri, the “City of Jewels,” which stood in the middle of the sea. Having received a boon of invincibility from Brahmā (who is apparently unaffected by previous experience of handing out such favours to his own enemies!), Ruru attacked and defeated all the gods in battle, and they fled for help to the goddess Śakti or Rudrāni, who was also called Camunda. The Goddess, who had manifested or been born from Śiva’s matted hair, was performing tapasya on the Blue Mountain called Nilgiri. Ruru and his army pursued the fleeing deities to Mt Nilgiri, where the gods prostrated themselves before the Goddess. When Śakti saw Ruru and his forces, a loud laugh burst forth from her, and from the laugh emerged a horde of devilish beings which descended upon and decimated the āsura’s army.
You're right, that is a weird story. Very veird.

The Goddess then slew Ruru himself using one of her toenails :confused:
Yikes! :eek:

E. M.
 
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