Asura in Veda

Asura in Veda Shrikant Vasudeo

I am giving below the ‘brighter’ side of the Asura as described in the early Veda. We are very much accustomed to the idea that Asura means Demonic Power. However, very few of us realise that this was NOT so in the early Rgvedic period. I am particularly drawn to this topic because of the vertical split between Zoroastrian and Hindu cosmological allocation of divine powers to Asura and to Devas. I am uncomfortable with what knowledge has percolated down to us through the millennia of human evolution giving diametric opposition of two ancient religions on this planet. I got my impetus for my research when I discovered that Zorastrians are as divine or as human as we Hindus. Then why their god is the enemy of our god ? During my diving deep into the Vedic Treasure, I stumbled upon following gems which I want to share with you.

In Rgveda, the Indra is given ‘asura’ power by the Heaven and Earth and the Gods so that he (Indra) can crush all obstacles. (III.49.I) The asuric power meant ‘creative power’ in the early stages of the Veda. Indra was ‘asura’ in earlier times. In Rgveda, asura is NOT considered to be a demon. This demonic nature was attributed to asura in later times.

‘Asu’ means BREATH or LIFE ENERGY. The ‘ra’ means to possess and to grant. Asura therefore means the possessor of the life breath as well as its bestower. When ‘Deva’ acquires a great creative faculty, he gets the honorific title of ‘Asura’. In Rgveda, Asura was highly spiritual entity with great creative and ruling capacities. They were having excellent ‘magic’ power. All our highest devas are asuras. Varuna, Savitr and Indra are described as ‘wise asura’. So also Dyaus, Agni and Brahmanspati are given the ‘title’ of Asura.

There were two class of Asuras. One on the side of the Light or the Adityas and the other on the dark side of the cosmos. Aditya represent the principle of evolution, freedom, light and expansion. On the other hand. the opposing forces are called ‘Danavas’. However, Danavas were NOT equated with Asuras in the early Rgvedic period. It was done at much later stage. Danu means bondage, restraint. She is mother of Vrtra, the constrictor. Curiously, in Rgveda I.30.3 and 5, Indra fights also with ‘all the furious gods’, alongwith the Danavas representing the forces of darkness and chaos.

Asuras are possessor of the power of ‘maya’. Thus the conflict is between the devas ‘as asuras’ and the daityas or the sons of Diti or Danu. In Satapatha Brahmana (1.2.4.ff.), these opposing forces are of the same father – ‘ Prajapati’ but of different mothers – Aditi and Danu. In Satapatha Brahmana and Taittiriya Samhita, which are much later than the Rgveda, the term ‘asura’ is associated with the forces of darkness.

It appears that we have lost the KEY as to what made our cosmic PROTAGENISTS change their mind. Is there any missing link ? I am sure there must be some reason for this 180 degrees turn of our attributes assigned to asuras. Not much attempt seems to have been made to investigate this matter further. Our discerning faculty has been clouded by the Puranic stories giving dramatic and vivid ex-pression to the conflict between Deva and Asura.

The first act of manifestation has at its root the drive towards ‘Self Assertion’. It is the differentiating and divisive intelligence from the original ‘ONE’. It was necessary to make a world out of the undifferentiated state of darkness of VOID. This was done by the action of the Asuras. All the great asuras are the examples of this self-ex-pression of high intelligence for breaking through the circle of darkness and demarcating the various realms of the manifested world.

It is likely that at a later stage some Asuras went ‘overboard’ with their great assertive thrust and crossed the ‘threshold’ of sustaining faculty. It became egoistic and selfish detrimental to the good order of the world. In Satapatha Brahmana, it is mentioned that asuras ‘even through arrogance went on offering into their own mouth’ whilst the gods ‘went on making offerings into one another’.

Atharvaveda (III.9.4) coins the word ‘Asuramaya’. It meant divine creative power, the power of transformation. It was possessed by both gods and demons. Only at later state this power was usurped by demons for deceptive purposes.

However, in the later stages of the Veda, the word Asura is identified with the demonic power and is portrayed in much negative manner. What I have described above probably represents only 5 % of our ancient view point. The balance 95 % is what we commonly understand today by the word Asura in the negative sense of the word.


Shrikant V Soman