Depending on where we are, the gods of a certain 'place' or culture become the demons of another culture, highlighting how there have always been opposing factions even among the gods. This is why I want to talk about the Deva and Asura.
Asura is a term that originated in ancient Hindu mythology, appearing first in the Vedas, a collection of poems and hymns composed between 1500-1200 BCE. In its earliest usage, the term "asura" referred to a human or divine leader. Over time, its plural form became prevalent, and it came to designate a class of beings who were in opposition to the Vedic gods, known as the devas or suras.
The asuras were believed to be powerful beings, possessing abilities and attributes that were often comparable to those of the devas. However, they were frequently portrayed as being violent and evil, seeking to challenge the authority of the gods and to take over the world.
The characteristics of the asuras varied over time and across different regions of the Indian subcontinent. In some Hindu texts, they are described as being physically large, with immense strength and an imposing presence. In other texts, they are described as having supernatural abilities such as shape-shifting or the power to control natural elements.
Interestingly, the pattern of the meaning of "asura" is reversed in Iranian mythology, where the term "ahura" came to mean the supreme god and the "daevas" became demons. In Iranian mythology, the devas were known as "daevas" and were considered demons, in contrast to the Indian conception where the asuras were demons and the devas were gods or demigods.
The daevas were often associated with forces of evil and wickedness, while the ahura, whose name means "lords" or "divinities," were seen as the most important divine beings and were worshiped as gods of light and wisdom. While the Indian asuras represented brute force and creative drive, Iranian daevas were associated with concepts of lies, darkness, and confusion.
Although the division between daevas and ahura in Iranian mythology is different from the dichotomy between deva and asura in Indian mythology, both reflect the idea of a struggle between opposing forces
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