असुर
Hindi
Etymology
Borrowed from Sanskrit असुर (ásura), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hásuras.
Noun
असुर • (asur) m
- (Hinduism) a demon, an asura
Declension
| Declension of असुर | ||
|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | |
| Direct | असुर (asur) | असुर (asur) |
| Oblique | असुर (asur) | असुरों (asurõ) |
| Vocative | असुर (asur) | असुरो (asuro) |
See also
- राक्षस (rākṣas)
Sanskrit
Etymology
From Proto-Indo-Aryan *Hásuras, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hásuras, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ń̥suros.
Related to असु (asu-), with several possible etymologies and meanings. In the context of asura conventionally associated with asu- in the sense of "master of the house". This meaning is not further narrowed by its etymology: cf. Avestan 𐬀𐬵𐬎 (ahu, “lord”) and 𐬀𐬵𐬎𐬭𐬀 (ahura, “lord”), Hittite 𒈗 (ḥaššū, “king”), and Latin erus (“lord”). Possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ens- (“to engender, beget”). Compare Old Norse æsir.
The Brahmanas and the Puranas derive asura from another asu-, "breath", a cognate of which is found in Av. ahu-, "life, existence". In yet other post-Vedic Sanskrit literature, asura was back-formed as a-sura, "non-sura", with sura then associated with a group of gods who inhabit Indra's domain.
Alternative forms
- ᬅᬲᬸᬭ (Balinese script)
- অসুৰ (Assamese script)
- অসুর (Bengali script)
- 𑰀𑰭𑰲𑰨 (Bhaiksuki script)
- 𑀅𑀲𑀼𑀭 (Brahmi script)
- 𑌅𑌸𑍁𑌰 (Grantha script)
- અસુર (Gujarati script)
- ꦄꦱꦸꦫ (Javanese script)
- ಅಸುರ (Kannada script)
- အသုရ (Burmese script)
- ଅସୁର (Oriya script)
- ꢂꢱꢸꢬ (Saurashtra script)
- 𑆃𑆱𑆶𑆫 (Sharada script)
- 𑖀𑖭𑖲𑖨 (Siddham script)
- అసుర (Telugu script)
- ཨསུར (Tibetan script)
- 𑒁𑒮𑒳𑒩 (Tirhuta script)
Pronunciation
- (Vedic) IPA(key): /ɐ́.s̪u.ɽɐ/
- (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈɐ.s̪u.ɽɐ/
Noun
असुर • (ásura) m
- spirit, good spirit, supreme spirit (said of Varuna)
- the chief of the evil spirits
- an evil spirit, demon, ghost, opponent of the gods
- name of Rāhu
- the sun
- cloud
- (in the plural) name of a warrior-tribe
- name of a Vedic school
- zodiacal sign
- Sinapis ramosa (in later Sanskrit सुर (sura) has been formed from असुर (asura), as सित (sita), from असित (asita))
Declension
| Masculine a-stem declension of असुर (ásura) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Dual | Plural | |
| Nominative | असुरः ásuraḥ | असुरौ ásurau | असुराः / असुरासः¹ ásurāḥ / ásurāsaḥ¹ |
| Vocative | असुर ásura | असुरौ ásurau | असुराः / असुरासः¹ ásurāḥ / ásurāsaḥ¹ |
| Accusative | असुरम् ásuram | असुरौ ásurau | असुरान् ásurān |
| Instrumental | असुरेण ásureṇa | असुराभ्याम् ásurābhyām | असुरैः / असुरेभिः¹ ásuraiḥ / ásurebhiḥ¹ |
| Dative | असुराय ásurāya | असुराभ्याम् ásurābhyām | असुरेभ्यः ásurebhyaḥ |
| Ablative | असुरात् ásurāt | असुराभ्याम् ásurābhyām | असुरेभ्यः ásurebhyaḥ |
| Genitive | असुरस्य ásurasya | असुरयोः ásurayoḥ | असुराणाम् ásurāṇām |
| Locative | असुरे ásure | असुरयोः ásurayoḥ | असुरेषु ásureṣu |
| Notes |
| ||
Descendants
- → Burmese: သုရာ (su.ra)
- → Chinese: 阿修羅 (āxiūluó)
- → Japanese: 阿修羅 (ashura)
- → Gujarati: અસુર (asur)
- → Hindi: असुर (asur)
- → Khmer: អសុរ (ʾɑsoʾ)
- → Marathi: आश्रू (āśrū)
- → Tamil: அசுரன் (acuraṉ)
- → Telugu: అసురుడు (asuruḍu)
- → Thai: อสูร (à-sǔun)
- → Tocharian B: asūre
References
- Monier Williams (1899), “असुर”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, OCLC 458052227, page 0121.