Asura

[ uhs-oo-ruh ]

/ ˈʌs ʊ rə /

(in Indian mythology) a god or demon.

Zoroastrianism. Ahura.

Origin of Asura

< Sanskrit: mighty Lord; later (by reanalysis as a- + -sura) taken to mean “demon,” as opposed to sura (by back formation) “god”

The words Deva and Asura have an exactly opposite significance in the two religions.

The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India--Volume I (of IV) |R.V. Russell
That weapon killed the great Asura Vidyuddhvaja and his army, and they fell down dead from the sky.

The Kath Sarit Sgara |Somadeva Bhatta
Last of all the seventh demon Asura rode up with a newly-born baby boy.

Deccan Nursery Tales |Charles Augustus Kincaid
As Natesa, the dancer, Shiva dances triumphantly on the body of a slain Asura.

Indian Myth and Legend |Donald Alexander Mackenzie

Thou didst deliver the worlds, O slayer of the Asura Mahisha.

The Kath Sarit Sgara |Somadeva Bhatta