Editing Asura (section)

=== ''Rig Veda'' ===
Bhargava states the word, ''asura'', including its variants, ''asurya'' and ''asura'', occurs "88&nbsp;times in the ''Rig Veda'', 71&nbsp;times in the singular number, 4&nbsp;times in the dual, 10&nbsp;times in the plural, and 3&nbsp;times as the first member of a compound. In this, the feminine form, ''asuryaa'', is included twice. The word, ''asurya'', has been used 19&nbsp;times as an abstract noun, while the abstract form ''asuratva'' occurs 24&nbsp;times, 22&nbsp;times in one hymn and twice each in two other hymns".<ref name=Bhargava>P.L. Bhargava, ''Vedic Religion and Culture'', South Asia Books, {{ISBN|978-81-246-0006-1}}</ref>

Bhargava<ref name=Bhargava/> gives a count of the word use for every Vedic deity: ''Asura'' is used as an adjective meaning "powerful" or "mighty". In the ''[[Rig Veda]]'', two generous kings – as well as some priests – have been described as ''asuras''. One hymn requests a son who is an ''asura''. In nine hymns, [[Indra]] is described as ''asura''. He is said to possess ''asurya'' 5&nbsp;times, and once he is said to possess ''asuratva''. [[Agni]] has total of 12&nbsp;''asura'' descriptions, [[Varuna]] has 10, [[Mitra]] has 8, and [[Rudra]] has 6.<ref name=Bhargava/> Book&nbsp;1 of the ''Rig Veda'' describes [[Savitr]] (Vedic solar deity) as an ''asura'' who is a "kind leader".<ref name= griffith135/>

{{Quote|
<poem>
हिरण्यहस्तो '''असुरः''' सुनीथः सुमृळीकः स्ववाँ यात्वर्वाङ् <nowiki>।
अपसेधन्रक्षसो यातुधानानस्थाद्देवः प्रतिदोषं गृणानः ॥१०॥</nowiki><ref>[https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/ऋग्वेद:_सूक्तं_१०.२२ ''Rig Veda''] Sanskrit text, Wikisource</ref>

May he, gold-handed '''Asura''', kind leader, come hither to us with his help and favour.
Driving off ''Raksasas'' and ''Yatudhanas'', [he] the god is present, praised in hymns at evening.
– Translated by Ralph Griffith<ref name=griffith135>[[Wikisource:The Rig Veda/Mandala 1/Hymn 35|Mandala 1, Hymn 35]] Ralph T Griffith, Wikisource</ref>

The golden-handed lord of good guidance, of good grace, of good help—let him drive in our direction.
Repelling demons and sorcerers, the god has taken his place facing evening, while being hymned.
– Translated by Stephanie W. Jamison, Joel P. Brereton<ref>{{cite book |author=Stephanie Jamison |title=The Rigveda – Earliest religious poetry of India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1LTRDwAAQBAJ |year=2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-063339-4 |page=142}}</ref>
</poem>
|''Rig Veda'' 1.35.10}}