]] In Hinduism In Hinduism, the Asura (Sanskrit: ????) are a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes referred to as demons. They were opposed to the deva. Both groups are children of Kashyapa. The name is cognate to Ahura ? indeed, the Oxford English Dictionary recognises the use of the term in reference to Zoroastrianism, where "Ahura" would perhaps be more appropriate ? and Æsir, which implies a common Proto-Indo-European origin for the Asura and the Æsir. The negative character of the asura in Hinduism seems to have evolved over time. In general, the earliest texts have the asuras presiding over moral and social phenomena (e.g. Varuna, the guardian of , or Bhaga, the patron of marriages) and the devas presiding over natural phenomena (e.g. Ushas, whose name means "dawn", or Indra, a weather god). Mitra, Varuna and Vritra are the most well known Asuras. Vairocana, Sumbha and Nisumbha are kings of Asuras

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