Asuras are a class of beings opposed to the devas, or gods, in Hinduism. Asuras are often equally as powerful as the gods but are generally evil (although good asuras do exist), and in Hindu myths the gods frequently battle these demonic beings. In early Vedic texts (c. 1500β1200 bce), the term asura referred to any divine leader, but the opposition between good devas and evil asuras developed by the time of the Atharva Veda and the Brahmanas (1000β700 bce).
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