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Asuras in Hinduism are deities of low rank, sometimes called demons, titans, demigods, anti-gods, giants. This is due to the fact that the asuras are in binary opposition to the suras, the gods of Hinduism, similar to the opposition “gods-titans” or “gods-giants” in ancient Greek mythology. In Zoroastrianism, the opposite is true. Asuras there are declared gods, devas – demons.

In the Vedic period, the word “asura” most likely meant “possessing vitality” (to the word asu (“vital force”), M. Mayrhofer etymology). In the Rig Veda, many gods are called asuras – Savitara, Agni, Mitra, Varuna, Surya and others. Asuras are mentioned mainly in the Puranas, they are actively trying to overthrow Indra from the throne and expel the gods from Paradise. Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti and Kartik help the Virgos defeat the Asuras. However, even among the asuras there are positive characters, for example, the King of Bali mentioned in the Puranas.

Thus, the main difference between the asuras and the Rakshasas is that the asuras challenge the dominion of Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma and try to take over them.

Most asuras also have superpowers, which they can develop through performing spiritual practices dedicated to Trimurti, especially Brahma.

In the Ramayana it is also described that the Rakshasas received their bodies as a result of a curse, which can only be overcome by accepting death from one of the Vishnu avatars.

The division of deities into two rival camps is also characteristic of the Avestan religion, where there is an inversion in relation to Hinduism, and “ahura” in the name of the supreme deity Ahura-Mazda, apparently, is a variant of the word “asura”.

Varuna is one of the names of Ahura Mazda in Zoroastrianism. Also Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita says: “I am Varuna.”

Ramayana is an ancient Indian epic in Sanskrit, the author of which in the tradition of Hinduism is considered to be the legendary sage Valmiki, whose name is mentioned in Vedic literature as one of the teachers of Taittiriya-Pratisakhya. It is one of the most important sacred texts of Hinduism in the smriti canon.

…The Vanar are very strong warriors, and in war they usually uproot a tree and use it as a weapon against enemies. according to the Ramayana, the Vanaras are brave, curious, somewhat irritable, active, adventurous, very loyal and honest. Their appearance is characterized by somewhat smaller stature than humans, as well as thin fur covering the body. The most famous Vanaras are: Hanuman, the leader of the Vanaras Sugriva, brother of Sugriva Bali, Angada, Nila and Nala.

Ramayana, in contrast to the “Mahabharata”, to which the epithets of itihasa (legend, saga) and purana (epithets) are attached, Ramayana refers to kavya, that is, to artificial poems. It is usually assumed that the Ramayana plot has an allegorical character and depicts under the guise of Rama’s exploits the spread of Indo-Aryan tribes to the south of India to the island of Sri Lanka; but there is nothing improbable in the suggestion that some ancient myth was put at the basis of this allegorical legend. The word Sri-means sacred, it is often an epithet that refers to Rama and other heroes of the Ramayana – Sri Rama, for example.

The Ramayana shows the conflict between the Asuras and the Vanaras, and this conflict is shown in Indo-European myths more than once, for example, and in the Scandinavian myths the Vanis and the Ases also conflict.

Asy (Old Scandalous noun áss (ǫ́ss, ás), plural æsir; plural ásynja, plural ásynjur) – in German-Scandinavian mythology the main group of gods. The supreme god and leader of the Aesir is Odin.

Saxon Grammar calls asdings Danes. According to legends, the Aesir live in Asgard, the city of the Aesir gods located in the sky.

The Vans (Old Scandal. Vanir) are a group of gods in Germanic-Scandinavian mythology, whose clan gave way to the cult of the Aesir (Aisir), with whom they either enmity or enter into an alliance. As you can see, in the Scandinavian spelling vanir is identical to the Indian vanar. The war of the Aesir and the Vanir is one of the key events in Scandinavian mythology, an armed conflict between the groups of the gods of the Aesir and the Vanir.

The war began due to the murder of the sorceress Gullveig by the Aesir, created by the Vans from gold and sent to Midgard (lands inhabited by people) to spoil the customs of its inhabitants (since the Vans were unhappy with the fact that people glorify only Ases). The Vans laid siege to Asgard, and the Aesir King Odin, who threw his spear at the Vans, began the battle. During the war, the Vanir destroyed the walls of Asgard, but in the street battles the Aesir began to gain the upper hand. As a result, a peace treaty was concluded between the Aesir and the Vanir and an exchange of hostages was carried out: Mimir and Hoenir went to the Vanir, and Nyord went to the Aesir, followed by his children, Freyr and Freya. This war, according to Scandinavian mythology, marked the end of a golden age. Asdings are Danes, Vans are Vends. The 19th century Slavist P. Shafarik brought the name of the Vanir closer to the ethnonym Wends (Fin. Venäläinen “Russians”), as well as the toponym Vantit. A similar conflict took place in the Caucasus, between the Aysors (Assyrians) and the Vani (Urartu). It is very likely that, judging by toponymy, the Urartians were called Vans (Lake Van of this region)

So we see that the Ases and Vans have spread around the world from India to the Caucasus and to Scandinavia itself. And it turned out, as in the proverb “And together it is cramped, and apart it is unbearable”