1.
Asura (Buddhist demigod)
In Buddhist cosmology, a powerful but warlike being that inhabits one of the six realms of rebirth. Asuras are depicted with multiple faces and arms, locked in eternal battle with the gods. The famous Ashura statue at Kōfukuji Temple in Nara is one of Japan's most beloved Buddhist sculptures.
興福寺の阿修羅像を見に行った。
I went to see the Ashura statue at Kōfukuji Temple.
阿修羅は仏教の六道の一つに数えられる。
The Asura realm is counted as one of the six paths in Buddhism.
三面六臂の阿修羅像は、怒りと悲しみが入り混じった表情で知られている。
The three-faced, six-armed Ashura statue is known for its expression that mixes anger and sorrow.
2.
scene of carnage; fierce battle; chaos
Figuratively, a state of intense conflict or violent chaos, evoking the eternal warfare of the Asuras. Used in the expression 修羅場 (shuraba) and similar compounds.
戦場は阿修羅のようだった。
The battlefield was like a scene of carnage.
選挙戦は阿修羅の戦いと化した。
The election campaign turned into a fierce battle.
株式市場が暴落し、取引フロアは阿修羅のような様相を呈した。
The stock market crashed, and the trading floor took on a scene of chaos.
From Sanskrit 'asura' via Buddhist scriptures. In Indian mythology, asuras are powerful beings opposed to the devas (gods). In Japanese Buddhism, the Asura realm (阿修羅道) represents a state of constant conflict driven by jealousy and competitiveness.
The 興福寺 Ashura statue (阿修羅像) in Nara, a National Treasure from 734 CE, is arguably the most famous Buddhist sculpture in Japan. Its slender, youthful figure with three faces expresses a range of emotions unusual in Buddhist art.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 阿修羅像: Ashura statue
- 阿修羅道: Asura realm (one of the six Buddhist realms)
- 阿修羅のような: like a scene of carnage
- 阿修羅の如く: like an Asura (literary)
RELATED TERMS:
- 修羅場: scene of carnage; bloodbath; dramatic confrontation — the most common modern derivative
- 修羅: Asura (abbreviated) — also used in the compound 修羅場
- 六道: six realms of rebirth in Buddhism