Mara in Hinduism?

[Buddha Dharma]

This is something I found myself curious about recently. Do Hindus have any ideas or beliefs concerning Mara, the 'evil one' of Buddhist cosmology? Is Mara identified with a particular Asura or something like that- or do Hindus lack the concept even?

 

[Vinayaka]

This is something I found myself curious about recently. Do Hindus have any ideas or beliefs concerning Mara, the 'evil one' of Buddhist cosmology? Is Mara identified with a particular Asura or something like that- or do Hindus lack the concept even?

Not my sampradaya for sure. There is no evil. Perhaps others can speak for their sampradaya.

 

[Terese]

There is no "evil one" in Hinduism. There is adharma, but that itself is not an entity, but a concept.

 

[sayak83]

This is something I found myself curious about recently. Do Hindus have any ideas or beliefs concerning Mara, the 'evil one' of Buddhist cosmology? Is Mara identified with a particular Asura or something like that- or do Hindus lack the concept even?

No. There is none.

 

[Satyamavejayanti]

This is something I found myself curious about recently. Do Hindus have any ideas or beliefs concerning Mara, the 'evil one' of Buddhist cosmology? Is Mara identified with a particular Asura or something like that- or do Hindus lack the concept even?

Namaste,

This is what Wiki says, Mara (demon) - Wikipedia

In Indian culture Mara to most Hindi speakers would mean death or dead, and i guess if the daughters of Mara are "Taṇhā(Craving), Arati (Aversion/Discontentment), and Raga (Attachment/Desire/Greed/Passion)". then it makes sense to a Hindu that Gautama would have to reject these Kama's (desires) to achieve enlightenment, this ideas of self control is also present in Hinduism.

A Hindu would say "Death (Mara), comes to those who give inn to his daughters (Tanha, Arati and Raga), but aversion of their advances ensures Mukti".

But Death is not seen as "Evil", in Hinduism, due to it being also a Devta (Yama Deva), which is not seen as negative aspect but the title of "Deva", or selfless giver when applied to Yama, gives the meaning of "Selfless Giving of Death", and therefore removing any personal gain of "Death", Yama does not gain anything in return from our death. From my understanding, death does not take anything, but death is given so we can have re-incarnation of the Atman/Jiva.

Hope this limited Hindu view helps.

Dhanyavad

 

[Aupmanyav]

Yamas (Sanskrit: यम), and its complement, Niyamas, represent a series of "right living" or ethical rules within Hinduism and Yoga. It means “reining in” or “control.”

Yama (The five "abstentions"): Ahimsa (Non-violence, non-harming other living beings), Satya (truthfulness, non-falsehood), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (celibacy, fidelity to one's partner), and Aparigraha (non-avarice, non-possessiveness).

Niyama (The five "observances"): Śauca (purity, clearness of mind, speech and body), Santosha (contentment, acceptance of others and of one's circumstances), Tapas (persistent meditation, perseverance, austerity), Svādhyāya (study of self, self-reflection, study of Vedas), and Ishvara-Pranidhana (contemplation of God/Supreme Being/True Self).

Yama (as Death) does not apply to me, because being an Advaitist, there is no birth or death for me.

 

[Shantanu]

Evil is to be found in Nature, within the tamasic guna consciousness. There is a deity that governs evil to those who succumb to this guna.

 

[Shrew]

I think there are so many Asuras in Hinduism, they don't need Mara.
Every god/goddess in Hinduism battles deamons.