Shura

Japanese: 修羅 - しゅら

[1] (abbreviation of "ashura" (Asura)) A Buddhist term. An evil deity who is always fighting against Taishakuten. It is said to live at the bottom of the sea beneath Mount Sumeru. ※Konjaku (around 1120) vol. 4 "If you see that he falls into the realm of hungry ghosts, he will become an asura." [2] [Noun] ① A Buddhist term. An abbreviation of "Shurado" (Asura-do). ※Yamagashu (late 12th century) " Shurado : A mind that uses pointless quarrels as a shield and only gives rise to anger." ② A fight caused by jealousy or suspicion . Also a metaphor for a long struggle, war, intense anger, passion, etc. ※Noh play, Yashima (around 1430): "When the tide falls on a spring night, it will be time for bloodshed. When that time comes, my name will be known." ※Joruri, Oshu Adachihara (1762): 2: "Even in the sea trade, men everywhere are drawn to the shore, and we, too, will face bloodshed. When three men gather together, they make a man's rumor." ③ In a play, a scene of a fight. A scene of bloodshed. ※Ukiyo-zoshi, Saikaku Nagori no Tomo (1699): 5: "As Katafu speaks of the Fuji no Shura." ④ Abbreviation of "Shuraguruma (Where the Shura Carriage)" [Bunmeihon Setsuyoshu (Muromachi period)] ※Essay, Kiyu Shoran (1830): 2nd vol., "They say that a lump of gold and silver is loaded onto a Shura and five or six hundred people are mined to extract it." ⑤ Abbreviation of "Shurabune (Where the Shura Ship)." ※Essays, Kiyū Shōran (1830), vol. 2, "No matter what, a boat loaded with stones is called an asura."⑥ A thick board laid on the ground to make it easier to turn when lowering a boat or pulling it up onto land. An asura board. [Nippo Jisho (1603-04)]※Seki Ship Manufacturing Law and the Ship Tamashii Saibun (1883), "For boat travel, we call it an asura, and (abbreviated) a board about one inch thick."⑦ A device for transporting lumber from a mountain. A device that uses the slope of the mountain and the weight of the logs to automatically transport them down the mountain to a base for transporting them in the valley. ※Kiso Style Logging and Transport Illustrations (1857), "A asura for mountain drop" [Etymology] (1) "Ashura" is limited to its original Buddhist meaning, but "Shura" has derived meanings and has become a component of many idioms and proverbs. As can be seen in the typical Noh play Shuramono (Fushikaden-2), it is used to express the social climate of war and conflict.
According to the medieval dictionary "Shunosho-I" ( 1445-46 ), (2)④, the name "Taishaku" is a play on the pronunciation of the character "Oishi" (large stone) and the character "Taishaku." Since Asura is a god who fights against Taishakuten, the tool used to pull the large stone was named after Asura.

Even [Shura]

〘Noun〙 ⇒ Shura (Asura)

Source: The Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary About the Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary Information

Japanese:

[1] (「あしゅら（阿修羅）」の略) 仏語。常に帝釈天と戦っている悪神。須彌山の下の海底に住むという。※今昔（1120頃か）四「餓鬼道に堕ぬと見れば修羅に成ぬ」[2] 〘名〙① 仏語。「しゅらどう（修羅道）」の略。※山家集（１２Ｃ後）中「修羅よしなしな争ふことを楯にして瞋(いかり)をのみも結ぶ心は」② 嫉妬、猜疑(さいぎ)から起こる争い。また、長い闘争、戦争、激しい怒り、情念などのたとえ。※謡曲・八島（1430頃）「春の夜の潮の落つる暁ならば修羅の時になるべし。その時はわが名や名のらん」※浄瑠璃・奥州安達原（1762）二「海商売とてどこの男も磯ぜせり、こちとらも修羅はたえぬと、三人寄れば男の噂」③ 演劇で、闘争の場面。修羅場。※浮世草子・西鶴名残の友（1699）五「嘉太夫ふじのしゅらを語る程に」④ 「しゅらぐるま（修羅車）」の略。〔文明本節用集（室町中）〕※随筆・嬉遊笑覧（1830）二下「金銀の塊りをしゅらに載せ五六百人にて挽出すと云り」⑤ 「しゅらぶね（修羅船）」の略。※随筆・嬉遊笑覧（1830）二下「何にまれ石を載る舟をば修羅と呼ぶ」⑥ 船おろしまたは船を陸へ引き上げるとき、転(ころ)が回りやすいように地上に敷く厚い板。修羅板。〔日葡辞書（1603‐04）〕※関船製造法律並に御船魂祭文（1883）「船行に修羅と云て〈略〉厚壱寸五六歩の板を」⑦ 伐木山からの運材装置の一つ。山の勾配と原木の自重を利用して、原木を自動的に谷合いの流送基地まで山おろしする装置をいう。※木曾式伐木運材図絵（1857）「山落しの修羅は」[語誌](1)「阿修羅」は仏語本来の意味用法に止まるが、「修羅」は派生義を生じ、多くの熟語や成語の成分となった。謡曲の修羅物（「風姿花伝‐二」）などに典型が見られるように、戦乱闘争の世相の表現に用いられる。
(2)(二)④は中世古辞書「壒嚢鈔‐一」（一四四五‐四六）によると、「大石」の字音「タイシャク」に「帝釈」を掛け、修羅が帝釈天と戦う神であるというところから、大石を引く道具に、「修羅」を連想した命名であるという。