Susna
Susna () is an asura described in Hindu texts. Normally associated with drought, Susna is often described as possessing a snake-like form with horns. He is an enemy of the deity Indra. Etymology Susna means "drought" from the root Sus, which translates to "dry up". The similar "sosna" is an old Slavic word for the pine tree. Literature In Hinduism, Susna is an asura commonly associated with drought, famine, and hoarding. An enemy of Indra, the asura makes multiple appearances across a number of Vedic texts. He is often associated with Vritra, another asura which obstructs the rivers of the world. In the Rigveda, Susna is described as being a "child of mists" similar to Vritra, a massive dragon who blocks the rivers of the world. Like Vritra, Susna is seen as a causer of drought and as a foe of Indra. However, while Indra is able to kill Vritra with a thunderbolt, Susna must be destroyed by returning water to the land. To defeat the asura, Indra destroys Susna's fortress, and, at the request of his follower Kutsa, sends rains to end the drought, defeating the asura. One passage from the text notes Indra "made flow the springs restrained