#Sambara, the Danava
An asura.
Various Puranas refer to this leader of the asuras as having played a prominent part in the Devasura war. After many such wars he was killed by Siva.
2) Sambara’s magic power. He possessed marvellous magic powers. Once while fighting with him, the Devas were non-plussed by his magical powers, and they hid themselves in a forest. Sambara was pleased and he roamed about freely without any fear and burnt the palaces of the protectors of the world. The Devas left their homes and disappeared in disguise. The Devas began killing those whom Sambara had appointed as army-chieftaius. To counter this attack by the Devas, he created three powerful asuras by his powers of magic. The three asuras called Dama, Vyala and Ghata began killing the warriors of the Devas, and the Devas told Brahma at Satyaloka about the depredations of the asura. Brahma encouraged them for further fighting, and the three asuras were killed and Sambara ran away and hid himself.
(Jnanavasistha Sthitiprakaranam).
3) Sambara in Rigveda. There are various references to Sambara in the Rgveda. He was King of the Dasyus. He had mastery over hundred cities. The forts and trenches in those cities were very, strong. The forts are referred to as Asvamayi, Ayasi, Satabhuji etc, in the Rgveda. The chief enemies of the Aryans were the race of people called Panis in the city. There is a hint about the killing of Sambara in Sdkta 17, Anuvaka 8, Mandala 1 of the Rgveda.
4) Other information.
(i) Sambara was Kasyapa’s son by his wife Danu.
(ii) Dasaratha had, at the request of the Devas defeated Sambara in a war fought in Devaloka.
(See under Dasaratha, Para 5) .
(iii) Indra, on another occasion, defeated Sambara.
(Adi Parva, Chapter 137, Verse 43).
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