Asūyā (Asuya) is one of the sons of Mṛtyu (Meitya; Death). He is born in the genealogical line of Adhamra (the non-righteous, Sin) and Hiṁsā (Himsa; envy or malice). The evil and negative aspects of the human nature are perhaps conceptualised here as personified beings. In Manusaṁhitā (Manusamhita), while explaining the eight kinds of human vanities resulting from krodha (anger), Kullukabhaṭṭa (Kullukabhatta) has written in his commentary — to discover doṣa (dosha; faults)even among the guṇa(s) (guma, virtue) of another person, is called asūyā —
paraguṇeṣu doṣāviṣkaraṇamasūyā.

In the dyūtasabhā (dyutasabha; assembley for the game of dice) of Mahābhārata (Mahabharata), Arjuna has mentioned this term to describe Karṇa (Karna) — who always finds faults among the virtues of the Pāṇdava (Pandava).