Vijaya (), also called Vijaya Dhanusha (), is a divine bow in

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

tradition. The bow was created by

Vishvakarma Vishvakarma or Vishvakarman ( sa, विश्वकर्मा, Viśvakarmā, all maker) is a craftsman deity and the divine architect of the devas in contemporary Hinduism. In the early texts, the craftsman deity was known as Tvastar and the ...

, the architect of the gods, for

Indra Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...

, the ruler of

Svarga Svarga (), also known as Indraloka and Svargaloka, is the celestial abode of the devas in Hinduism. Svarga is one of the seven higher lokas ( esoteric planes) in Hindu cosmology. Svarga is often translated as heaven, though it is regarded to b ...

Legend

The bow was created by

, the architect of the gods, and granted to Indra. After Indra had defeated many

asuras Asuras (Sanskrit: असुर) are a class of beings in Indic religions. They are described as power-seeking clans related to the more benevolent Devas (also known as Suras) in Hinduism. In its Buddhist context, the word is sometimes translated ...

with the help of this bow, he granted it to Lord

Parashurama Parashurama (), also referred to as Rama Jamadagnya, Rama Bhargava and Veerarama, is the sixth avatar among the Dashavatara of the preserver god Vishnu in Hinduism. He is believed to be one of the ''Chiranjeevis'' (Immortals), who will app ...

. On 21 different occasions, when the ruling

Kshatriyas Kshatriya ( hi, क्षत्रिय) (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority") is one of the four varna (social orders) of Hindu society, associated with warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the c ...

began oppressing their subjects and committing sin, Parashurama, armed with the Vijaya bow, hunted them to the brink of extinction, nearly ridding the world of the varna. Each time, Parashurama donated the territory won from the Kshatriyas to the

Brahmins Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests ( purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...

for the re-establishment of order.

Mahabharata

The

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the K ...

discusses how the ownership of the bow passed on to

Rukmi Rukmi ( sa, रुक्मी) is the ruler of Vidarbha according to the epic Mahabharata. He was the son of King Bhishmaka and the elder brother of Rukmini. The Harivamsa mentions that Rukmi was trained in the arts of warfare by the Kimpurush ...

: According to the

, Parashurama takes on

Karna Karna (Sanskrit: कर्ण, IAST: ''Karṇa''), also known as Vasusena, Anga-raja, and Radheya, is one of the main protagonists of the Hindu epic '' Mahābhārata''. He is the son of the sun god Surya and princess Kunti (mother of the ...

as his student. Since Karna is a worthy student, Parashurama blesses Karna with the Vijaya, along with other celestial weapons. The Vijaya bow is mentioned by name only once in the text, during the

Kurukshetra war The Kurukshetra War ( sa, कुरुक्षेत्र युद्ध ), also called the Mahabharata War, is a war described in the ''Mahabharata ( sa, महाभारत )''. The conflict arose from a dynastic succession struggle be ...

, on the 17th day, when Karna fights against

Arjuna Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among Panda ...

Significance

The bow Vijaya is described to sound like a thundercloud, and capable of terrifying the entire world. When Druma, the heavenly kinnara, presents the bow to Rukmi, it is stated that the Vijaya is on par with the

Gandiva Gandiva (IAST: Gāṇḍīva; ) is a divine bow of Arjuna, one of the Pandavas from the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata.'' The bow was made by Brahma. How Arjuna got the Gandiva Agni, God of fire, wanted to devour the forest of Khandavaprastha, t ...

. In

Shaiva Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...

tradition, the Vijaya was wielded by

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one o ...

, and presented to his devotee, Parashurama. It is stated that the string of the bow cannot be broken by any astra, and that when mustered, it creates a blinding flash of light that is bright enough to leave one's enemy incapacitated.

References

{{Reflist Mahabharata Bows (archery) Weapons in Hindu mythology

Legend

Mahabharata

Significance

See also

References