' () appears as a personification of the first weapon ever created according to

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

epics. 'Asi' means 'sword'. A legend concerning ''Asi'' appears in the

Shanti Parva The Shanti Parva (; IAST: ''Śānti parva)'' ("Book of Peace") is the twelfth of the eighteen ''parvas'' (books) of the Indian epic ''Mahabharata''. It traditionally has three parts and 365 chapters.Ganguli, K.M. (1883–1896)Shanti Parva in ''The ...

book of the

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

. In Rigvedic Sanskrit, Asi is still used as a term for a kind of sacrificial dagger or knife.Rocky Pendergrass, 201
Mythological Swords
Page 10.

Legend

Out of curiosity,

Nakula Nakula () is a major character in the ancient Indian epic, the ''Mahabharata.'' He is the elder twin brother of Sahadeva and the fourth of the five Pandava brothers. He is the son of Divine twins, twin physician gods, Ashvins, and Madri, the ...

, the fourth son of

Pandu Pandu () was the king of Kuru kingdom, with capital at Hastinapur in the epic '' Mahabharata''. He was the foster-father of the five Pandavas, who are the central characters of the epic. Pandu was born pale, to Vichitravirya's second wife ...

and the master of

swordsmanship Swordsmanship or sword fighting refers to the skills and techniques used in combat and training with any type of sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to an ...

, questioned the Kuru grandsire

Bhishma Bhishma (), also known as Pitamaha, Gangaputra, and Devavrata, is a central figure in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. He was a statesman and military commander of the ancient Kuru Kingdom. Renowned for his wisdom, valor, and unwavering principles, ...

on his arrow death bed as to which was the best

weapon A weapon, arm, or armament is any implement or device that is used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime (e.g., murder), law ...

in all kinds of fighting. In his own personal views, Nakula thought the sword to be the most superior since even on having lost one's bow, horse and chariot, a skillful swordsman could still defend himself against the mace and

spear A spear is a polearm consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with Fire hardening, fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable materia ...

wielders. Nakula further queried the grandsire about the origin and purpose of the

Khadga The Khadga dynasty () was a Buddhist dynasty which ruled the areas of Vanga and Samatata in ancient Bengal from 625 CE to 716 CE. Chronologically, the dynasty emerged as a powerful kingdom of Bengal between the fall of Gauda Kingdom and the ris ...

, as well as about its first

acharya In Indian religions and society, an ''acharya'' (Sanskrit: आचार्य, IAST: ; Pali: ''ācariya'') is a religious teacher in Hinduism and Buddhism and a spiritual guide to Hindus and Buddhists. The designation has different meanings i ...

("teacher, preceptor"). Gladdened by these intelligent queries by Nakula, Bhishma related to him the complete ''Itihasa'' (Sanskrit term for 'History') of the Khadga or "divine sword" starting from its creation down to the present.

Creation of ''Asi''

The

devas Devas may refer to: * Devas Club, a club in south London * Anthony Devas (1911–1958), British portrait painter * Charles Stanton Devas (1848–1906), political economist * Jocelyn Devas (died 1886), founder of the Devas Club * Devas (band), ...

approached

Brahma Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...

, the creator of the universe, in ancient time, and protested against the unjust rule and evil doings of the demons (

danavas In Hindu mythology, the danavas are a race descending from Kashyapa and his wife Danu, a daughter of the progenitor god, Daksha. It is mentioned that there are one hundred danavas. Origin The danavas are a mythological race of asuras, the ...

). Hearing the protest from the deities, Brahma collected sacrificial objects and proceeded to perform a grand

sacrifice Sacrifice is an act or offering made to a deity. A sacrifice can serve as propitiation, or a sacrifice can be an offering of praise and thanksgiving. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Gree ...

with the foremost of the

rishis In Indian religions, a ''rishi'' ( ) is an accomplished and enlightened person. They find mention in various Vedic texts. Rishis are believed to have composed hymns of the Vedas. The Post-Vedic tradition of Hinduism regards the rishis as "g ...

and devas at the side of

Himalaya The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than 100 pea ...

. During the course of the sacrifice, a dreadful creature sprang from the midst of the sacrificial fires, scattering flames all around. It was as though a

moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...

had arisen in the midst of the stars. He was coloured like a deep-blue

lotus Lotus or LOTUS may refer to: Plants * List of plants known as lotus, a list of various botanical taxa commonly known as lotus, particularly: **''Nelumbonaceae'', a single-genus family of aquatic flowering plants, consisting of just two species; ...

. His teeth were sharp and terrible, his stomach lean and skinny, and his stature very tall and slim. He was of exceeding energy and power. Simultaneously, the earth started shaking, there was turmoil in the ocean, the forceful winds started howling all around, the trees started falling and being torn apart, and the

meteor A meteor, known colloquially as a shooting star, is a glowing streak of a small body (usually meteoroid) going through Earth's atmosphere, after being heated to incandescence by collisions with air molecules in the upper atmosphere, creating a ...

s started blazing through the skies. Brahma declared: Upon this, the creature assumed the form of a blazing sharp-edged sword, glowing like flames. This sword was the primordial weapon created by the deities for the destruction of evil. The name of the sword was Asi, the personification and the primary energy behind all weapons ever created. As per

, the constellation under which the sword was born is Krittik;

Agni Agni ( ) is the Deva (Hinduism), Hindu god of fire. As the Guardians of the directions#Aṣṭa-Dikpāla ("Guardians of Eight Directions"), guardian deity of the southeast direction, he is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu temples. ...

is its deity; Rohini is its Gotra;

Rudra Rudra (/ ɾud̪ɾə/; ) is a Rigvedic deity associated with Shiva, the wind or storms, Vayu, medicine, and the hunt. One translation of the name is 'the roarer'. In the ''Rigveda'', Rudra is praised as the "mightiest of the mighty". Rudra ...

is its high preceptor and whoever holds this weapon obtains sure victory and will have absolute power over any weapon ever created since ''Asi'' is the primordial source of energy behind all weapons.

Succession of wielders of ''Asi''

Brahma gave that sword to Shiva, and requested him to put down the sinners and evil-doers, and restore the Dharma (righteousness). Shiva, assuming his extreme form, took up the sword and started the war against the Danavas, the enemies of the Devas. The earth became miry with flesh and blood of

daitya The daityas () are a race of asuras in Hindu mythology, descended from Kashyapa and his wife, Diti. Prominent members of this race include Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakashipu, and Mahabali, all of whom overran the earth, and required three of Vishnu's a ...

s and Shiva destroyed the entire community of daityas. Shiva gave the sword to

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

. Over the course of time, Vishnu gave the sword to

Marichi Marichi () or Mareechi or Marishi is the mind-born son of Brahma, and one of the Saptarishi in Hindu mythology. He is also the father of Kashyapa, and the grandfather of the ''devas'' and the ''asuras''. In Jainism, he is referred to as o ...

, and Marichi gave it to all the great Rishis. The Rishis gave the sword to Vasava, who gave it to the Regents of the world. The Regents gave the sword to

Manu Manu may refer to: Religion Proto Indo European Mythology * Manu (Indo European Mythology) one of the mythical duo Manu and Yemo Ancient Mesopotamia * Manu the Great, a Chaldean god of fate Hinduism *Manu (Hinduism), Hindu progenitor of mank ...

, the son of

Surya Surya ( ; , ) is the Sun#Dalal, Dalal, p. 399 as well as the solar deity in Hinduism. He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smarta tradition, Smarta tradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchaya ...

. In time, Manu installed his own son, Kshupa, as the sovereignty of all creatures and gave him the sword for their protection. From Kshupa, it was taken by

Ikshvaku Ikshvaku (Sanskrit ; Pāli: ) is a legendary king in Indian religions, particularly Hindu and Jain scriptures Jain literature () refers to the literature of the Jain religion. It is a vast and ancient literary tradition, which was initi ...

and from Ikshvaku, by Pururavas. From Pururavas, it was taken by Ayus, and from Ayus by Nahusha. From Nahusha, it was taken by Yayati, and from Yayati by Puru. From Puru, it was taken by Amurtarya. From Amurtarya, it descended to Bhumisaya. From Bhumisaya, it was taken by

Dushyanta Dushyanta (, ) is a king of the Chandravamsha (Lunar) dynasty featured in Hindu literature. He is the husband of Shakuntala and the father of Bharata. He appears in the Mahabharata and in Kalidasa's play, Abhijnanashakuntalam (). Legend Acc ...

's son, Bharata. From Bharata, it was taken by the righteous Ailavila. From Ailavila, it was taken by king Dhundumara. From Dhundumara, it was taken by Kamvoja, and from Kamvoja, it was taken by

Muchukunda Muchukunda () is a king of the Suryavamsha (Solar dynasty) in Hindu mythology. He was the son of King Mandhata, and the brother of Ambarisha. Battle with the asuras According to the Bhagavata Purana, the devas were once defeated by the asur ...

. From Muchukunda, it was taken by Marutta, and from Marutta, by Raivata. From Raivata, it was taken by Yuvanashva, and from Yuvanashva, by

Raghu Raghu () is a ruler of the Suryavansha dynasty in Hinduism. According to the '' Raghuvamsha'', he is the son of King Dilīpa and Queen Sudakshina. The history of his dynasty is elaborated upon by the poet Kalidasa in his ''Raghuvamsha''. He ...

. From Raghu, it was taken by Harinashva. From Harinashva, the sword was taken by Sunaka, and from Sunaka by the righteous-souled Usinara. From Usinara, it was taken by the Bhojas and the

Yadu This is a list of ancient Indo-Aryan peoples and tribes that are mentioned in the literature of Indian religions. From the second or first millennium BCE, ancient Indo-Aryan peoples and tribes turned into most of the population in the north ...

s. From the Yadus, it was taken by Sivi. From Sivi, it descended to Pratardana, of

Kashi Kashi or Kaashi most commonly refers to: * Varanasi (historically known as "Kashi"), a holy city in India Kashi may also refer to: Places **Kingdom of Kashi, an ancient kingdom in the same place, one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas **Kashi Vishwana ...

. From Pratardana, it was received by Ashtaka, and from Ashtaka by Prishadaswa. From Prishadaswa, it was received by

Bharadvaja Bharadvaja (, ; also spelled Bharadwaja) was one of the revered Vedic sages (maharishi) in Ancient India. He was a renowned scholar, economist, grammarian and a physician. He is one of the Saptarshis (seven great sages or Maharṣis). His co ...

. From

, his son

Drona Droṇa (, ), also referred to as Dronacharya (, ), is a major character of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he serves as the royal preceptor of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. He is one of the primary counsellors and warriors featured ...

obtained the sword.

used this weapon in the famous

Kurukshetra War The Kurukshetra War (), also called the Mahabharata War, is a war described in the Hindu Indian epic poetry, epic poem ''Mahabharata'', arising from a dynastic struggle between two groups of cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandavas, for the thr ...

described in the epic

. Drona became unconquerable in the

because he held ''Asi'', the primordial weapon. After the death of Drona, the sword was taken by

Kripacharya Kripa (, ), also known as Kripacharya (, ), is a figure in Hindu mythology. According to the epic ''Mahabharata'', he was a council member of Kuru Kingdom and a teacher of the Pandava and Kaurava princes. Born to warrior-sage Sharadvan and ...

. Kripacharya gifted the sword to

. From Nakula, the sword went to

Parikshit Parīkṣit (, ) was a Kuru king who reigned during the Middle Vedic period (12th–9th centuries BCE). Along with his son and successor, Janamejaya, he played a decisive role in the consolidation of the Kuru state, the arrangement of Vedic ...

, and from Parikshit, it went to

Janamejaya Janamejaya () was a Kuru king who reigned during the Middle Vedic period. Along with his father and predecessor Parikshit, he played a decisive role in the consolidation of the Kuru state, the arrangement of Vedic hymns into collections, and ...

. From Janamejaya, it went to his son Satanika. Satanika, who studied the Vedas under Yajnyawalkya, and military science from Kripacharya, became dissatisfied with sensual enjoyments. Satanika obtained spiritual knowledge from the instructions of Saunaka and ultimately obtained salvation. ''Asi'', the sword, again went back to

for safe keeping until the return of the rightful owner,

Dronacharya Droṇa (, ), also referred to as Dronacharya (, ), is a major character of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he serves as the royal preceptor of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. He is one of the primary counsellors and warriors featured i ...

's son,

Ashwatthama Ashvatthama (, , also spelt as Ashwatthama and Ashvatthaman) is a character in the ancient Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is the son of Drona, the royal preceptor to the Kuru princes—the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Ashvatthama is a close ...

References

External links

Mahabharata Sword The Mahabharata: Book 11: The Book of Peace, Part 1, edited by James L FitzgeraldDurga Puja, pp lviii–lix, Pratāpacandra Ghosha
{{Notable swords Mahabharata Weapons in Hindu mythology South Asian swords Indian swords Mythological swords Sentient weapons Mythological weapons Shiva Vishnu

Legend

Creation of ''Asi''

Succession of wielders of ''Asi''

See also

References

External links