| Vijaya | |
|---|---|
 Relief of Karna wielding the Vijaya against Arjuna | |
| Affiliation | Indra Parashurama Karna Druma Rukmi Shiva (Shaivism) |
| Texts | Mahabharata |
Vijaya (Sanskrit : विजय, lit. 'Victory'), also called Vijaya Dhanusha (lit. 'Vijaya bow'), is a divine bow in Hindu tradition. [1] The bow was created by Vishvakarma, the architect of the gods, for Indra, the ruler of Svarga.
The bow was created by Vishvakarma, the architect of the gods, and granted to Indra. After Indra had defeated many asuras with the help of this bow, he granted it to Lord Parashurama. On 21 different occasions, when the ruling Kshatriyas 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 for the re-establishment of order. [2]
The Mahabharata discusses how the ownership of the bow passed on to Rukmi: [3]
The bow called Gandiva was obtained by Indra's son (Arjuna) from Agni on the occasion of the burning of Khandava, while the bow called Vijaya was obtained from Druma by Rukmi of great energy. Baffling the nooses of Mura and slaying by his might that Asura, and vanquishing Naraka, the son of the Earth, Hrishikesa, while recovering the begemmed ear-rings (of Aditi), with sixteen thousand girls and various kinds of jewels and gems, obtained that excellent bow called Sarnga. And Rukmi having obtained the bow called Vijaya whose twang resembled the roar of the clouds came to the Pandavas, as if inspiring the whole universe with dread. Formerly, proud of the might of his own arms, the heroic Rukmi could not tolerate the ravishment of his sister Rukmini by wise Vasudeva. He had set out in pursuit, having sworn that he would not return without having slain Janardana.
According to the Mahabharata, Parashurama takes on Karna 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, on the 17th day, when Karna fights against Arjuna. [4]
The bow Vijaya is described to sound like a thundercloud, and capable of terrifying the entire world. [5] When Druma, the heavenly kinnara, presents the bow to Rukmi, it is stated that the Vijaya is on par with the Gandiva. [6]
In Shaiva tradition, the Vijaya was wielded by Shiva, 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. [7]
Parashurama, also referred to as Rama Jamadagnya, Rama Bhargava and Virarama, is the sixth avatar among the Dashavatara of the preserver god Vishnu in Hinduism. He is believed to be one of the Chiranjivis (Immortals), who will appear at the end of the Kali Yuga to be the guru of Vishnu's tenth and last incarnation, Kalki.
Arjuna, also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, a protagonist of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. In the epic he is the third of five Pandava brothers, from the lineage of the Kuru. In the Mahabharata War, Arjuna was a key warrior from the Pandava side and killed many warriors. Before the beginning of the war, his mentor Krishna gave him the supreme knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita to overcome his moral dilemmas.
Svarga, also known as Indraloka and Svargaloka, is the celestial abode of the devas in Hinduism. Svarga is one of the seven higher lokas in Hindu cosmology. Svarga is often translated as heaven, though it is regarded to be dissimilar to the concept of the Abrahamic Heaven.
Shikhandi is a character in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Born as Shikhandini, daughter of Drupada, the King of Panchala, Shikhandi becomes a biological male after agreeing to a sex exchange with a yaksha. She is the brother of Draupadi, the female protagonist of the epic, who is the common wife of the Pandavas.
Gandiva is a divine bow of Arjuna, one of the Pandavas from the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The bow was made by Brahma.
Hindu mythological wars are the wars described in the Hindu texts of ancient India. These wars depicted both mortals of great prowess as well as deities and supernatural beings, often wielding supernatural weapons of great power. Hindu teachings prescribe war as the final option, to be employed only after all peaceful methods are exhausted. Participation in righteous war, or dharmayuddha, was said to be honourable and was a principal duty of the Kshatriya or the warrior varna, and victory in such wars was regarded as a matter of honour.
The Pashupatastra is an astra, a celestial missile, affiliated to the Hindu deity Shiva, as well as Kali and Adi Parashakti, which can be discharged by the mind, the eyes, words, or a bow.
Tilottama, is an apsara described in Hindu mythology.
Parashu is the Sanskrit word for a battle-axe, which can be wielded with one or both hands.
The kalakeyas or kalakhanjas are a sect of danavas in Hindu mythology, referring to the children of Kashyapa and Kala. Sixty-thousand kalakeyas are said to exist, and they are described to fight under the asura banner, under Vritra, as well as other rulers.
An astra is a supernatural weapon in Hindu mythology. It is presided over by a specific deity and imbued with spiritual and occult powers that causes its effects.The term came to subsequently denote any weapon which was used by releasing it from one's hand, compared to keeping it one's hand.
The Vana Parva, also known as the "Book of the Forest", is the third of eighteen parvas in the Indian epic Mahabharata. Vana Parva traditionally has 21 parts and 324 chapters. The critical edition of Vana Parva is the longest of the 18 books in the epic, containing 16 parts and 299 chapters.
Virata Parva, also known as the “Book of Virata”, is the fourth of eighteen books of the Indian epic Mahabharata. Virata Parva traditionally has 4 parts and 72 chapters. The critical edition of Virata Parva has 4 parts and 67 chapters.
The Drona Parva, or the Book of Drona, is the seventh of eighteen books of the Indian epic Mahabharata. Drona Parva traditionally has 8 parts and 204 chapters. The critical edition of Drona Parva has 8 parts and 173 chapters.
The Karna Parva, or the Book of Karna, is the eighth of eighteen books of the Indian Epic Mahabharata. Karna Parva traditionally has 96 chapters. The critical edition of Karna Parv has 69 chapters
Sharanga also spelt as Saranga, is the celestial bow of the Hindu god Vishnu, primarily associated with his avatar of Rama. In South India, the Sharanga is also simply known as the Kodanda, literally meaning bow. Rama is often praised as Kodandapani, the holder of the Kodanda. The attribute of the bow is also mentioned in the Vishnu Sahasranama.
Mahaprasthanika Parva, or the "Book of the Great Journey", is the seventeenth of eighteen books of the Indian epic Mahabharata. It traditionally has three chapters, as does the critical edition. It is the shortest book in the epic.
Karṇabhāram or The Anguish of Karna is a Sanskrit one-act play written by the Indian dramatist Bhasa, an Indian playwright complimented even by the Kalidasa in the beginning of his play Malavikagnimitram. The play describes the mental pain of Karna on the previous day of the Kurukshetra War. Karṇabhāram is essentially the retelling of an episode of the Indian epic Mahabharata but the story is presented in a different perspective in the play. It is perhaps the only potential tragedy in the classic Sanskrit literature, presented in a form that comes closest to the "Vyayoga" form of one-act play. That is so perhaps because the Natya Shastra ordains the playwrights to create plays for recreation, and essentially create happy endings. In Karnabharam, the tragedy does not occur on-stage. Karnabharam shows the valiant, generous, righteous Karna riding out towards the battle-ground, where his death under heart-wrenching circumstances is certain. The basic plot of this play is inspired by Mahabharata.
Matali is the charioteer of Indra, the king of the devas, in Hinduism. He also acts as the messenger of Indra, inviting Dushyanta to help the deity in his war against the asuras in the Abhijnanashakuntalam. In the Padma Purana, Matali engages in a philosophical discourse with King Yayati regarding the nature of the soul, old age, and other concepts.