The Sudarshana Chakra (Sanskrit: सुदर्शन चक्र) is a spinning, disk-like super weapon with 108 serrated edges used by Lord Vishnu. The Sudarshana Chakra is portrayed on the right rear hand of the four hands of Vishnu, who also holds a Shankha (a conch shell) in his left rear hand, a Gada (mace) in his right fore hand, and a Padma (lotus) in his left fore hand.
According to the Puranas, Sudarshana Chakra is used for the ultimate destruction of an enemy. The depiction of Vishnu with Sudarshan Chakra also means that Vishnu is the keeper-owner of the celestial bodies and heavens.
Contents |
The use of Sudarshana Chakra is occasionally mentioned in the Hindu texts of Rigveda, Yajurveda and Puranas, as an ultimate weapon to eliminate the enemy of law, order and preservation. Such enemies are enumerated variously as rakshasas, asura, and vikrutatma. In one such instance, as scribed in the stanzas of the Mahabharat, Lord Shri Krishna, the Avatar of Lord Vishnu, beheads Shishupala with the use of the Sudarshana Chakra, for his rapacious behaviour (committing 100 mistakes each worthy of death) at the Rajsuya yagna celebration of Emperor Yudhishthira. It was also used to cut the celestial mountain Mandrachal Parvat for churning of the ocean of milk (Samudra Manthan).
According to one version, the Sudarshana chakra was made by the architect of gods, Vishvakarma.
Viswakarma's daughter Sanjana was married to Surya, the Sun God. Due to the Sun's blazing light and heat, she was unable to go near the Sun. She complained to her father about this. Viswakarma took the Sun and made him shine less so that his daughter would be able to hug the Sun. The left over Sun "dust" was collected by Viswakarma and he made three things out of it. The first one was the famous aerial vehicle Pushpaka Vimana, the second being the Trishula (Trident) of Lord Shiva, and the third was the Sudarshana Chakra of Lord Vishnu.
Shaivite legends states that the chakra was created by Lord Shiva to destroy an Asura. Shiva appears to the demon as a mendicant and challenges him to bear the weight of the earth marked by Shiva's big toe. The resulting circle becomes the chakra and decapitates the demon. Vishnu performs puja in order to obtain such a powerful weapon in the battle against evil and passes a divine test by finally offering his own eyes as flowers to the Shiva Lingam. Shiva descends as Chakrapradhana murti (Lord who presents the chakra) and presented the disc to Vishnu. However, as the power of the chakra is too great for Vishnu to control, Shiva divides it into three parts, one of which is the Sudharshana chakra, the others being kept by Shiva and Shakti.
The chakra comprises 10 million spikes in two rows. One row of spikes moving in the opposite direction to give it a serrated edge.
It was also used to cut the Goddess Sati , consort of Lord Shiva into 51 pieces after she gave up her life by throwing herself in a yagna which was held at his father's place. It is said that Shiva, in grief, carried around her lifeless body and was inconsolable. The 51 parts of the Goddess' body were then tossed about in different parts of Bharatvarsha and came to be known as Shakti Peeths.
Agni-deva (Fire God) had been suffering from a severe stomach ailment. As a remedy, Lord Brahma advised him to consume the herb-rich Khandava forest. However, Takshaka the Serpent-king and a close friend of Lord Indra , was residing there. Whenever Agni tried to consume the forest, Lord Indra’s thundershowers quickly extinguished the fire.
Once, Krishna and Arjuna arrived at this place. Appearing as a Brahmana, Agni-deva sought their help and they agreed. To fight Indra and His divine army, Agni-deva presented the divine weapon " Sudarshana Chakra " to Krishna and Gandheevam to Arjuna .
In the Tamil Language, the Sudarshana Chakra is also known as 'Chakkrath Azhwar' (translated as Ring/Circlet of God).
The Chakri Dynasty, the current ruling house of Thailand is named after the weapon.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||