| 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.
— Attributed to Vyasa, Mahabharata, Book 5, Section CLIX
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]