Indian
Sudarshana Chakra
Sudarshana Chakra (सुदर्शन चक्र)
A disc with 108 teeth. Thrown, it cuts down enemies and returns to the hand.
WeaponFirst recorded c. 300 BCE
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Photograph: A twelfth-century Vietnamese bronze vajra. Hook-like prongs gather at both ends of a central grip.
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3,000 × 2,249 PX3000×2249
ArchiveIndian · Weapon
Vajra
Vajra (वज्र)
Unbreakable as diamond and striking like lightning. It slew Vritra, the serpent of drought.
- Owner
- Indra, king of the gods
- Maker
- The artisan god Tvashtar
- First record
- Rigvedac. 1200 BCE
- Gallery
- Indian
Notes on the photograph 3
Story
Indra, the god most praised in the Rigveda, fights with the vajra. When the great serpent Vritra imprisoned the world's waters and caused drought, Indra struck him down with the vajra and released the rivers.
Later stories say the weapon was made from the bones of the sage Dadhichi. When the gods were losing to the demons, Dadhichi gave up his life and the artisan god made the vajra from his bones.
Vajra means both "thunderbolt" and "diamond." In Buddhism and Tibetan esoteric practice it became the ritual implement called dorje, standing for wisdom nothing can break, and is used paired with a bell.
The object in the photo
The photograph shows Vajra(Vietnam, 12th century), a real museum object that evokes the legendary artifact.
