Divine weapons of Hinduism: Who possessed which 'Dhanush'

In Hindu beliefs and scriptures, most Gods and characters have had a certain weapon that they used and were famous for. From the Sudarshan Chakra to the Pinaka, each God had a weapon which was not just a tool in war, but also a symbol of their power, their cosmic abilities, and their qualities. These bows were indestructible, one of a kind, and would bless the possessor with unlimited power.
Here we mention the 6 most powerful and well-known bows, or Dhanush, mentioned in Hindu beliefs.

One of the most powerful and famous bows in Hindu beliefs and traditions is the Pinaka, owned by Lord Shiva, and accidentally broken by Lord Ram. Pinaka was also called Shiva Dhanush, and was the symbol of destruction and ultimate power. It is believed that Pinaka has the power to finish and destroy all evil in this universe when a single arrow is shot by Lord Shiva from it, but during the Sita Swayamvar, when Lord Ram lifted it and tried to string it, it broke right from the middle.

Lord Ram, the seventh avatar of Vishnu, is often shown with a bow and arrow around his shoulders. From the movies and serials of Ramayan, to the idol of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, all of the depictions had the classic and iconic bow of Lord Ram. And according to beliefs and scriptures, Lord Ram’s bow was the Sarang, also known as Kodanda in certain regions. And thus, he was also called ‘Kodandapani’, the wielder of the Kodanda.

An extremely powerful and famous bow from the Mahabharat chapter is Arjuna’s Gandiva, or Gandeeva. It is said that this bow was gifted to Arjuna by Varuna, the water God, and it was crafted by Lord Brahma himself, and thus had unparalleled power.It is believed that Gandiva could shoot divine arrows that never missed their target, which made its possessor an invincible warrior. And because to string the bow was a task in itself, when someone shot an arrow from the Gandiva, the sound produced was no less than divine thunder.

One of the most powerful Pandava brother, Bhima’s bow is believed to be the Vayavya. According to ancient beliefs and scriptures, Vayavya was a celestial bow gifted to Bhima by the wind god Vayu, who was also his divine father. It is said that Bhima’s bow, the Vayavya, had the power to generate and create powerful winds and storms, and thus it could topple any enemy that would come Bhima’s way.

A popular belief among people is that Karna’s bow was the Vijaya, that was gifted to him by his Guru, Parshuram. But some others are of the opinion that Karna never received the Vijaya, and it was with Rukmi forever.But, some beliefs say that Karna possessed the Vijaya with all his might, and Vijaya was in fact crafted by Vishwakarma. It is believed to have been an exceptional bow for a brilliant warrior like him, and was filled with divine energy and could shoot arrows that were powerful enough to destroy armies together.

(All images above were created using Bing AI)

Yudhishthira, the eldest Pandava brother, is believed to have possessed a bow called the Mahendra. In an answer mentioned in the Hinduism Stack Exchange, “In Yudhishthira's hands was the celestial bow called Mahendra”. It is often said that just like Yudhishthira, his bow too had noble qualities, and a sense of justice. Although he did not use his weapons much, when the time came, Yudhisthira used his bow to save Dharma.