Divine armament

Weapons.

Bows, swords, maces, spears and other weapons, connected to their wielders and stories.

37 profiles

अंकुश
Weapon

Goad

Ankusha

The goad is a ritual and iconographic attribute of Ganesha and other deities.

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असि
Weapon

Sword

Asi

Asi is the primordial sword of the Mahabharata’s discourse on the origin of the sword.

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गदा
Weapon

Mace

Gada

The mace is a weapon class central to Bhima and Duryodhana’s duel and Balarama’s martial teaching.

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गाण्डीव
Weapon

The celestial bow

Gandiva

Gandiva is the celestial bow wielded by Arjuna. The Mahabharata’s Adi Parva describes its presentation to him in the Khandava episode.

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हल
Weapon

Plough

Hala

Balarama’s plough is both an agricultural emblem and a weapon in his narratives.

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कौमोदकी
Weapon

Vishnu's mace

Kaumodaki

Kaumodaki is Vishnu’s mace; its personified form is retained as a tradition note rather than a second ranked being.

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खट्वाङ्ग
Weapon

Skull-topped staff

Khatvanga

The khatvanga occurs in ascetic and Bhairava iconography; it is distinct from the king named Khatvanga.

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कोदण्ड
Weapon

Bow

Kodanda

Kodanda names Rama’s bow in devotional and iconographic usage; it need not denote a single uniform origin story.

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मुसल
Weapon

Pestle / club

Musala

The pestle or club is associated with Balarama; the iron pestle of the Yadava destruction is a separate narrative context.

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