Preparing the next part of Suvarnaveda.
Epic / Puranic traditions
Pinaka is Shiva's bow. In the Ramayana's account of Sita's marriage, Janaka's family preserves Shiva's great bow as a royal inheritance. Janaka has promised Sita to the man who can meet its test of strength. Rama lifts and draws the bow, breaking it and fulfilling the condition of the marriage.
Original artistic interpretation · PinakaTHE LIVING ARCHIVE
The Janaka episode concerns a bow belonging to Shiva’s divine history and held as an honoured inheritance by the Videha kings. It is not Rama’s ordinary travelling bow, nor the second bow of Vishnu later brought by Parashurama. The narrative expressly distinguishes the two divine weapons.
AT A GLANCE
THE STORY
ROLE & ESSENCE
The bow connects Janaka's promise with the recognition of Rama's strength. Other rulers have failed the test, but Rama performs it before the assembled court with Vishvamitra's permission. The feat leads to Sita's marriage and later provokes Parashurama's challenge with a different divine bow.
Bow
Shiva’s bow is associated with the Janaka court and Rama’s bow-breaking episode.
Names and accounts can vary by recension, region and commentary. This entry distinguishes attested details from identifications still requiring a passage-level source.
Original archive annotations are retained here. The current playable classification is shown in the side panel.
TRADITION & MEANING
Pinaka is the familiar name of Shiva's bow, though an individual passage may call it simply the bow of Shiva. The bow of Vishnu brought by Parashurama has a separate history in the narrative.
The two bow episodes are successive events. First Rama breaks the weapon kept by Janaka. Parashurama then arrives with Vishnu's bow and recounts the histories of the two weapons. His challenge concerns another bow, rather than the repair or reuse of the one already broken.
Names and accounts can vary by recension, region and commentary. This entry distinguishes attested details from identifications still requiring a passage-level source.
Explore the sacred texts behind these stories in the Suvarnaveda library.
FOLLOW THE THREADS
7 connected profiles. Every path leads to an original record.
The bow belongs to Shiva’s history.
Janaka preserves the bow and sets the marriage condition.
Rama lifts and breaks the weapon.
The successful feat fulfils the condition of Sita’s marriage.
ENHANCEMENT
SUVARNAVEDA GAME DESIGN
+9 STR · +9 SPD
Any Character receives the Base Effect. One Enhancement may be equipped at a time. These bonuses and numerical rules are Suvarnaveda game design; they are not measurements supplied by sacred texts.
+10 STR · +10 SPD
Every eligible recipient receives this card’s same additional gains and effect.
Pinaka is explicitly named as Shiva’s bow.
True Resonance adds to the Base Effect. A specific pairing takes precedence over a group pairing; they do not stack. Natural Character stats remain on their original 0–100 scale. Normal effective stats cap at 125; exceptional temporary effects cap at 130.
VISUAL ARCHIVE
