The Vajra, meaning "diamond" or "thunderbolt," was crafted by Tvashtar for Indra to defeat Vritra's drought-causing Asuras. Texts say "it could cut anything except itself." Depicted across China, Japan, Indonesia, and Cambodia, it gave Vajrayana Buddhism its name, meaning "diamond chariot."
The Vajra superweapon of Hindu texts and its depiction across ancient Asia
Key facts
- Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram features caves resembling those of Elephanta, the giant Arjuna's Penance bas-relief, and unfinished megaliths of impressive scale
- According to Mahabharata's Vanaparva, Arjuna performed penance at Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram to receive the Pashupatastra superweapon
- The Vajra is depicted in frescoes and bas-reliefs across China, Japan, Indonesia, Cambodia, and India
- In Sanskrit, Vajra has two primary meanings: "diamond" and "thunderbolt"
- The Vajra was crafted by Tvashtar (divine blacksmith) at the request of Indra, king of the devas
- Indra used the Vajra to defeat Vritra, leader of the Asuras who had caused a drought
- Ancient text quote: "It could cut anything except itself"
- Alternative researcher theories propose the Vajra was a diamond-tipped stone cutting tool or that it used sound waves to alter the density of rock
- Mahabharata Book 1 (Adi Parva) describes Narasimha crushing demons with a diamond scepter in a manner resembling tactical nuclear weapons
- Vajrayana (one of three main Buddhist branches) takes its name from the Vajra, meaning "diamond chariot" or "path of lightning fast enlightenment"
Site mentioned
📍 Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram🌍 Show on the globe
Sources
Arjunas Penance Mamallapuram – An ancient rock sculptureincredibleindia.gov.in
One of these is Arjuna's Penance, also known as the 'Descent of the Ganges'. This 7th-century bas-relief is about 100 feet in length and 43 feet high—an ...
The Great Relief at Mamallapuramsmarthistory.org
This carving is one of the largest relief sculptures in the world, measuring 83 x 38 feet (25 x 12 meters), covering most of the faces of two adjoining boulders ...
Descent of the Ganges (Mahabalipuram)en.wikipedia.org
Arjuna's Penance, Measuring 96 by 43 feet (29 m × 13 m), it is a giant open-air rock relief carved on two monolithic rock boulders. Arjuna's Penance are ...
File:View of Arjuna's penance bas relief sculpture near ...commons.wikimedia.org
Arjuna's penance bas relief sculpture near Mahabalipuram - 1928.JPG … file size: 114 KB, This work is in the public domain in India
Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram). Bas-relief of Arjuna's ...openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au
This particular monument is perhaps the most often published of all Indian sculpture and dates to about the middle of the Pallava Period (Southern ...
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