' (

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

: असि) appears as a personification of the first weapon ever created according to

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

epics. 'Asi' means 'sword'. A legend concerning ''Asi'' appears in the Shantiparva section of

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

. In

Rigvedic Sanskrit Vedic Sanskrit was an ancient language of the Indo-Aryan subgroup of the Indo-European language family. It is attested in the Vedas and related literature compiled over the period of the mid-2nd to mid-1st millennium BCE. It was orally preser ...

Asi is still used as a term for a kind of sacrificial dagger or knife.Rocky Pendergrass, 201
Mythological Swords
Page 10. The common term for

sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...

Classical Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

is ' and

khanda Khanda may refer to: Places * Khanda, Sonipat, a very big and historical village in Sonipat district of Haryana, India * Khanda, Jind, a village in Jind district of Haryana, India * Khanda Kheri, a village in Hansi Tehsil of Hisar district of Ha ...

in Hindi.

Frame narrative

Out of curiosity

Nakula In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, ''Nakula'' (Sanskrit: नकुल) was fourth of the five Pandava brothers. Nakula and Sahadeva were twins blessed to Madri, by Ashwini Kumaras, the divine physicians. Their parents Pandu and Madri - died earl ...

, the fourth son of

Pandu In the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata'', Pandu ( sa, पाण्डु, Pāṇḍu, pale) was a king of the Kuru Kingdom. He was the foster-father of the five Pandava brothers, who were the boons bestowed upon his wife Kunti by a number of deities ...

and the master of swordsmanship questioned the

Kuru Kuru may refer to: Anthropology and history * Kuru (disease), a type of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy associated with the cannibalistic funeral practices of the Fore people * Kuru (mythology), part of Meithei mythology * Kuru Kingdom, ...

Grandsire

Bhishma Bhishma (Sanskrit: भीष्‍म, , ), also known as Pitamaha, Gangaputra, and Devavrata, played an integral role in Mahabharata. He was the supreme commander of the Kaurava forces during the Kurukshetra War mentioned in the Hindu epic M ...

on his arrow death bed as to which was the best

weapon A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...

in all kinds of fighting. In his own personal views Nakula thought the sword to be the most superior since even on having lost one's bow, horse and the chariot, a skillful swordsman could still defend himself against the mace and

spear A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fasten ...

wielders. Nakula further queried the Grand-sire about the origin and purpose of the Khadga as well as about its first

acharya In Indian religions and society, an ''acharya'' (Sanskrit: आचार्य, IAST: ; Pali: ''ācariya'') is a preceptor and expert instructor in matters such as religion, or any other subject. An acharya is a highly learned person with a tit ...

("teacher, preceptor"). Gladdened by these intelligent queries by Nakula, Bhishma related to him the complete ''Itihaasa'' (Sanskrit term for 'History') of the Khadga or "divine sword" starting from its creation down to the present.

Creation of ''Asi''

The

Devas Devas may refer to: * Devas Club, a club in south London * Anthony Devas (1911–1958), British portrait painter * Charles Stanton Devas (1848–1906), political economist * Jocelyn Devas (died 1886), founder of the Devas Club * Devas (band), ...

approached

Brahma Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...

, the creator of the universe, in ancient time and protested against the unjust rule and evil doings of the demons ( Danavas namely

Asura Asuras (Sanskrit: असुर) are a class of beings in Indian religions, Indic religions. They are described as power-seeking clans related to the more benevolent Deva (Hinduism), Devas (also known as Suras) in Hinduism. In its Buddhism, Buddhi ...

's who had giant build). Hearing the protest from the Gods, Brahma collected sacrificial objects and proceeded to perform a grand

sacrifice Sacrifice is the offering of material possessions or the lives of animals or humans to a deity as an act of propitiation or worship. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Greeks, and possibly exi ...

with the foremost of the Rishis and Devas at the side of

Himalaya The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

. During the course of the sacrifice, a dreadful creature sprang from the midst of the sacrificial fires scattering flames all around. It was as though a

moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

had arisen in the midst of the stars. He was coloured like a deep-blue

lotus Lotus may refer to: Plants *Lotus (plant), various botanical taxa commonly known as lotus, particularly: ** ''Lotus'' (genus), a genus of terrestrial plants in the family Fabaceae **Lotus flower, a symbolically important aquatic Asian plant also ...

. His teeth were sharp and terrible, stomach lean and skinny and stature very tall and slim. He was of exceeding energy and power. Simultaneously the earth started shaking, there were turmoils in the oceans, the forceful winds started howling all around, the trees started falling and being torn apart and the

meteor A meteoroid () is a small rocky or metallic body in outer space. Meteoroids are defined as objects significantly smaller than asteroids, ranging in size from grains to objects up to a meter wide. Objects smaller than this are classified as micr ...

s started blazing through the skies, Brahma declared Upon this, the creature assumed the form of a blazing sharp-edged sword, glowing like flames. This sword was the primordial weapon created by the Gods for the destruction of evil. The name of the sword was Asi, the personification and the primary energy behind all weapons ever created. As per

, the constellation under which the sword was born is Krittika,

Agni Agni (English: , sa, अग्नि, translit=Agni) is a Sanskrit word meaning fire and connotes the Vedic fire deity of Hinduism. He is also the guardian deity of the southeast direction and is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu ...

is its deity, Rohini is its Gotra,

Rudra Rudra (; sa, रुद्र) is a Rigvedic deity associated with Shiva, the wind or storms, Vayu, medicine, and the hunt. One translation of the name is 'the roarer'. In the Rigveda, Rudra is praised as the 'mightiest of the mighty'. Rud ...

is its high preceptor and whoever holds this weapon obtains sure victory and have absolute power over any weapon ever created since asi is the primordial source of energy behind all weapons.

Succession of wielders of ''Asi''

Lord Brahma gave that sword to Lord

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

and requested him to put down the sinners and evil-doers and restore the Dharma (righteousness). Lord Shiva assuming his terrible form, took up the sword and started the war against the Danava's, the enemies of the Deva's. The earth became miry with flesh and blood of

Daitya According to ancient scriptures, the daityas (Sanskrit: दैत्य) are a race of asuras, descending from Kashyapa and his wife, Diti. Prominent members of this race include Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakashipu, and Mahabali, all of whom overran the ...

s and he destroyed the entire community of Daityas. Lord Shiva gave the sword to Lord

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

. On course of time Vishnu gave it to Marichi, Marichi gave it to all the great Rishis. The latter gave it to Vasava. Vasava gave it to the Regents of the world. The Regents gave that sword to

Manu Manu may refer to: Geography *Manú Province, a province of Peru, in the Madre de Dios Region ** Manú National Park, Peru **Manú River, in southeastern Peru * Manu River (Tripura), which originates in India and flows into Bangladesh *Manu Temp ...

the son of

Surya Surya (; sa, सूर्य, ) is the sun as well as the solar deity in Hinduism. He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smarta tradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchayatana puja and a m ...

. In time Manu installed his own son Kshupa in the sovereignty of all creatures and gave him the sword for their protection. From Kshupa it was taken by

Ikshvaku Ikshvaku (Sanskrit ; Pāli: ) is a legendary king in Hindu mythology. He is described to be the first king of the Kosala kingdom, and was one of the ten sons of Shraddhadeva Manu, the first man on the earth. He was the founder and first king of ...

and from Ikshvaku by Pururavas. From Pururavas it was taken by Ayus and from Ayus by Nahusha. From Nahusha it was taken by Yayati and from Yayati by Puru. From

Puru Puru refer to: *Puru (Vedic tribe), a tribe, or a confederation of tribes, mentioned many times in the Rigveda *King Puru, a Hindu king in the Rigveda and Mahabharata *King Porus, a king of northwest India in the time of Alexander the Great *Puru ( ...

it was taken by Amurtarya. From Amurtarya it descended to Bhumisaya. From Bhumisaya it was taken by Dushyanta's son Bharata. From Bharata it was taken by the righteous Ailavila. From Ailavila it was taken by king Dhundumara. From Dhundumara it was taken by Kamvoja, and from Kamvoja it was taken by Muchukunda, from Muchukunda it was taken by Marutta and from Marutta by Raivata. From Raivata it was taken by Yuvanaswa and from Yuvanaswa by

Raghu Raghu () is a ruler of the Suryavamsha dynasty in Hinduism. According to the '' Raghuvamsha'', he is the son of King Dilīpa and Queen Sudakshina. His successors styled themselves as belonging to the eponymous Raghuvamsha dynasty, or the '' ...

. From Raghu it was taken by Harinaswa. From Harinaswa the sword was taken by Sunaka and from Sunaka by the righteous-souled Usinara. From the last it was taken by the Bhojas and the

Yadu This is a list of ancient Indo-Aryan peoples and tribes that are mentioned in the literature of Indic religions. From the second or first millennium BCE, ancient Indo-Aryan peoples and tribes turned into most of the population in the northern p ...

s. From the Yadus it was taken by Sivi. From Sivi it descended to Pratardana of

Kashi Kashi or Kaashi may refer to: Places * Varanasi (historically known as "Kashi"), a holy city in India **Kingdom of Kashi, an ancient kingdom in the same place, one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas **Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi * Kashgar, a cit ...

. From Pratardana it was received by Ashtaka and from Ashtaka by Prishadaswa. From Prishadaswa it was received by

Bharadvaja Bharadvaja ( sa, भरद्वाज, IAST: ; also spelled Bharadwaja) was one of the revered Vedic sages (maharishi) in Ancient India. He was a renowned scholar, economist, grammarian and physician. He is one of the Saptarishis (seven great ...

and from

his son

Drona Droṇa ( sa, द्रोण, Droṇa), also referred to as Dronacharya ( sa, द्रोणाचार्य, Droṇācārya), is a major character of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he serves as the royal preceptor of the Kaurav ...

obtained this weapon.

used this weapon in the famous

Kurukshetra war The Kurukshetra War ( sa, कुरुक्षेत्र युद्ध ), also called the Mahabharata War, is a war described in the ''Mahabharata ( sa, महाभारत )''. The conflict arose from a dynastic succession struggle be ...

described in the epic

. Drona become unconquerable in

because he held this primordial weapon. After the death of Drona it was taken by

Kripacharya Kripa ( sa, कृप, Kṛpa, pity), also known as Kripacharya ( sa, कृपाचार्य, Kṛpācārya, Kripa the master), is a figure in Hindu mythology. According to the epic ''Mahabharata'', he was a council member of Kuru Kingdom ...

. Kripacharya gifted this sword to

and from Nakula it went to

Parikshit Parikshit ( sa, परीक्षित्, ) was a Kuru king who reigned during the Middle Vedic period (12th-10th centuries BCE). Along with his son and successor, Janamejaya, he played a decisive role in the consolidation of the Kuru state, ...

and from Parikshit it went to Janamejaya. From Janamejaya it went to his son Satanika. Satanika, who studied the Vedas under Yajnyawalkya and military science from Kripacharya become dissatisfied with sensual enjoyments and obtained spiritual knowledge from the instructions of Saunaka and ultimately obtained salvation. The sword again went back to

for safe keeping till the return of the rightful owner of this weapon,

Dronacharya Droṇa ( sa, द्रोण, Droṇa), also referred to as Dronacharya ( sa, द्रोणाचार्य, Droṇācārya), is a major character of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he serves as the royal preceptor of the Kaura ...

's son

Ashwatthama In the Hinduism, Hindu epic the ''Mahabharata'', Ashwatthama ( sa, अश्वत्थामा, Aśvatthāmā) or Drauni was the son of guru Drona and Kripi (sister of Kripa, Kripacharya). He was the grandson of the sage Bharadwaja. Ashwa ...

References

External links

Mahabharata Sword The Mahabharata: Book 11: The Book of Peace, Part 1, edited by James L FitzgeraldDurga Puja, pp lviii–lix, Pratāpacandra Ghosha
{{Notable swords Mahabharata Weapons in Hindu mythology South Asian swords Indian swords Mythological swords

Frame narrative

Creation of ''Asi''

Succession of wielders of ''Asi''

See also

References

External links