Vajra- Hindu ArtifactArtifact · Weapon"The Diamond Thunderbolt"
Also known as: वज्र, Vajrāyudha, and वज्रायुध
Titles & Epithets
Domains
Symbols
Description
Forged from the bones of a sage who willingly died so the gods could fight, the Vajra became Indra's thunderbolt. He used it to split open the serpent Vritra and release the world's imprisoned waters.
Mythology & Lore
The Bones of Dadhichi
When the demon Vritra enclosed all the world's waters within himself, the rains stopped and the earth dried. No weapon could pierce him. The gods sought the sage Dadhichi, whose bones had been hardened by a lifetime of austerity. Dadhichi gave up his life willingly. The divine craftsman Tvashtar fashioned his bones into the Vajra.
The Slaying of Vritra
Armed with the Vajra, Indra confronted the great serpent. Rigveda 1.32 tells the blow: Indra struck Vritra and split him open. The waters rushed forth like cattle freed from a pen, and the rivers flowed again. Indra carried the Vajra from that day forward: his lightning, his authority, his identity among the gods.
Relationships
- Created by
- Equivalent to