Vishvakarma forged the Vajra from the bones of the sage Dadhichi, who willingly surrendered his body so the gods might have a weapon capable of slaying Vritra.
⚠ The Rigveda (1.32.2, 1.85.9) attributes the Vajra's fashioning to Tvashtri, the Vedic smith; later Puranic texts assign the role to Vishvakarma.
The vajra as divine thunderbolt and ritual scepter passes from Vedic Hinduism through Buddhist adoption into Tibetan Vajrayana, where it remains the central ritual implement symbolizing indestructible awakened mind.
Dadhichi surrendered his life so the gods could fashion the Vajra from his bones, his skeleton becoming the indestructible thunderbolt that would break Vritra's hold on the world's waters.
Indra seized the Vajra and rode against Vritra, striking the drought-serpent's ninety-nine fortresses and splitting him open to release the imprisoned waters that flowed as seven rivers across the earth.
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