Parashu

Parashu (Sanskrit: paraśu) is the Sanskrit word for battle-axe which can be wielded with one or both hands.[1][2][3][4]

Parashu
Parasurama holding a parashu
TypeAxe
Place of originIndia

Construction

The parashu could be double-edge bladed or single-edge bladed with a spike on the non cutting edge. It usually measures between 3 – 5 feet though some are as long as 7 feet. The parashu is usually made of iron or wootz steel. The cutting edge is broader than the edge which is attached to the haft. The haft is often tied with a leather sheet to provide a good grip.[5]

In Hinduism

The parashu named Vidyudabhi is the weapon of the god Shiva[6] who gave it to Parashurama,[7][8] sixth avatar of Vishnu,[9][10] whose name means "Rama with the axe" and also taught him its mastery.[11] Parashurama learnt Kalaripayattu from Lord Shiva who was the inventor of Kalaripayattu. Parashurama was the guru of Dronacharya, the guru who instructed the Pandavas in the epic of the Mahabharata. Bhishma and Karna, half brother of Pandava also took instruction in weaponry from Parashurama. Parashurama was known to have terrible temper having lost his father to the evil Kshatriya Kartavirya Arjuna[12] (not to be confused with Arjuna of Mahabharata). Parashurama's weapon had supernatural powers. It had four cutting edges, one on each end of the blade head and one on each end of the shaft.

The parashu was known as the most lethal close combat weapons of the epics. It is also one of the weapons of God Shiva, God Parashurama and Goddess Durga and is still depicted on their idols throughout India. It is also one the weapons of Ganesha.[13] It was also main weapon of Sahadeva and Shakuni.

References
  1. Prasoon, Prof. Shrikant (2009). Rishis & rishikās. New Delhi: Pustak Mahal. ISBN 81-223-1072-9. OCLC 458319817.
  2. Rajan, Rahul (2016). Rudrāvan. Mumbai, India. ISBN 978-93-5201-765-2. OCLC 1039999907.
  3. Agarwal, Himanshu (2016). Mahabharata Retold : Part - 1. Notion Press. ISBN 9789386073877.
  4. Bane, Theresa (2020). Encyclopedia of mythological objects. Jefferson, North Carolina. p. 120. ISBN 978-1-4766-3920-8. OCLC 1156664542.
  5. Ramsey, Syed. Tools of War: History of Weapons in Ancient Times. Vij Books India Private Limited. ISBN 93-86019-80-9. OCLC 971924562.
  6. COULTER, CHARLES RUSSELL. TURNER, PATRICIA (2020). ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ANCIENT DEITIES. S.l.: MCFARLAND. ISBN 978-0-7864-9179-7. OCLC 1288466239.
  7. Rajendran, Abhilash (7 May 2016). "Parashu Weapon - The Divine Axe Weapon of Parshuram and Shiva". Retrieved 2022-03-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. Chaturvedi, B.K (1900). Brahmavaivarta Purana. Diamond Books. ISBN 978-93-5296-763-6. OCLC 1203945947.
  9. Rout, Professor Sanjay (2021). Crystals and Life Transition. Lulu. ISBN 978-1-716-25108-5. OCLC 1259431189.
  10. Varma, Ravi. "Vishnu's sixth avatar Parashu Rama. Chromolithograph by R. Varma". Vishnu's sixth avatar Parashu Rama – via JSTOR.
  11. Srinivasan, A. V (2011). Hinduism for dummies. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. ISBN 978-1-118-11076-8. OCLC 745970735.
  12. Japan mini-set. F, F,. London: Taylor & Francis. 2010. p. 472. ISBN 978-1-136-90356-4. OCLC 1241441493.
  13. Pattanaik, Devdutt (2011). 99 Thoughts on Ganesha. Mumbai: Jaico Publishing House. p. 45. ISBN 978-81-8495-152-3. OCLC 733724186.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.