Why Did Lord Vishnu Punish The Sudarshana Chakra

Why Did Lord Vishnu Punish The Sudarshana Chakra

The Sudarshana Chakra is the divine weapon of Lord Vishnu which he has used time and again to destroy evil beings. It is one of the most powerful weapons in Hindu puranam other than the Trishul of Lord Shiva.

But did you know that the Sudarshana Chakra had a life of its own? It even defied the divine will of Lord Vishnu and revolted against his greatness once. The earthly life of the Sudarshan Chakra is an intriguing story. Let’s have a look –

The Sudarshana Chakra Incurs Vishnu’s Wrath

1. Once upon a time sage Narada was visiting Vaikuntha, the abode of Lord Vishnu. When he had gone there, he was continuously singing the praises of Lord Vishnu. This irritated the deity who lived inside the Sudarshana Chakra.

2. The Sudarshana Chakra was the main weapon of Lord Vishnu and he had used it many times to slay evil beings, for the purpose of Dharma. The Chakra had gotten very proud and boasted that he was as important as Lord Vishnu.

3. The Chakra kept on boasting that Vishnu was powerless without him. Sage Narada refused to believe him and chose to ignore him completely. This further enraged the Sudarshana Chakra and he began chasing Narada.

Earthly Life Of Chakra And Its Inevitable End

1. Lord Vishnu was enraged by the audacity of the Chakra. He asked the Sudarshana Chakra to be born on earth as a powerful warrior. Vishnu himself would be born as the son of a sage and challenge the living form of the Sudarshan Chakra.

2. Sudarshana Chakra accepted the challenge and was born an earth as Kartavirya Arjuna, a powerful ruler with thousand arms. He was a great devotee of Lord Dattatreya. Although he was a benevolent king, greed overtook him as he wanted to acquire Kamdhenu, the divine cow which was at sage Jamdagni’s ashram.

3. Kartavirya killed Jamdagni and stole the divine cow Kamdhenu. This enraged Parashurama, the son of Rishi Jamdagni. Incidentally, Parashurama was the avatar of Lord Vishnu who was destined to confront Kartavirya. Parashurama cut off his hands and killed him and rescued the holy cow.

Sri Eswaran