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{{Short description|Celestial bow of Arjuna}}
{{Infobox weapon|
| name = Gandiva
| designer = [[Brahma]]
| used_by = [[Arjuna]]
| caption = Arjuna abandoning Gandiva after the [[Kurukshetra war]].
| image = Arjuna throws his weapons in water as advised by Agni.jpg
}}{{See also|Gandiveshwar Sthan}}
'''Gandiva''' ([[IAST]]: Gāṇḍīva; {{Lang-sa|गाण्डीव}}) is a divine [[Bow (weapon)|bow]] of [[Arjuna]], one of the [[Pandava]]s from the [[Hindu]] epic ''[[Mahabharata]].'' The bow was made by [[Brahma]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Vyasa's Mahabharatam |date=2008 |publisher=Academic Publishers |isbn=9788189781682 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HkUQYvw2HGkC&q=Gandiva |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa: Adi parva. Sabha parva |date=1883 |publisher=Bharata Press |page=[https://archive.org/details/mahabharataofkri07royp/page/624 624] |url=https://archive.org/details/mahabharataofkri07royp |quote=Gandiva. |language=en}}</ref>

== How Arjuna got the Gandiva ==
Agni, God of fire, wanted to devour the forest of Khandavaprastha, to regain his power and splendor. He had enlisted the help of the two heroes, [[Krishna]] and [[Arjuna]]. Arjuna was the best warrior and greatest archer of the world & all time and demanded from Agni a bow that would suit his strength, skill and the power of celestial weapons.

Agni then requested [[Varuna]] to bless the heroes with the desired weapons. Varuna gave the Gandiva bow to Arjuna, as well as two quivers which would provide an inexhaustible number of arrows.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa: Adi parva. Khandava-daha Parva |url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01229.htm}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa: Adi parva. Sabha parva |date=1883 |publisher=Bharata Press |page=[https://archive.org/details/mahabharataofkri07royp/page/623 623] |url=https://archive.org/details/mahabharataofkri07royp |quote=Gandiva. |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Vyasa's Mahabharatam |date=2008 |publisher=Academic Publishers |isbn=9788189781682 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HkUQYvw2HGkC&q=Gandiva |language=en}}</ref>

The weapon was dreaded by many during the Kurukshetra war, having defeated and killed many great warriors and the gods themselves.

==Features==

The Gandiva gives a wielder self confidence, self belief.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Srivastava |first1=Diwaker Ikshit |title=Decoding the Metaphor Mahabharata |date=2017 |publisher=Leadstart Publishing PvtLtd |isbn=9789352010004 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZmxCDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT165 |language=en}}</ref> The bow consisted of 108 celestial string, was endued with great energy and is believed to have the strength of one lakh bows. Gandiva was indestructible and was worshiped by the celestials and the Gandharvas.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa: Adi parva. Sabha parva |date=1883 |publisher=Bharata Press |page=624 |url=https://archive.org/details/mahabharataofkri05royp |quote=Gandiva. |language=en}}</ref>

==Return to the gods==
At the end of the ''[[Dvapara Yuga]]'', Krishna departed the Earth and left for [[Vaikuntha]]. When Krishna was departing, he told Arjuna to rescue the people of Dwarika because he was submerging Dwarika under ocean. Arjuna temporarily could not string the bow, or remember the spells necessary in order to summon his celestial weapons when Dwarika was drowning. Arjuna knew that his time on earth was up as well, Vyasa had told him this event will happen and when it happens, Arjuna's work on earth is over. Later, the Pandavas retired and journeyed to the [[Himalayas]]. On their route, [[Agni]] came and asked Arjuna to return the Gandiva to [[Varuna]], for it belonged to the gods. [[Arjuna]] obliged and dropped them in the waters of the sea. Thus the celestial bow was returned to the gods.<ref>{{cite book |title=Vyasa's Mahabharatam |date=2008 |publisher=Academic Publishers |isbn=9788189781682 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HkUQYvw2HGkC&q=Gandiva |language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Gandiveshwar Sthan]]
*[[Vijaya (bow)|Vijaya]]
*
* [[Sharanga]]
* [[Pinaka (Hinduism)|Pinaka]]

==References==
{{reflist}}Metaphysically, Gandiva is the “bow of self-control.” With it Arjuna was equipped for victory over “the sense soldiers of the blind king Mind.” “Charioteered by God, he must rally the army of emperor Discrimination with its forces of virtue and its allies of spiritual perception.” (Paramahansa Yogananda-ji’s commentary on XVIII:78)

==External links==
* http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01228.htm
* http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m04/m04043.htm
{{Wikisource|The Mahabharata}}

{{Hindu deities and texts}}

[[Category:Mahabharata]]
[[Category:Weapons in Hindu mythology]]
[[Category:Bows (archery)]]

Gandiva - Revision history

Bot at 07:32, 16 September 2022