Sudarshana Chakra (
Sanskrit ??????? ??????) is a spinning disc like weapon with very sharp edge, which serves as an
attribute of the Hindu God
Vishnu. Lord
Vishnu, also called
Narayana, is portrayed with four hands, holding a
Shankha (a conch shell), the Sudarshana, a
Gada (mace) and a
Padma (lotus). According to Professor D.D.Kosambi, the
Sudarshana Chakra is a stone-age sharp wheel, discus-type weapon, which is not known to the Vedas and went out of fashion well before the time of the Buddha; but its historicity is attested by 800 B.C. cave paintings in Mirzapur,U.P., North India, which show raiding horse-charioteers (clearly enemies of the aboriginal stone-age artists) one of whom is about to hurl such a wheel. This 800 B.C. cave painting of a figure at Mirzapur,U.P.,North India, could potentially be identified as
Krishna.
[1].
Lord Vishnu is depicted holding the chakra from a central hole, with his index finger. The disc spins around his finger. According to the Puranas, he would release it and it would do the required deed and return to his finger. It is revered as a divine weapon. In another version, Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Devi jointly have the capability of operating the chakra. [2]
The Sudarshana Chakra is mentioned numerous times in Hindu texts, where Lord Vishnu decapitated various rakshasas, asuras and others — one of them being in Mahabharata, where Sri Krishna decapitates Shishupala for his misbehaviour.
The Sudarshana Chakra has lots of abstract imagery as well. It is believed that Lord Vishnu is like the Sun, and the planets of the solar system revolve around him, in a disc-like form, creating the impression of the Sudarshan Chakra. Lord Vishnu is very commonly worshiped by people having faith in Astrology.
