The personification of Sudarśana Chakra the Lord's ultimate weapon, shaped like a wheel |
Sudarśana Chakra - The Wheel of the Lord
"O Sudarśana wheel, you are religion, you are truth, you are encouraging statements, you are sacrifice, and you are the enjoyer of the fruits of sacrifice. You are the maintainer of the entire universe, and you are the supreme transcendental prowess in the hands of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You are the original vision of the Lord, and therefore you are known as Sudarśana. Everything has been created by your activities, and therefore you are all-pervading." (SB 9.5.5)
Sudarshana Chakra is the discus weapon of Lord Vishnu/ Krishna which is usually used for the ultimate destruction of an enemy and protecting good over eveil. Sudarshana Chakra adorns the right rear hand of the four hands of Mahavishnu. This disk-like weapon consists of thousands of sharp edges and produces intolerable heat.
The literal meaning of the Sanskrit word Sudarshana is "auspicious vision". It is a combination of the words "Su" which means "Divine/auspicious" and "Darshana" which means "Vision". Sudarshana is worshipped by Vaishnavas and regarded as the Deity who helps the devotees to clear the difficult path to attain the lord.
Sudarśana: This wheel which is accepted by the Personality of Godhead (Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa) as His personal weapon is the most powerful weapon, greater than the brahmāstras or similar other disastrous weapons. In some of the Vedic literatures it is said that Agnideva, the fire-god, presented this weapon to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, but factually this weapon is eternally carried by the Lord. Agnideva presented this weapon to Kṛṣṇa in the same way that Rukmiṇī was given by Mahārāja Rukma to the Lord. The Lord accepts such presentations from His devotees, even though such presentations are eternally His property. There is an elaborate description of this weapon in the Ādi-parva of the Mahābhārata. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa used this weapon to kill Śiśupāla, a rival of the Lord. He also killed Śālva by this weapon, and sometimes He wanted His friend Arjuna to use it to kill his enemies (Mahābhārata, Virāṭa-parva 56.3). The word sudarśana means "auspicious vision."
The wheel in the hand of the Lord, called the Sudarśana cakra, has one thousand spokes. The yogī is advised to meditate upon each of the spokes. He should meditate upon each and every one of the component parts of the transcendental form of the Lord. (SB 3.28.27)
The yogī should further meditate upon the Lord’s four arms, which are the source of all the powers of the demigods who control the various functions of material nature. Then the yogi should concentrate on the polished ornaments, which were burnished by Mount Mandara as it revolved. He should also duly contemplate the Lord’s discus, the Sudarśana cakra, which contains one thousand spokes and a dazzling luster, as well as the conch, which looks like a swan in His lotuslike palm. (SB 3.28.27)
tvaṁ dharmas tvam ṛtaṁ satyaṁ tvaṁ yajño ’khila-yajña-bhuk tvaṁ loka-pālaḥ sarvātmā tvaṁ tejaḥ pauruṣaṁ param |
"O Sudarśana wheel, you are religion, you are truth, you are encouraging statements, you are sacrifice, and you are the enjoyer of the fruits of sacrifice. You are the maintainer of the entire universe, and you are the supreme transcendental prowess in the hands of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You are the original vision of the Lord, and therefore you are known as Sudarśana. Everything has been created by your activities, and therefore you are all-pervading." (SB 9.5.5)
Set into motion by the Supreme Personality of Godhead and wandering in all the four directions, the disc of the Supreme Lord has sharp edges as destructive as the fire of devastation at the end of the millennium. As a blazing fire burns dry grass to ashes with the assistance of the breeze, may that Sudarśana cakra burn our enemies to ashes. (SB 6.8.23)
Mahārāja Ambarīṣa said: O Sudarśana cakra, you are fire, you are the most powerful sun, and you are the moon, the master of all luminaries. You are water, earth and sky, you are the air, you are the five sense objects [sound, touch, form, taste and smell], and you are the senses also. (SB 9.5.3)
O Sudarśana, you have a very auspicious hub, and therefore you are the upholder of all religion. You are just like an inauspicious comet for the irreligious demons. Indeed, you are the maintainer of the three worlds, you are full of transcendental effulgence, you are as quick as the mind, and you are able to work wonders. I can simply utter the word namaḥ, offering all obeisances unto you.
The disc of the Lord is called Sudarśana because he does not discriminate between high and low criminals or demons. Durvāsā Muni was certainly a powerful brāhmaṇa, but his acts against the pure devotee Mahārāja Ambarīṣa were no better than the activities of asuras.
As stated in the śāstras, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam: [SB 6.3.19] the word dharma refers to the orders or laws given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] real dharma is surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Therefore real dharma means bhakti, or devotional service to the Lord. The Sudarśana cakra is here addressed as dharma-setave, the protector of dharma. Mahārāja Ambarīṣa was a truly religious person, and consequently for his protection the Sudarśana cakra was ready to punish even such a strict brāhmaṇa as Durvāsā Muni because he had acted like a demon. There are demons even in the form of brāhmaṇas. Therefore the Sudarśana cakra does not discriminate between brāhmaṇa demons and śūdra demons. Anyone against the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His devotees is called a demon. In the śāstras we find many brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas who acted as demons and have been described as demons. According to the verdict of the śāstras, one has to be understood according to his symptoms. If one is born of a brāhmaṇa father but his symptoms are demoniac, he is regarded as a demon. The Sudarśana cakra is always concerned with annihilating the demons. Therefore he is described as adharma-śīlāsura-dhūma-ketave. Those who are not devotees are called adharma-śīla. The Sudarśana cakra is just like an inauspicious comet for all such demons. (SB 9.5.6)
The following is a verse in praise of Sudarsana from Sri Vaisnava pancaratrika texts mentioning Sudarsana inside the Sat-kona yantra:
sankham cakram capam parasu-
masimisum sula pasankusastram
bhibhranam vajrakhedau hala musala-
gada kuntam atyugra dhamstram
jvala kesam tri-netram jvalad -
anala-nibham hara-keyura bhusam
dhyayet sad-kona samastham
sakala ripu jana prana samhara cakram
"O great Cakra, remove the life of all our enemies. I meditate upon You, residing in the middle of the Sat-kona holding conch, cakra, bow, axe, sword, trident, noose, goad, missile, thunderbolt, plough, pestle and mace. You have terrible fangs, fiery hair, three eyes and you have the intensity of a raging inferno and You are adorned with ornaments and necklaces."
"After hearing from the sun and moon demigods about Rāhu’s attack, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, engages His disc, known as the Sudarśana cakra, to protect them. The Sudarśana cakra is the Lord’s most beloved devotee and is favored by the Lord. The intense heat of its effulgence, meant for killing non-Vaiṣṇavas, is unbearable to Rāhu, and he therefore flees in fear of it. During the time Rāhu disturbs the sun or moon, there occurs what people commonly know as an eclipse."
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, is always the protector of His devotees, who are also known as demigods. The controlling demigods are most obedient to Lord Viṣṇu, although they also want material sense enjoyment, and that is why they are called demigods, or almost godly. Although Rāhu attempts to attack both the sun and the moon, they are protected by Lord Viṣṇu. Being very afraid of Lord Viṣṇu’s cakra, Rāhu cannot stay in front of the sun or moon for more than a muhūrta (forty-eight minutes). The phenomenon that occurs when Rāhu blocks the light of the sun or moon is called an eclipse. The attempt of the scientists of this earth to go to the moon is as demoniac as Rāhu’s attack. Of course. their attempts will be failures because no one can enter the moon or sun so easily. Like the attack of Rāhu, such attempts will certainly be failures. (SB 5.24.3)
Sudarśana mantra
sudarśana mahājvāla koṭi sūrya samaprabhā |
ajñānāndhasye me deva viṣṇor mārgaṃ pradarśaya ||
"O Sudarshana, great flame, as refulgent as an hundred thousand suns, lead me O Lord from
the darkness of ignorance and guide me towards Lord Vishnu’s path."
Sudarśana gāyatri
ॐ सुदर्शनाय विद्महे महाज्वालाय धीमहि।
तन्नश्चक्रः प्रचोदयात्॥
oṁ sudarśanāya vidmahe mahājvālāya dhīmahi |
tannaścakraḥ pracodayāt ||
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Sudarśana aṣṭhottara śata nāmavaliḥ
The 108 Names of Sudarśana Cakra
[From Rāmānujā Prayer Book]
oṁ śrī sudarśanāya namah | cakra-rājāya | tejo-vyuhāya | mahā-dyutāya
| sahasra-bāhave | dīptāṅgāya | aruṇākṣāya | pratāpavate | anekāditya-
saṅkāśāya | prordhva-jvala-bhirañjitāya || 10 ||
saudāmaṇi-sahasrābhāya | maṇi-kuṇḍala-śobhitāya | pañca-bhūta-mano-
rūpāya | ṣaṭ-koṇa-antara-saṁsthitāya | harānta-karaṇodbhuta-roṣa-
bhīṣana-vigrahāya | hari-pāṇi-lasat-padma-vihāra-maṇo-harāya | srīkāra-
rūpāya | sarva-jñānāya | sarva-loka-arcita-prabhave | catur-daśa-
sahasrārāya || 20 ||
catur-veda-mayāya | analāya | bhakta-candramasa-jyotiṣe | bhava-roga-
vināśakāya | rephātmakāya | makārātmane | rakṣo-sṛug-bhuṣitāṅga-kāya |
sarva-daitya-grīvanāḷa-vibhedana-mahā-gajāya | jvala-karāya || 30 ||
bhīma-karmaṇe | tri-locanāya | nīla-vartmane | nitya-sukhāya | nirmala-
śrīyai | nirañjanāya | rakta-mālyāmbara-dharāya | rakta-candana-bhūṣitāya
| rajo-guṇa-kṛte | śūrāya || 40 ||
rākṣasa-kula-mohanāya | nitya-kṣema-karāya | prajñāya | pāṣaṇḍa-jana-
khaṇḍanāya | nārāyaṇa-jñānuvarthine | naigamānta-prakāśakāya | bali-
mandana-dordaṇḍa-khaṇḍanāya | vijayākṛtaye | mitra-bhāvine | sarva-
mayāya || 50 ||
tamo-vidhvaṁśanāya | rajas-sattva-tamodhvartine | tri-guṇātmane |
triloka-dhṛte | hari-māya-guṇopethāya | avyayāya | akṣara-rūpa-bhāje |
param-ātmane | parama-jyotiṣe | pañca-kṛtya-parāyaṇāya || 60 ||
jñāna-śakta-bal-aiśvarya-vīryāya | teja-prabhāmayāya | sadāsat-paramāya
| pūrṇāya | vāmayāya | vardhāya | acyutāya | jīvāya | haraye | haṁsa-
rūpāya | pañcaṣaṭ-pīṭa-rūpakāya || 70 ||
mātṛka-maṇḍala-adhyakṣāya | madhu-dhvaṁsine | mano-mayāya |
buddhi-rūpāya | citta-sākṣine | sārāya | haṁsākṣara-dvayāya | mantra-
yantra-prabhavāya | mantra-yantra-mayāya | vibhave || 80 ||
sraṣṭre | kriyās-pataye | śuddhāya | mantre | bhoktre | tri-vikramāya |
nirāyudhāya | asaṁraṁbhāya | sarva-yudha-samanvitāya | oṁ-kāra-
rūpāya || 90 ||
pūrṇātmane | oṁ-kārāt-sādhya-bhañjanāya | aiṁ-kārāya | vāg-pradāya |
vāgmine | śrīṁ-kār-aiśvarya-vardhanāya | klīṁ-kār-mohan-ākārāya |
huṁ-phaṭ-kṣobhan-ākṛtaye | indrārcita-mano-vegāya | dharaṇi-bhāra-
nāśakāya | vīrārādhyāya || 100 ||
viśva-rūpāya | vaiṣṇavāya | viṣṇu-bhakti-dāyakāya | satya-vratāya |
satya-parāya | satya-dharmānuṣaṅgakāya | nārāyaṇa-kṛpa-vyūha-teja-
cakrāya | śrī sudarśanāya || 108 ||
Prayers to the Lord’s Weapons
To the Sudarsana Chakra
chakram yugantanala-tigma-nemi
bhramat samantad bhagavat-prayuktam
dandagdhi dandagdhy ari-sainyam ashu
kaksham yatha vata-sakho hutashaha
Set into motion by the Supreme Personality of Godhead and wandering in all the four directions, the Sudarsana disc of the Supreme Lord has sharp edges as destructive as the fire of devastation at the end of the millennium. As a blazing fire burns dry grass to ashes with the assistance of the breeze, may the Sudarshana chakra burn our enemies to ashes.
To the Club
gade ‘shani-sparshana-visphulinge
nishpindhi nishpindhy ajita-priyasi
kushmanda-vainayaka-yaksha-raksho
bhuta-grahamsh churnaya churnayarin
O club in the hand of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you produce sparks of fire as powerfulas thunderbolts, and you are extremely dear to the Lord. I am also His servant. Therefore kindly help me pound to pieces the evil living beings known as Kushmandas, Vainayakas, Yakshas, Rakshasas, Bhutas and Grahas. Please pulverize them.
To the Conchshell
tvam yatudhana-pramatha-preta-matri
pishacha-vipragraha-ghora-drishtin
darendra vidravaya krishna-purito
bhima-svano ‘rer hridayani kampayan
O best of the conchshells, O Panchajanya in the hands of the Lord, you are always filled with the breath of Lord Krishna. Therefore you create a fearful sound vibration that causes trembling in the hearts of enemies like the Rakshasas, Pramatha ghosts, Pretas, Matas, Pishachas and brahmana-ghosts with fearful eyes.
Sudarshana mantra viniyoga
अस्य श्री सुदर्शन महामन्त्रस्य अहिर्बुध्न्यो ऋषिः।
अनुष्टुप् छन्दः। श्री सुदर्शन महाविष्णुर्देवता॥
रं बीजम्। हुं शक्तिः। फट् कीलकम्। श्री सुदर्शन प्रसाद
सिद्धयर्थे जपे विनियोगः॥
asya śrī sudarśana mahāmantrasya ahirbudhnyo ṛṣiḥ |
anuṣṭup chandaḥ | śrī sudarśana mahāviṣṇurdevatā ||
raṁ bījam | huṁ śaktiḥ | phaṭ kīlakam | śrī sudarśana prasāda
siddhayarthe jape viniyogaḥ ||
Another Sudarśana mantra
ॐ सुदर्शन महाज्वाल कोटीसूर्य समप्रभ ।
अज्ञानं तस्यमे देव विष्णोर्मार्गम् प्रदर्शय॥
oṁ sudarśana mahājvāla koṭīsūrya samaprabha |
ajñānaṁ tasyame deva viṣṇormārgam pradarśaya ||
Sudarshana dhyaana mantra
शंखं चक्रं च चापं परशुमसिमिषुं शूलपाशांकुशाग्नीन्
बिभ्राणं वज्रखेटौ हलमुसलगदाकुन्त-मत्युग्रदंष्ट्रम्।
ज्वालाकेशं त्रिनेत्रं ज्वलदननिभं हारकेयूरभूषं
ध्यायेत् षट् कोणसंस्थं सकलरिपुजन प्राणसंहार चक्रम्॥
śaṁkhaṁ cakraṁ ca cāpaṁ paraśumasimiṣuṁ śūlapāśāṁkuśāgnīn
bibhrāṇaṁ vajrakheṭau halamusalagadākunta-matyugradaṁṣṭram |
jvālākeśaṁ trinetraṁ jvaladananibhaṁ hārakeyūrabhūṣaṁ
dhyāyet ṣaṭ koṇasaṁsthaṁ sakalaripujana prāṇasaṁhāra cakram ||
Sudarshana moola mantra
ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं क्लीं कृष्णाय गोविंदाय गोपीजनवल्लभाय पराय
परमपुरुशाय परमात्मने
परकर्म-मंत्र-तंत्र-यंत्र-औषध अस्त्र-शस्राणि संहर संहर
आयुर्-वर्धय-वर्धय-मृत्योर्मोचय मोचय शत्रुन् नाशय नाशय
ॐ नमो भगवते महासुदर्शनाय दीप्ते ज्वाला-परीताय
सर्वदिक्-क्षोभणकराय हुं फट् परब्रह्मणे परंज्योतिषे
ॐ सहस्रार हुं फट् स्वाहा
om śrīṁ hrīṁ klīṁ kṛṣṇāya goviṁdāya gopījanavallabhāya parāya
paramapuruśāya paramātmane
parakarma-maṁtra-taṁtra-yaṁtra-auṣadha astra-śasrāṇi saṁhara saṁhara
āyur-vardhaya-vardhaya-mṛtyormocaya mocaya śatrun nāśaya nāśaya
om namo bhagavate mahāsudarśanāya dīpte jvālā-parītāya
sarvadik-kṣobhaṇakarāya huṁ phaṭ parabrahmaṇe paraṁjyotiṣe
om sahasrāra huṁ phaṭ svāhā
By: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Srimad Bhagavatam 1.9.6-7 purport