Sudarshan Chakra – The Ultimate Weapon of Vishnu
On May 17, 2025In most depictions of Lord Vishnu, we see the deity holding a discus on his right index finger. It is the divine weapon, Sudarshan Chakra. It consists of 2 discs that rotate in opposite directions. On the edges of each disc are more than a million sharp spikes.
‘Sudarshan’ is made of 2 words: "Su" and "Darshan." ‘Su’ means ‘auspicious’, and ‘Darshan’ means ‘vision’.
This divine weapon protects the righteous and destroys the wicked. With its help, Vishnu, the god who preserves the Universe, restores law and order in the world. One can gain protection from negativity and spiritual well-being by worshipping the Chakra.
The Linga Purana says that Vishnu received the Chakra from Lord Shiva. The story goes that the gods had been defeated by the armies of the demons whose Guru, Shukracharya, had the power to heal the injuries they suffered in battle. Vishnu then fought the demons for an eternity, but he could not defeat them. So he visited Shiva at Mount Kailas and asked for his help. But Shiva was in deep meditation. Disturbing him during meditation could create chaos.
So, he tried another strategy. He collected a thousand lotus petals and offered them to Shiva daily. One day, he realized that he was one petal short. So, Vishnu, who is also called ‘Kamalnayani’ (the one with lotus-shaped eyes), sacrificed one of his eyes to make up for the missing petal. This caused Shiva to wake up from his meditation. He praised Vishnu’s devotion and gifted him the Sudarshan Chakra to defeat the demons. The Chakra could slice a person into two.
The Chakra has featured in various mythological stories. When Sati (Shiva’s consort) immolated herself, the grief-stricken Shiva wandered the Universe with her burnt body. Vishnu, unable to see his suffering, used the Chakra to cut the body into pieces. The parts fell on many locations on Earth, and these places became Shakti Peethas.
During Samudra Manthan, Vishnu as Mohini, used the discus to behead the demon Svarbhanu. The demon had disguised himself as a god to consume Amrit, the divine elixir. The nectar made him immortal. His headless body became Ketu, and his head became Rahu.
Qualities of the Sudarshan Chakra
☀ It is the most powerful weapon in the world, and it heeds the commands of only the person who wields it.
☀ It can cover a lot of distance and returns once the task is completed.
☀ To stop the Sudarshan Chakra, one has to surrender to it completely. Then Vishnu intervenes to rescue the Chakra’s intended target.
☀ The Chakra has 2 rows of 10 million spikes. They move in the opposite direction. Being very sharp, it can cut through anything.
☀ The Sudarshan Chakra is always in motion. It represents time.
How the Sudarshan Chakra Was Created
There are many stories about the creation of Sudarshan Chakra.
As per one legend, Surya’s (Sun god) wife, Sanjana, could not bear his excessive heat. So, she asked her father, Vishwakarma, the divine architect, for help. He reduced Surya’s heat by 1/8th. Vishwakarma used the solar matter that fell on Earth to make 3 things - the Pushpak Vimana (flying chariot), Lord Shiva’s trident, and the Sudarshan Chakra.
Some Interesting Facts about Sudarshan Chakra
Many Hindus worship the Sudarshan Chakra. The weapon is personified as the deity Sudarshanar or Chakrathazhwar.
People perform Sudarshana Homam when launching a new business or during religious events and auspicious ceremonies.
The Sudarshana Homam can protect one from malevolent powers and evil eyes.
Hindu legend says that Lord Brahma performed a yagam to invoke Vishnu in Chakra Theertham, Kumbakonam. The Sudarshan Chakra emerged from Patala. Brahma got Vishnu’s darshan in the center of the radiant Chakra. Due to this, in the Chakrapani temple, people worship Vishnu as Chakrapani. It is also one of the important Divayadesam shrines.
It is mandatory to worship Sudarshanar at Perumal temples. Devotees may not notice Narasimha Perumal hidden beneath his statue. But they can see the image of Narasimha on his back if they circle the sanctum.
Worshipping Ashta Laksmi, the 4 Vedas, the Pancha Boothas (the 5 elements), and the 8 directions of the Earth is equal to worshiping both Sudarshanar and Narashimhar while going around the sanctuary in a clockwise manner.
It is believed that Sudarshana became Narasimha's long, pointed nails to indicate his protection of Vishnu’s followers from evil powers.
As it retains the Chakra’s energies, Hindus often have Saligrama stones in their Pooja rooms.
His birthstar is Chithirai. On this star day in Sravana (July–August) month, Hindus celebrate Sudarshana Jayanthi, the birthday of Sudarshana.
To receive Sudarshanar’s blessings, devotees perform a Pooja called Nava Kalasa Snapana and then Sita Rama Kalyanam. Vishnu gives Sudarshana the power to destroy negative energy and evil forces.
Conclusion
Vishnu’s Sudarshana Chakra is the ultimate weapon. It can destroy evil quickly. Due to its immense power, only gods and warriors can wield it.
The Linga Purana says that Vishnu received the Chakra from Lord Shiva. The story goes that the gods had been defeated by the armies of the demons whose Guru, Shukracharya, had the power to heal the injuries they suffered in battle. Vishnu then fought the demons for an eternity, but he could not defeat them. So he visited Shiva at Mount Kailas and asked for his help. But Shiva was in deep meditation. Disturbing him during meditation could create chaos.
So, he tried another strategy. He collected a thousand lotus petals and offered them to Shiva daily. One day, he realized that he was one petal short. So, Vishnu, who is also called ‘Kamalnayani’ (the one with lotus-shaped eyes), sacrificed one of his eyes to make up for the missing petal. This caused Shiva to wake up from his meditation. He praised Vishnu’s devotion and gifted him the Sudarshan Chakra to defeat the demons. The Chakra could slice a person into two.
The Chakra has featured in various mythological stories. When Sati (Shiva’s consort) immolated herself, the grief-stricken Shiva wandered the Universe with her burnt body. Vishnu, unable to see his suffering, used the Chakra to cut the body into pieces. The parts fell on many locations on Earth, and these places became Shakti Peethas.
During Samudra Manthan, Vishnu as Mohini, used the discus to behead the demon Svarbhanu. The demon had disguised himself as a god to consume Amrit, the divine elixir. The nectar made him immortal. His headless body became Ketu, and his head became Rahu.
Qualities of the Sudarshan Chakra
☀ It is the most powerful weapon in the world, and it heeds the commands of only the person who wields it.
☀ It can cover a lot of distance and returns once the task is completed.
☀ To stop the Sudarshan Chakra, one has to surrender to it completely. Then Vishnu intervenes to rescue the Chakra’s intended target.
☀ The Chakra has 2 rows of 10 million spikes. They move in the opposite direction. Being very sharp, it can cut through anything.
☀ The Sudarshan Chakra is always in motion. It represents time.
How the Sudarshan Chakra Was Created
There are many stories about the creation of Sudarshan Chakra.
As per one legend, Surya’s (Sun god) wife, Sanjana, could not bear his excessive heat. So, she asked her father, Vishwakarma, the divine architect, for help. He reduced Surya’s heat by 1/8th. Vishwakarma used the solar matter that fell on Earth to make 3 things - the Pushpak Vimana (flying chariot), Lord Shiva’s trident, and the Sudarshan Chakra.
Some Interesting Facts about Sudarshan Chakra
Many Hindus worship the Sudarshan Chakra. The weapon is personified as the deity Sudarshanar or Chakrathazhwar.
People perform Sudarshana Homam when launching a new business or during religious events and auspicious ceremonies.
The Sudarshana Homam can protect one from malevolent powers and evil eyes.
Hindu legend says that Lord Brahma performed a yagam to invoke Vishnu in Chakra Theertham, Kumbakonam. The Sudarshan Chakra emerged from Patala. Brahma got Vishnu’s darshan in the center of the radiant Chakra. Due to this, in the Chakrapani temple, people worship Vishnu as Chakrapani. It is also one of the important Divayadesam shrines.
It is mandatory to worship Sudarshanar at Perumal temples. Devotees may not notice Narasimha Perumal hidden beneath his statue. But they can see the image of Narasimha on his back if they circle the sanctum.
Worshipping Ashta Laksmi, the 4 Vedas, the Pancha Boothas (the 5 elements), and the 8 directions of the Earth is equal to worshiping both Sudarshanar and Narashimhar while going around the sanctuary in a clockwise manner.
It is believed that Sudarshana became Narasimha's long, pointed nails to indicate his protection of Vishnu’s followers from evil powers.
As it retains the Chakra’s energies, Hindus often have Saligrama stones in their Pooja rooms.
His birthstar is Chithirai. On this star day in Sravana (July–August) month, Hindus celebrate Sudarshana Jayanthi, the birthday of Sudarshana.
To receive Sudarshanar’s blessings, devotees perform a Pooja called Nava Kalasa Snapana and then Sita Rama Kalyanam. Vishnu gives Sudarshana the power to destroy negative energy and evil forces.
Conclusion
Vishnu’s Sudarshana Chakra is the ultimate weapon. It can destroy evil quickly. Due to its immense power, only gods and warriors can wield it.