Sharnga
Celestial bow of Vishnu, wielded by Rama and Krishna.
Sharnga (also spelled Saranga or Sharanga) is the celestial bow of the Hindu god Vishnu, primarily associated with his avatar Rama. In South India, it is also known as the Kodanda, literally meaning bow, and Rama is often praised as Kodandapani, the holder of the Kodanda. The bow is notable for its employment by several of the Dashavatara: Parashurama, Rama, and Krishna.
- Also known as
- Saranga, Sharanga, Kodanda
- Associated deity
- Vishnu
- Associated avatars
- Parashurama, Rama, Krishna
- Creator
- Vishvakarma
- Mentioned in
- Vishnu Sahasranama, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Vishnu Purana, Padma Purana
Lore & Background
The Sharanga was created by Vishvakarma along with the bow Pinaka to settle a question of superiority between Vishnu and Shiva. Vishnu was victorious, and Shiva presented his bow to the king of Mithila. Vishnu's bow was passed down to Richika, who gave it to Jamadagni, Parashurama's father. Parashurama claimed it after his father's assassination. In the Ramayana, Parashurama regales the tale of the bow and challenges Rama to string it; when Rama succeeds, Parashurama admits defeat and retires. In the Padma Purana, the sage Bhrigu, after testing Shiva and Brahma, finds Vishnu sleeping and kicks him; Vishnu greets him warmly, and Bhrigu hails Vishnu as the holder of the Sharanga. In some versions of Krishna's battle with Narakasura, his queen Satyabhama takes the bow to slay the asura.
Reader's Guide
The Sharanga appears across multiple Hindu scriptures as a symbol of divine authority and martial prowess. In the Mahabharata, Yudhishthira praises Krishna as the wielder of the bow. In the Vishnu Purana, Krishna uses it to defeat Jarasandha, with the bow, the mace Kaumodaki, and two quivers of infinite arrows appearing from the heavens to aid him. In the Padma Purana, Vishnu employs the bow against Jalandhara, and Krishna shoots from it during his elopement with Rukmini, shattering her brother Rukmi's chariot and banner, later destroying his sword and humiliating him by binding and shaving his head. The bow's legacy extends into popular culture: the Sarangapani temple at Kumbakonam takes its name partly from the bow; a kaiju in Godzilla: Singular Point is named Sharanga due to its emergence in India and the bow-like shape on its head; the sharanga appears as a weapon in the video games Raji: An Ancient Epic (depicted as a compound bow) and Hades (as a variant of Zagreus' bow); and the 2025 film Mirai centers on a superweapon called Mirai revealed as the kodanda of Lord Rama.
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