A Tale of Two Bows: Pinaka and Sharanga

Lord Viswakarma was once requested by Lord Brahma to create two powerful celestial weapons. Thus, Vishwakarma fashioned Pinaka and Sharanga, two celestial bows. Pinaka was given by Lord Brahma to Lord Shiva, and Sharanga to Lord Vishnu. The two bows were of equal strength and ability. 

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A formidable asura by the name of Taraka had three sons: Tarakaksha, Kamalaksha, and Vidyunmali. The three brothers commenced rigorous penance with the intent of appeasing Lord Brahma. Brahma finally appeared in front of them after years of austerity. Brahma declined to grant their requests for the blessings of immortality and invincibility. However, Brahma responded to their insistence by telling them that they would be unbeatable in their own stronghold. By the favor of Brahma, they would obtain their own floating citadel, or three puras, and for as long as they were inside their citadel, they would remain immortal and indestructible. It was beyond Brahma's comprehension what this gift meant.

 

Soon, the Ashura brothers approached Mayasura, the great architect and master of illusion, and asked him to build three flying citadels for them. Thus, Mayasura built three flying citadels, which were just like modern-day artificial satellites. The three citadels altogether were known as tripura. The flying citadels used to rotate around the earth on three different planes. Viyunmali held the lower-level iron citadel, Kamalaksha was the master of the middle-level silver citadel, and Tarakaksha owned the top-level gold citadel. The Ashuras could go anywhere with ease and were unbeatable in those citadels. Both the gods and humanity soon realized the problem. With their flying citadel, the asuras could storm anywhere at any time, wreaking havoc before swiftly returning to their safe refuge. The moment the asuras entered their flying fortress, the gods were helpless and had no options for recourse. The gods resorted to Lord Brahma for a solution after realizing they had no means of defeating the asuras.

The creator god was the reason for the menace, but he was helpless too. Using a single arrow to target all three citadels in one shot was practically impossible. However, he told the gods that every thousand years, the three citadels come together to form a three-level vertical column. If someone can pierce the three citadels with a single arrow, then only all three citadels will be reduced to ash with all their inhabitants. After hearing this, all the gods concluded that only Lord Shiva was capable of pulling off such an incredible feat. They went to Lord Shiva and urged him to fulfill their request. Lord Shiva concurred. For hundreds of years, Lord Shiva continued to follow the flying citadels while mounted on a golden flying chariot. The three puras finally fell into line, and at that precise time, Shiva launched his divine arrow from the celestial bow, Pinaka. The bow was so powerful that the arrow pierced all three puras in a blink of an eye, thus destroying tripura. Lord Shiva was subsequently referred to as Tripurantaka. 

The asuras all burned to ashes, with the exception of Mayasura, who had already left the citadel since he was a devoted follower of Lord Shiva and had been warned by Narada in accordance with Lord Shiva's command. Lord Shiva delivered Pinaka to Maithili king Devarata after decimating Tripura. Therefore, the kingdom of Mithila was in charge of the Haradhanu, or the divine bow of Lord Shiva.

Lord Vishnu entrusted the celestial bow, Sharanga, to his devoted follower, Rishi Richika. Richika gave that to his son, Rishi Jamadagni. When Kartavirya Arjuna murdered him when stealing Kamdhenu, Parashuram stormed Mahismati equipped with his divine axe and the celestial bow Sharanga. After killing Arjuna and his army, Parashuram retired to Mahendragiri parvat with his weapons.

At Devi Sita's swayamvar, Mithila-raj Janak invited the suitors to exhibit their power by raising the celestial bow, Pinaka. No one other than Lord Rama was able to lift the bow. However, while Lord Rama was bending the bow to string it, the Hara dhanu unintentionally broke, generating a loud noise that was much more powerful than a hundred lightning strikes. In Mahendragiri, even Parashuram sensed the vibration. 

Feeling that someone had desecrated Lord Shiva's weapon, he became furious. He rushed to the court of Janaka. There Parashuram challenged Lord Rama to string the Sharanga bow that had belonged to him for years after learning that Lord Ram had shattered the sacred bow of Shiva. Parashuram was enlightened when Lord Rama effortlessly tied the string, and he gave the bow to Rama. Consequently, Lord Rama acquired the name Sharangapani. He killed the demon king Ravan with the bow, and following the epic battle, he presented the heavenly bow to Lord Varuna, the ocean god.