शैवचाप

{ śaivacāpa }

Puranic Encyclopaedia

ŚAIVACĀPA   Śiva's bow. It was made by Viśvakarmā. He made a Vaiṣṇavacāpa and a Śaivacāpa for the purpose of a battle which was fought once between Viṣṇu and Śiva. (See the 7th sub para, 7th para under the word Viṣṇu). Long ago when Śiva set out to break up Dakṣayāga, he was armed with this bow. After defeating the enemy and breaking up the yāga, Śiva cooled down and presented the bow to his devotee, the king of Videha. The king took the bow to his palace, kept it in his armoury and used to offer due worship to it. His descendants also continued to worship it. [Kamba Rāmāyaṇa, Bāla Kāṇḍa] .