Kṛtaśva

Kṛtaśva is a ṛshi and prajāpati named in the Bāla Kāṇḍa of the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa. He is one of the early holders of the divine weapons (astras) that Viśvāmitra received and later gave to Rāma.

In the Bāla Kāṇḍa

Chapters 26 and 27 of the Bāla Kāṇḍa tell how Viśvāmitra gave Rāma a great number of divine weapons. Among them are:

• the Daṇḍacakra, the Dharmacakra, the Kālacakra and the Vishṇucakra
• the Vayvāstra
• three astras of Agni: Śikhara, Prabhāsvara and Śikhaṇḍa
• the astras of Varuṇa, Parjanya and Āpyāyana

These weapons are linked with many divine and prajāpati figures. Kṛtaśva is named in this account as one of the early ṛshis who held or passed on certain divine weapons. The weapons came down through the hands of devas and ṛshis before they reached Viśvāmitra, and then Rāma.

Sources

• Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bāla Kāṇḍa, Chapters 26–27