Chandrahasa: The Invincible Sword of Ravana — And Why Ram’s Bow Still Won

Quick answer: The sword Ravana received from Lord Shiva is Chandrahasa, meaning “the laughter of the moon”, named for its crescent-shaped blade. Shiva gave it to Ravana at Mount Kailash after Ravana praised him, and Ravana later used it to cut down Jatayu when the vulture king tried to save Sita. (हिंदी: भगवान शिव ने रावण को जो तलवार दी थी, उसका नाम चंद्रहास था।)

Among all the weapons of the epics, few shine like Chandrahasa, the crescent-shaped sword of Lord Shiva. Forged in fury and blessed with divinity, it was gifted to Ravana himself as a reward for his severe tapasya. With Chandrahasa in his hands, Ravana was thought to be impossible to kill.

The Gift That Turned into a Curse

Chandrahasa was no ordinary blade. It carried the very fury of Shiva, sharp enough to cut through gods and demons alike. But there was one law written into every divyastra—it was conscious. It could sense the purpose of its wielder.

Ravana broke that law. He raised Chandrahasa not to protect dharma but to desecrate it. When the vulture king Jatayu rose to save Sita, Ravana cut him down with Shiva’s sword. A divine weapon, meant for justice, was used for abduction and cruelty.

The Battlefield of Lanka

When the final war came, Ravana wielded Chandrahasa against Rama. The battlefield burned with astras—Ram’s Kodanda bow sang with arrows of fire, and the spirit of Nandaka sword glowed in his strikes. Ravana lifted Chandrahasa to finish the avatar of Vishnu.

But the sword did not answer. The divine steel dulled in his hands. It had sensed the corruption of purpose. It had tasted unholy blood. Against Kodanda and Nandaka—symbols of dharma—Chandrahasa betrayed its master.

The Truth of Divyastras

That is what makes divyastras different from mortal weapons. They are alive. They carry memory. They choose.
And that memory didn’t allow Raavan to win against KODANDA of RAM. That weapon of Ram – overpower Chandrahasa.
Ravana lost not because his weapons were weak, but because dharma had left his side.

What happened to Chandrahasa after Ravana fell? The Valmiki Ramayana does not say, and that silence has led to many theories. I look at them in where the Chandrahasa sword is now.

For seekers of the best mythological books, or lovers of mythological fiction like Weapon of Ram, this is the truth to remember: weapons may be powerful, but purpose decides their destiny. You will find story of Nandaka Kodanda and Chandrahasa and their real powers in the book – WEAPON OF RAM the Book.

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Sunil Chandra Saha
Author – Weapon of Ram The Book

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About the author: Sunil Chandra Saha is an Indian author from Bengal and the writer of the Weapon of Ram trilogy, an Indian-mythology-inspired epic fantasy series set centuries after the Ramayana. He is also a co-founder of Blue Tea and shares Ramayana retellings on Instagram as @mythologybysunil. Read more about Sunil Chandra Saha.