Nandaka

Nandaka (literally "source of joy") or Nandaki is the sword of the Hindu god Vishnu. Even though some scriptures recommend the sword to be depicted in Vishnu's hand, it is generally not depicted in the iconography of Vishnu (who is generally depicted four-armed) and makes a later appearance in the god's sculptures. Nandaka is generally depicted in images where Vishnu is represented with more than four arms. The sword is compared to knowledge in Hindu scriptures.

The Vaishnav (Vishnu-worshipping sect) saints Annamacharya and Pey Azhwar are considered the avatars of Nandaka.

Iconography and development

Vishnu is usually depicted as four-armed with the four attributes in his hands: the shankha (conch), the Sudarshana chakra, the padma (lotus) and the Kaumodaki gada (mace). In eight or sixteen armed depictions of the sword, he may be shown holding a sword. The sword appears very rarely in the depictions of Vishnu. It appears in Vishnu iconography as late as the Gupta era (320–550 CE), possibly under the Greek influence on India. The sword popular in Ancient Greece reached India with Alexander the Great (reign: 336–323 BC).