JAYA AND VIJAYA | THE GATEKEEPERS OF VAIKUNTHA

 We all knew about Vishnu. His home is Vaikuntha, where he resides. To enter Vaikuntha, there are 7 gates. The first six gates are the six RIPU, or the Six Enemies of Mind. These six ripus are - KAMA (DESIRE), KRODHA (ANGER), LOBHA (GREED), MADA (EGO), MOHA (DELUSION), & MATSARYA (JEALOUSY). Whoever conquers these six ripus will go past the six gates of Vaikuntha. And, on the Seventh Gate - 2 Gatekeepers of Vaikuntha - JAYA & VIJAYA stand. They will verify you to see if you are eligible to go inside or not.

Once 4 Kumaras arrived at Vaikuntha to see Lord Vishnu. They were SANAKA, SANANDANA, SANATANA, SANATKUMARA. They were the Mind-born children of Lord Brahma (MANASAPUTRAS). They were great ascetics and very old, but they looked like child.

But, Jaya and Vijaya didn’t know that. So, when these 4 Kumaras easily passed the first six gates, they were blocked by Jaya & Vijaya on the Final Gate. They told those Kumaras that - ‘You are too young to go inside’. After hearing these words, 4 Kumaras were furious. They cursed Jaya & Vijaya by saying that - ‘You 2 separated us from Lord Vishnu, now you will be separated from Lord Vishnu as well’. After uttering these Curses, the 4 Kumaras left Vaikuntha.

After hearing these curses, Jaya and Vijaya were so frightened that they turned pale. Then the Lord himself reaches there to see what happened. After hearing from Jaya and Vijaya, Lord Vishnu told them that - ‘This curse should take place, but I will give you two a condition.’

‘You have to be born 7 births on Earth on my side, or you have to be born 3 births on Earth on my opposite, but this time period is short compared to the previous, and I myself will kill you every time to free you from your curse.’

Without a second thought, Jaya & Vijaya choose the 2nd option. That's how they were born as Asuras at 3 different times on Earth. In Sayta Yuga, Jaya was born as Hiranyaksha, and Vijaya as Hiranyakashipu. Hiranyaksha was killed by the Varaha incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and Hiranyakashipu was killed by the Narsimha incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Then in the Treta Yuga, Jaya was born as Ravana and Vijaya as Kumbhakarna. Both were killed by the 7th incarnation of Lord Vishnu - Bhagwan Sri Rama. In the Ramayana, it was mentioned that Ravana himself knew that he would be killed by Sri Rama, so that’s how it was pre-planned.

Then comes the Dwapara Yuga. Here, Jaya came as Shishupala and Vijaya as Dantavakra. Both were killed by the 8th incarnation of Lord Vishnu - Bhagwan Sri Krishna.

After this, Jaya and Vijaya were freed from their curses, and they successfully returned to Vaikuntha as Gatekeepers.

So, that’s how every puzzle came into place. This is the story of Jaya & Vijaya. An important note here - Jaya & Vijaya could choose the other option, which is they will be on Vishnu’s side for 7 births. But, they haven’t chosen that, because that is longer for them to get separated from the Lord. So, even if they have to stand against the Lord, they choose that, because it is a much shorter time period - only 3 births.

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Source - Srimad Bhagvatam

Was the Mahabharata warrior Karna's Vijaya bow superior to the Arjuna's Gandiva bow?

 Rather than comparing statments. Let’s directly adress their feats.

On the 17th day. Karna and Arjuna both fought the toughest battle of their lives and guess what?

Only one of the bows snapped! It was Gandiva. Not the Vijaya bow.

Pandava’s bowstring was being drawn with great force and snapped, with a loud noise. At that moment, the son of a suta struck Partha with one hundred kshudraka arrows. He pierced Vasudeva with sixty sharp iron arrows that were washed in oil and were tufted with the feathers of birds. They were like snakes that had cast off their skins.

At this, the Somakas ran away. Partha became extremely angry. His body was mangled by Karna’s arrows.

Source: Karna Parva Mahabharata critical edition.

Karna also cut off several strings of Gandiva. Arjuna however never ever managed to do the same.

O Partha! Radheya is destroying your arrows. Release supreme weapons.’ Using mantras, Arjuna released brahmastra. With those radiant arrows, Arjuna shrouded Karna. But Karna used extremely energetic arrows to angrily sever his bowstring. Fixing another bowstring, Pandava enveloped Karna with thousands of fiery arrows.

In that battle, when Karna severed his bowstring, he fixed another one so quickly that no one could make this out. It was wonderful. Using his weapons, Radheya countered all of Savyasachi’s weapons. At that time, his valour seemed to be greater than that of Partha.

Now some Arjuna bhakts have lined up to claim that Karna lost against Bhima with the Vijaya bow.

First if that’s the case, then Arjuna was also struck unconscious by Susharma. Arjuna was defeated when he held the Gandiva.

Having used his own shower of great weapons to sever the shower of arrows, Vasava’s son, the destroyer of enemy heroes, remained stationed on his chariot in the field of battle. O King! Susharma used arrows with drooping tufts to pierce Arjuna in the chest and pierced Arjuna in the chest and pierced him again with three other arrows. Having been severely wounded and pained, he sank down on the floor of his chariot. When he regained his senses, the one with the white horses, immeasurable in his soul and with Sri Krishna as his charioteer, quickly invoked the Aindra weapon.

Karna Parva: Chapter 1187(37)

Arjuna and several other Maharathas attacked Dronacharya and were defeated on the 11th day of the Kurukshetra war.

.Arjuna and Parshata, with their followers, surrounded him, together with all the maharathas—the Kekayas, Bhimasena, Subhadra’s son, Ghatotkacha, Yudhishthira, the twins, Matsya, Drupada’s son, Droupadi’s cheerful sons, Dhrishtaketu, Satyaki, the enraged Chekitana and maharatha Yuyutsu. O king! There were many other kings who followed the Pandavas. In accordance with their lineage and their valour, they performed many deeds. On seeing that the army of the Pandavas was thus protected in battle, Bharadvaja’s son glanced at them, with anger in his eyes. He was stationed on his chariot, invincible in battle, and was overcome by terrible rage. He pierced the Pandava army, like the wind scattering clouds. He attacked the chariots, horses, men and elephants in every direction. Though he was old, Drona roamed around, like a mad young man. His horses were crimson in colour and were as fleet as the wind. They were covered in blood. O king! Those horses thus assumed a beautiful appearance. On seeing that angry one, rigid in his vows, descend like death, the Pandava warriors fled in every direction. Some fled in fright.

Drona Parva Mahabharata critical edition.

Both warriors were defeated with supreme bows. So that point simply doesn’t matter

Yes! Gandiva has more statments on it’s side. But by feats Arjuna has also faced more defeats with Gandiva. Karna only used the Vijaya once and perfomed better than the wielder of Gandiva on the 17th day.

But either way the bow doesn’t really define the warrior as much. Karna performed well because he prepared himself well which allowed him to baffle of Arjuna’s weapons and afflict him.

All my points are from Vyasa’s Mahabharata.