Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen has taken the world by storm. Their storytelling and character introduction are some of the best in anime history. The manga is reaching its climax of the Shibuya Incident arc, while the anime is still in its initial stage of the arc. Even among the problems with MAPPA Studios, Jujutsu Kaisen keeps on delivering with absolute perfection.
In the last couple of episodes, Ryomen Sukuna took over Yuji Itadori’s body, and to stop him, Megumi Fushiguro summoned his strongest shikigami, Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga. Throughout the Zenin clan, none have ever been able to tame Mahoraga. The name Mahoraga has a special meaning and is related to two religions – Hinduism and Buddhism.
Mahoraga’s Relation to Hinduism and Buddhism
The name Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga can be broken into several segments concerning Hinduism and Buddhism. Mahoraga is a beast of a humanoid with massive power levels that only increase with every fight as he becomes accustomed to his opponent’s attacks.
I’m not gonna lie they made this scene better in my opinion, mahoraga scary as hell here pic.twitter.com/b9bZ5AAKSZ
— Sean 🎰 (@HeianYuji) November 18, 2023
He has an eight-handled wheel above his head, which defines the Dharmachakra of Hinduism, which roughly refers to the Wheel of Cosmic Order or Law, relating to religious beliefs. On the other hand, the eight handles signify the Eightfold Paths of Buddhism. The Eightfold Paths of Buddhism lays the path to mental and ethical development.
The wheel also signifies adapting to various situations from both offensive and defensive perspectives. It also means achieving greatness in life’s journey by overcoming all the obstacles. It is no wonder that Gege Akutami is considered a genius. While summoning Mahoraga, Megumi chanted, “With this treasure I summon…”, which is a direct reference to ‘Sila’ which means treasure or gifts. On the other hand, ‘Divergent’ alludes to Mahoraga having diverted from the path of righteousness and choosing chaos and destruction.
During Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 episode 17, Megumi said Makora instead of Mahoraga. It is a direct reference to one of the 12 generals who were in charge of protecting and accompanying the healing Buddha. In Sanskrit, Makora resonates with Mahala. The Divine Generals protecting the healing Buddha have striking resemblance due to their snake-like appearance. Mahoraga are a race of deities in Hindu mythology, who generally possess a human head and torso and serpentine body from below the waist or vice versa.
SUKUNA VS MAHORAGA FULL FIGHT
— Jujutsu Kaisen (@JJKcontents) November 16, 2023
THANK YOU JJK TEAM ❤️ pic.twitter.com/6fcUOmInfS
Mahoraga also has a connection to the Japanese culture through Sword Eight Hands Long, who were a part of the Ten Sacred Treasures. Moreover, the Ten Sacred Treasures were passed down to the Nigihayi no Mikoto, by the ‘Heavenly Ancestors.’
Why Was Sukuna Able To Control Mahoraga in Gege Akutami’s Magnum Opus?
The Jujutsu Kaisen manga has depicted that after taking over Megumi Fushiguro’s body, Ryomen Sukuna was able to summon Mahoraga and control him. One of the main reasons for Sukuna being able to control Mahoraga is that the shikigami has an eight-handled wheel, which is referred to as the Dharmachakra in Hinduism, and Sukuna resembles Yama, the Hindu God of Death. Yama is also known as Dharmaraja, which literally translates to King of Dharma. So, he was able to tame Mahoraga.
Another reason why Sukuna was able to tame Mahoraga is that the one with authority should be potent in magical, mental, and physical prowess and have immense willpower. Having authority over Mahoraga is a nearly impossible task, but Gege Akutami has explained everything beautifully with Hindu and Buddhist mythology.
