Dvapara-Yuga (末法鏡 Mappō Kyō?, lit. "Last-Dharma-Age Mirror") is one of the three sacred treasures of the Ling Sheng-Su Temple. Dvapara-Yuga is a sacred mirror with the ability to purify anything (human beings or objects) corrupted with Evil Energy. Fragments of the Dvapara-Yuga are referred to as "Holy Stones".
Role in the Soul series[]
When the temple was raided by the Evil Seed, it was Dvapara-Yuga's power (along with Kilik's inner strength) that kept him from going berserk. It was handed to him by his sworn sister, Xianglian, to save his life at the cost of hers. During the battle against Nightmare, Dvapara-Yuga was shattered. Its fragments are still guarded by the Edge Master. Kilik still keeps a pendant that has a small piece of the Dvapara-Yuga as a purification tool.
In Soulcalibur III, Kilik uses the Dvapara-Yuga in the Romanian Valley to bring people who have been infected with evil back to normal. So he was interfering with Raphael's plan to change the world for his foster daughter, Amy. But then Kilik was defeated by Zasalamel, and he lost his fragment of the Dvapara-Yuga during the battle. Raphael eventually got hold of the fragment, but it burned his hand. So he instantly destroyed it. Meanwhile, after Kilik defeated Edge Master during his training, he was given another fragment of the Dvapara-Yuga, and he began another journey.
In Soulcalibur IV, Cassandra learns about the Holy Stone from her confrontation with Raphael, and found some people who were healed by a shining blue crystal. She even heard rumors about a man with a mass of crystal that was on his way to Ostrheinsburg and decides to follow him. However, she does not know that what she's really following is Soul Calibur.
In Soulcalibur V, Leixia, Xianghua's daughter, wears the Dvapara-Yuga as a pendant on her collar as Kilik did on the previous installments, which was given to Leixia by her younger brother. It remains undetermined where he might have acquired it from. It could either have been given by Kilik or the Edge Master.
Etymology[]
The Japanese name refers to Mappō (末法), or the "Last Dharma Age". In Buddhism, there is a belief that there is a cycle where, after an age where spiritual practise flourishes, the teachings of Buddha (or "Dharma") and the Buddhist religion is slowly lost over time until, eventually, a new Buddha appears, restarting this cycle. East Asian Buddhism follows a three age model:[1]
- Shōbō (正法), or the "True Dharma Age". This age occurs right after the death of a Buddha where their teachings are vigorously upheld and many may attain enlightenment. This age is said to last 500 or 1,000 years, depending on the source.
- Zōbō (像法), or the "Imitation Dharma Age". In this age, only a few people are able to attain enlightenment; although the religion is still being practised, most only superficially follow its practises, not truly understanding the Buddha's teachings. This age is said to last 500 or 1,000 years, depending on the source.
- Mappō (末法), or the "Last Dharma Age". This age is said to last for 10,000 years. The Buddha's teachings are slowly lost, traditional practises and teachings lose their effectiveness, and people's spiritual capacities are at their lowest.
The English name refers to Dvapara Yuga, the third out of four yugas (world ages) in the Yuga Cycle in Hindu cosmology.
Trivia[]
- Dvapara-Yuga is counted as a weapon in Kilik's profile in Soulcalibur, but it isn't actually used as a weapon.
- Dvapara-Yuga was once worn by Xianglian and later she passed it on to Kilik for her last will.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ^ Marra, M. (1988). The Development of Mappō Thought in Japan (I). Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 15(1), 25–54. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004401501_005