Hindu mythological wars

Ancient Hindu wars are the battles described in the Hindu texts of ancient India. These battles
depict great heroes, demons, celestial weapons and beings, and the supernatural.

While no Hindu epic or scripture fails to describe the horrors of war and its fallout, major wars are
fought with the purpose of upholding the Dharma (righteousness that
brings prosperity to humanity) over Adharma (wickedness that causes humanity to suffer). The
purpose of the wars is often to eliminate demonic beings or lords and rulers who pursue war want
only for ambition (wicked wishes) and domination (for worldly pleasures). Hindu teachings
prescribe war as the final option, to be employed only after all peaceful methods are exhausted.
But when this time comes, war is taught to be a matter of great personal and social importance,
where every man who belongs to the warrior caste must do his duty, exemplifying courage, honor,
and fearsome prowess against all odds and even at the cost of his life.

The major Hindu gods, including Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, often engage in war, either in the
form of Avatars or in their true form. They and many Hindu heroes use astra – celestial weapons
with fearsome supernatural power – to aid them in battle.

Contents
1 In Vedic literature
1.1 Indra and Vrtra
1.2 The Devas and Asuras
1.3 The Kshatriya order
2 Levels of Warrior Excellence
2.1 The end of the world
3 Other Sanskrit epics
3.1 The Ramayana
3.2 The Mahabharata
3.2.1 Levels of Warrior Excellence
4 Major Deities
4.1 Shakti
4.2 Shiva
4.3 Vishnu
5 Celestial Weapons

In Vedic literature.........
Indra and Vrtra.........
The central battle in the Vedas is between Indra and Vrtra, and the defeat of the demon Vrtra
leads to the liberation of rivers, cattle and Ushas (dawn/light). While this battle does reinforce the
timeless good v/s evil theme, close examination of various hymns and verses in the Rig Veda
suggest this might have been an allegorical account of the end of the last ice age in the
Himalayan glacial system....1...

Another important battle is the historic Battle of the Ten Kings, alluded to in the Rigveda, in which
the Tritsu clan, led by Sudas, defeat the Puru confederation of ten Indo Aryan clans....2...

The Devas and Asuras.........

The perennial battle between the Devas and Asuras is undertaken over the dominion of the three
worlds: Svarga, Bhumi and Patala, or Heaven, Earth and the Nether worlds. Both races are
technically equal, possessors of great religious and martial powers, but the Devas are committed
to the worship of the Supreme Being and the practice of virtue. The Asuras have atheistic and
devious tendencies that grow over time. The divide is the greatest in the Kali Yuga, the final age....3...

 Shukra: the Preceptor of the Asuras, their high priest and guru, worshiper of the Supreme Lord,
but remains supportive of the Asuras....4...
 Brhaspati:...5... the Preceptor (Guru) of the Devas. Possessing unparalleled knowledge of
the Vedas, scripture, religion and mysticism, Bṛhaspati's mastery of the military arts is akin
to Shukra, his counterpart.

He is also known as Guru Brihaspati.

 Indra: the God of thunder and lightning, King of Heaven, the leader of all the Devas against the
demons. The greatest performer of sacrifices, Indra is the most famous and fearsome warrior in
the three worlds. When facing opponents like Vritra, Indra seeks the aid of Vishnu.
 Kartikeya: army commander of Devas. He is also god of war and victory. He is the son of
Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati....6...
 Narakasura: the great Asura opponent of Vishnu....7...
 Vritra: the brahmin Asura, who performs a sacrifice to obtain sovereignty of the three worlds....8...

The Kshatriya order.........

Main article: Kshatriya

War Sacrifices:

 Ashvamedha: The famous horse-sacrifice was conducted by allowing a horse to roam freely
for a slated period of time, with the king performing the sacrifice laying claim to all the lands
it touched. The king whose authority is contested must prove himself in battle or accept the
imperial supremacy of the challenging king. When the horse returns safely after the period of
 time, the main sacrifice is performed, and the king, if successful in obtaining dominance over
other kings, is crowned Emperor of the World. The Ashwamedha allows the opportunity to
maintain peace if the kings do not choose to contest the sacrificial horse. In Mahabharat
era, Arjuna alone had conquered whole world for the sake of Ashvamedha Yagna of his
brother....9...
 Rajasuya: Considered the ultimate sacrifice, the king performing the sacrifice must openly
challenge every king in the world to accept his supremacy or defeat him in battle. If and when
the king returns successfully, having beaten all other known rulers, the performance of the
sacrifice will send him to the abode of Lord Indra. It was performed by the Pandava
hero Yudhishthira in the Mahabharata epic. Arjuna had conquered many kingdoms for the
sake of Yudhisthira's Rajasuya....10...
 Vishwajeet Yagna
 Gomedh Yagna
 Yajna: Akin to the conduct of the Rajasuya, save only that the entire sacrifice is to
please Vishnu.

Levels of Warrior Excellence.........

 Mahamaharathi's: A warrior capable of fighting 24 Atimaharathi class warriors or

207,360,000 warriors simultaneously. This includes Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva,
Lord Brahma, Durga, Manikanta, Karthikeya, Ganesh.
 Atimaharathi's: A warrior capable of fighting 12 Maharathi class warriors or 8,640,000
warriors simultaneously. Hanuman, Rama, Krishna, Arjuna, Indrajit (Avatars of Vishnu : Rama,
Krishna) are considered as Atimaharathis. Arjuna was reincarnation of Nara- the divine form
of Lord Vishnu. Different forms of Lord Shiva are also
Atimaharthis. Veerabhadra, Bhairava etc. fall under this category.
 Maharathi's: A warrior capable of fighting 12 Atirathi class warriors or 720,000 warriors
simultaneously, circumspect in his mastery of all forms of weapons and combat
skills. Lakshmana, Abhimanyu, Vali,
Alambusha, Angada, Ashwatthama, Atikaya, Bhima, Karna, Bhishma, Drona, Kumbhakarna, Su
griva, Jambavan, Ravana, Bhagadatta, Narakasura, Lakshmana, Balarama, Jarasandha were
Maharathis.
 Atirathi: A warrior capable of contending with 12 Rathi class warriors or 60,000 warriors
simultaneously. Lava, Kusha, Kritavarma, Shalya, Kripacharya, Bhurisravas, Drupada, Yuyutsu,
Virata, Akampan, Satyaki, Drishtadyumna,
Kuntibhoja, Ghatotkacha, Prahasta, Angada, Duryodhana, Jayadratha, Dushasana, Vikarna, Vir
ata, Yudhishtir, Nakula, Sahadeva, and Pradyumna were Atirathi's.
  Rathi: A warrior capable of attacking 5,000 warriors simultaneously. Somadatha,
Sudhakshina, Shakuni, Shishupala, Uttar, all 96 brothers of Duryodhana, Shikhandi,
Uttamaujas, all sons of Draupadi, etc. were Rathi's.

Strategic Formations: The Vyuha:

 Padma Vyuha or the Chakra Vyuha: A winding, ever-rotating circular formation; considered
impenetrable during the Mahabharata age by all warriors
except Arjuna, Drona, Krishna, Pradyumna and Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu had learnt how to
break into the formation (in the womb of Subhadra) but not how to break out of it and is
trapped inside during the Mahabharata war.
 Krauncha Vyuha: The crane-shaped formation of an army; forces are distributed to form
spanning wing-sides, with a formidable, penetrating center depicting the crane's head and
beak.
 Sarpa Vyuha: Winding Snake Formation
 Makara Vyuha: Crocodile Formation
 Sakata Vyuha: Cart Formation
 Shukar Vyuha: Pig Formation
 Vajra Vyuha: Thunderbolt formation, the toughest after chakravyuha.
 Kurma Vyuha: Turtle formation

The end of the world.........

 The end of the world and illusions is prophesied to happen at the end of the Kali Yuga. Kalki,
the final Avatar of Vishnu is also prophesied to appear the end of the Kali Yuga, to wage the
final battle between good and evil....11...
 Lord Shiva Nataraja, the Destroyer, kills the paramount demon of the time and performs
the Tandava Nritya (The Dance of Tandava) on his back.
 The mystical dance by Goddess Kali i.e. Dark Energy for destroying all forms of matter,
materials, beings and illusions, which are absorbed within herself i.e. the Supreme Brahman.

Other Sanskrit epics.........

The Ramayana.........
Main article: Ramayana

The epic story of Ramayana was adopted by several

cultures across Asia. Shown here is a Thaihistoric artwork
depicting the battle which took place between Rama and Ravana.

 Vishvamitra is the preceptor of Rama and Lakshmana, a powerful tapasvin and Brahma
rishi....12... He bestows the knowledge of all divine weaponry to Rama and Lakshmana, leads
them to kill powerful demons, and instructs them in religion and military arts.
 Rama: The Seventh Avatar of Vishnu, a great warrior-tapasvin. Rama single-handedly slays the
14,000 demon hordes of Khara (in one hour, according to the Ramayana), the
demons Maricha and Subahu, Ravana's chief commander Prahasta and is responsible for the
ultimate killing of Ravana himself.
 Lakshmana is as powerful and an excellent warrior as his brother, and slayed extremely
powerful demons, including Atikaya and Indrajit.
 Hanuman: the Vanara minister of Sugriva is the greatest devotee of Rama, famous for his
unerring service, absolute loyalty and great feats of courage. Hanuman is responsible for
killing many demons, as well as burning the city of Lanka. His strength is given by his
father Vayu, and by virtue of the boons bestowed on him by various Gods, he could increase
his size and strength beyond any limit he desired.
 Ravana: blessed by his fearsome 10,000 years tapasya to be the most powerful being on
earth, invulnerable to every God, demon and living being, save man. Although an expert on
the Vedas, a great king, and a great devotee of Shiva, he is the Emperor of evil due to his
patronage of demons, murder of kings and humiliation of the Gods headed by Indra.
 Indrajit: as his name suggests, Ravana's first-born son defeated Indra, king of Gods. He even
twice defeated Rama and Lakshmana. Indrajit killed 670 million Vanaras in a single day, nearly
exterminated the entire half man-half monkey race. Master of mystical warfare and celestial
weapons, and blessed by boons from Gods, Indrajit was considered the most fearful and
knowledgeable warrior, virtually invincible. He was said to be invincible in battle because of a
Yajna he used to perform before every battle. At a very young age, Meghnada became the
possessor of several supreme celestial weapons, including Brahmandastra, Pashupatastra and
Vaishnavastra, under the guidance of Shukra, the guru of the daityas (demons). During the
Devasura Sangram (the battle between the devas and the asuras) he defeated Indra, tying
him up and mounting him onto his celestial chariot. At this juncture, Brahma intervened and
asked him to free Indra. Meghanada obliged, and was granted a chance to ask for a boon
from Brahma. Meghanada asked for immortality, but Brahma remarked that absolute
immortality is against the law of nature. Instead, he was then granted another boon: he would
never be won over in any battle, until his Yagna (fire-worship) of his native goddess
Nikumbala was disturbed and destroyed. On the completion of the Yagna, a supreme
celestial chariot would appear, boarding which, Indrajit would become invincible in any battle.
But Brahma also cautioned him that whosoever would destroy this yajna would also kill him. It
was Brahma who gave him the name Indrajit ("the conqueror of Indra"). However, He was
 easily beaten by Angad who destroyed his horses and made him run but his real power was
his magic. He was finally killed by Lakshmana who challenged him and defeated him twice
before killing him....15...
 Kumbhakarna: the gigantic brother of Ravana is a fearsome monster-demon who sleeps for
six months at a stretch, rising for only one day and then returning to his slumber.
Kumbhakarna can slay hundreds of warriors by the sweep of his hand or step of his foot. He
is slain by Rama in the war....16...
 Prahasta: the chief commander of Lanka's army who was killed on the 1st day of the war of
Rama and Ravana.
 Atikaya: the second son of Ravana, who had an indestructible armor given to him
by Brahma that can only be pierce by the Brahmastra. Once he caught Lord Shiva trident in
Mount Kailash when the Lord was angry at him. Both Atikaya and his cousin Trishira were the
reincarnations of Madhu and Kaitabha, who were defeated by Mahavishnu.
 Akshayakumara: the youngest son of Ravana who died, fighting Hanuman in Ashoka Vatika,
who later set Lanka on fire.
 Shatrughna: Brother of Rama who killed Lavana, son of Madhu and Kumbhini (a sister of
Ravana) and became the King of Mathura.
 Bharata: Brother of Rama who along with his maternal uncle Yudhajit,
conquered Gandhara and created his kingdom of Takshasila and Pushkalavati by defeating
Gandharvas inhabiting that kingdom.

The Mahabharata.........
Main article: Kurukshetra War

 Kuru Army: of 11 Akshauhinis is formed by the kingdom of Hastinapura in alliance with races
like the Samshaptakas, Trigartas, the Narayana army, the Sindhu army and Madra.
 Commanders in Chief: Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Shalya and Ashwathama
 Rathis: Duryodhana ( 8 Rathi), Susharma, Sudakshin, Shakuni, Jayadradha, Dussasana, Vikarna,
97 Kauravas, Duryodhana's son Lakshmana and the son of Dussasana were Rathi warriors.
 Atirathis: Kritavarma, Kripacharya, Shalya, Bhurisravas, Brihadbala, Somadatta, Karna
 Maharathis: Bhishma, Drona, Ashwathama, Bhagadatta,
 Pandava Army: is a coalition of 7 Akshauhinis, primarily the Panchala and Matsya forces,
the Rakshasa forces of Bhima's son, and Vrishni-Yadava heroes.
 Commander in Chief: Dhristadyumna
 Rathis: Uttamaujas, Shikhandi, Yuyutsu, Uttar.
 Atirathis: Yudhishthira, Nakula, Sahadeva, Kuntibhoja, Satyaki, Drupada Dhristadyumna, Ghatot
kacha and Upapandavas
 Maharathis: Abhimanyu & Bhima
 Atimaharathis: Arjuna
 Abhimanyu: He was the son of legendary archer Arjuna, Abhimanyu was a super warrior like
his father. On 13th day, he entered Chakravyuh and defeated all Kaurava warriors including
Karna and Drona multiple times in war. Karna fled twice from child Abhimanyu in
Chakravyuha. He defeated all the warriors in Chakravyuha including Drona, Karna,
Ashwatthama, Kripa, Kritavarma etc. At last he got killed unfairly by multiple Kaurava
warriors....17...
 Arjuna: He was the son of Lord Indra. Arjuna was invincible in his time. He also obtained
name "Vijaya" which means ever victorious, wins in every battle. He was the greatest warrior
of Mahabharata and the best, greatest archer of his time. He was the only person able to win
hand of Draupadi by hitting target in Swayamvara contest. He defeated all mega warriors at a
time in Virat Yudh including Bhishma, Drona, Ashwatthama, Karna, Kripacharya etc....18......19... It is
believed that none can stand infront of Arjuna. In Kurukshetra war, Arjuna killed many heroes
including Bhishma, Karna, Bhagadatta, Susharma etc.
 Ashwatthama, the son of Drona, one of the eight chiranjivi . He is a great
warrior. Aswatthama and Kripa are believed to be the lone survivors still living who actually
fought in the kurukshetra war. Aswatthama was born with a gem in his forehead which gives
him power over all living beings lower than humans. This gem is supposed to protect him
from attacks by ghosts, demons, poisonous insects, snakes, animals etc. Dronacharya loved
him very dearly. The rumors about his death in the Kurukshetra war led to the death of Drona
at the hands of Prince Dhrishtadyumna. He is the grandson of the Brahmin sage Bharadwaja.
Ashwatthama is a mighty Maharathi who fought on the Kaurava side against the Pandavas.
His physical description in the Mahabharata is that he is incredibly tall, with dark skin, dark
eyes, and a gem in his forehead. He is a master of the science of weapons . Aswatthama is
the master of all forms of knowledge and possesses complete mastery over 64 forms of arts
or Kalas and 18 Vidyas or branches of knowledge....20......21...Ashwatthama used the mighty
Narayanastra against the Pandava army in-order to avenge his father Drona's death.
Narayanastra destroyed one Akshauhini of Pandava army. He was also responsible of leading
the night raid at the end of 18th day of the war in order to avenge the unethical killing
of Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Bhurisravas, Prince Duryodhana and killed all the remaining
Panchala army and sons of Pandavas. Thus only 3 people from the Kauvarava side and 8
people from the Pandava survived the war. At the end Ashwatthama and Arjuna used
Brahmshirsha astra against each other and he tried to kill the unborn son of Abhimanyu in
order to exterminate the Pandava lineage. But the child was saved by Lord Krishna himself
who in turn gave the most fearsome and deadly curse to Ashwatthama that anybody had
ever got and declared that he would carry that curse till the end of Kaliyuga. He also removed
the gem from his forehead and left him helpless.
 Bhima: The 2nd most powerful (physical strength) after Lord Hanuman. Bhima had
phenomenal personal strength, he is also known for killing many powerful kings and demons
like Jarasandh, Kirmira, Bakasura, Hidimb, Jatasura, Kichaka and wrestler Jimut, he was an
unsurpassed master of the mace weapon and a consummate wrestler. He slays all of the one
hundred Kuru brothers including the chief antagonist of the saga, Duryodhana. There are no
greater destroyer's than him to Kuru army.
 Bhishma: the most consummate warrior trained by Parashurama, Bhishma is indestructible by
any warrior when he lifts his weapons. Having countered his preceptor himself, as well as all
the kings of the earth, he is the Commander in Chief of the Kuru Army.
 Drona: the preceptor of the Kshatriyas and kings of the age, Drona is a great master of Vedic
military arts and almost every celestial weapon. He is invulnerable to any attack till he holds a
weapon of any sort. He also has great religious knowledge and wisdom. He becomes the
second Kuru commander, and Arjuna was his favorite student.
 Karna: The son of Suta, Karna was one of the great archers in Mahabharata. He was the first-
born of Kunti. He was killed by Arjuna. Karna was taught by Parashurama in warfare.
 Nakul: the fourth brother of the Pandavas. It is said that he was the most handsome man in
the world. He was an expert in the art of sword warfare. He was also greatly associated with
horses. During the Kurukshetra war he was the one who killed all the offspring of all the
Kauravas. He also killed a son of Shakuni, Ulloka.

Levels of Warrior Excellence as per Bhishma from Mahabharata.........

As per Bhishma in Mahabaratha at the tale of Rathas and Maharathas there are only 3 types of
warriors. They are Rathas, Atirathas and Maharathas. He classified every warrior in both sides of
the army as per his judgement and knowledge of the science of weapons. According to him the
highest level of a warrior is Maharathi and does not mention about the concept of Atimaharathi or
Mahamaharathi.If we go by authentic scripture the highest class of a warrior is Maharathi....22...

From Kaurava side

He ill-treated Karna as artha rathi- half a warrior since Karna had a very bad habit of flying away
from battlefield after being defeated especially in the hands of Arjuna but Karna was maharathi.

Rathis

 Sudhakshina, the ruler of the Kamvojas

 Shakuni, King of Gandhar and uncle of Kauravas
 Duryodhana's son Lakshmana and the son of Dussasana
 Jayadrath, the king of the Sindhu and brother in law of Kauravas
is equal to 2 rathas
  All 99 brothers of Duryodhana including Dushasan are single
Rathis
 Duryodhana is classified as a warrior equal to 8 Rathis

Atirathis

 Bhoja chief Kritavarman

 The ruler of the Madras, Salya
 Bhurisravas, the son of Somadatta
 Kripa, also known as Kripacharya, the son of Saradwat

Maharathis

 Brihballa, descendant of Lord Rama

 Kritverma He was general of Narayani sena of Lord Krishna

 The ruler of Pragjyotisha, the brave Bhagadatta

 Guru Drona he was the best warrior ever known no one could
defeat him even the indra with all the deva continuously fire at
him he will not get defeated until he had any sort of weapon in
his hand
 Asvathama, the son of Guru Drona, one of the eight chiranjivi and
a Maharathi.
 Bhishma, even though he never classified himself, later it was
revealed that Bhishma was equal to 2 Maharatha warrior.

From Pandava side

Rathis

 Uttamaujas
 Sikhandin, the son of the king of the Panchalas
 All sons of Draupadi
 Dhrishtaketu, the son of Shishupala, the king of the Chedis

Atirathis

 Satyaki of the Vrishni race,

 Dhrishtadyumna the son of Drupuda
 Kuntibhoja, the maternal uncle of Pandavas
 Ghatotkacha, prince of Rakshasas and master of all illusions, son
Bhima and Hidimva.
  Yudhishthira the son of Pandu and Kunti, is a Ratha.
 Nakul and Sahadeva are single Rathis
 Virata King, King of Matsya
 Drupuda, King of Panchalas

Maharathis

 Bhima, the son of Lord Vayu

 Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna.
 Arjuna, the mighty son of Lord Indra is equal to 12 Maharathis.

Major Deities.........
Shakti.........
Main article: Devi

Shakti is the Supreme God in Shaktism Sect of Hinduism. Both a Supreme Being and an energy
that is considered to be the source of all works of creation, preservation and destruction, Adi
Parashakti is the mother of Trimurti, the universe and all of creation. She took many incarnations to
fight with demons, including Parvati, wife of Shiva,...23... the complete avatar of Shakti herself,
according to the Devi Gita and Durga Saptashati, the main scriptures for Shakti worshipers. As the
goddess Parvati, she is considered to be the most powerful of all deities....24...

Sometimes, the gods worship Parvati, who came before them in different avatars:

 Durga, who killed the demon Durgamasur

 Kali, the most ferocious Form of the Goddess, who can not be pacified by anyone after war.
No one can stop her because she is the only deity who is omnipotent, free from all rules and
regulations.
 Chandi, the gentle manifestation of Durga or Kali, Goddess Lakshmi, Saraswati, who killed
Mahishasura in the Battle of Alkapuri.
 Kanyakumari, who killed Banasura
 Chamunda, who killed Chanda and Munda
 Kaushiki, who killed Shumbha and Nishumbha
 Minakshi, who defeated all the demigods and destroyed the arrogance of all demi-gods.

Apart from Parvati, there are some demons who were killed by Laksmi's incarnation. One example
is Muru....24......25...

Shakti is usually depicted as having the weapons of all the gods, even the Trimurti. She holds the
trident of Shiva, the Chakra of Vishnu, the Vajra of Indra, the Gada of Yamaraaj. It indicates that she
is the one who actually having all kinds of powers. It is she from whom strength arose. It is she
from whom all powers of nondimensional formless GOD (Not talking about Brahma, Vishnu or
Shiva) is vested. She is all powerful. All in one and one in all too.

Shiva.........
Main article: Shiva

Mahadeva literally means "Highest of all gods". He is the Supreme God in Shaivism sect of
Hinduism. He is the Supreme God without any starting or end. Shiva is also known as Maheshvar,
"the great Lord", Mahadeva, the great God, Shambhu, Hara, Pinakadhrik, "bearer of the Pinaka"
and Mrityunjaya, "conqueror of death". He is the spouse of Shakti. He also is represented by
Mahakala and Bhairava. Shiva is often pictured holding the damaru, an hourglass-shaped drum,
along with his trishula, a trident-staff. His usual mantra is Om Namah Shivaya....26... Lord Shiva is also
considered as the God Of Gods. The existence which represents infinity itself. He is the supreme
masculine divinity in this universe and is lord of the three worlds (Vishwanath) and is second to
none in wrath and power.

The Lord Destroyer, Sarvaripati Shiva is one of the most fearsome manifestation of the Supreme
God. Assigned with destroying all of the universe at the end of time, Shiva is one of the most
fearsome warriors and unconquerable. Tandava is the dance of the Destroyer, which He performs
over the body of a demon. Shiva employs his power to kill the Asura Tripura, destroying the flying
three cities of Tripura. In battle, Shiva and his Avatars deploy formidable weapons controlled by
him. Some of these are:

 Arrow of Shiva: It can destroy creation. Returns to the quiver after being used.
 Chandrahas: Sword of Ravana granted by Maha Shiva as a boon.
 Ekasha Gada: The mace of Lord Shiva. A blow from the weapon is the equivalent of being hit
by a million elephants.
 Girish: A special sword of Shiva with unique characteristics.
 Jayantha Vel: A spear which contains the power of the third eye of Lord Shiva.
 Khaṭvāṅga: In Hinduism, the god Shiva - Rudra carried the khatvāṅga as a staff weapon and
are thus referred to as khatvāṅgīs.
 Maheshwara Chakra: The Chakra of Lord Shiva.
 Parashu: The axe of Shiva given to Parashurama (the 6th Avatar of Lord Vishnu).
 Pashupatastra: An irresistible and most destructive personal weapon of Shiva, discharged by
the mind, the eyes, words, or a bow.
 Pinaka: The celestial bow of Shiva.
 Shiva Dhanush (Shiva's bow): A bow given by Shiva to Janaka and broken
by Rama during Sita's swayamvara
 Shiva Kaakam: An unconquerable weapon of Lord Shiva.
 Shiva Parham: A long noose (of Shiva) from which even the Gods can't escape from.
 Shiva Vajra: A vajra 100 times more powerful than Indra's Vajra
 Teen Baan: Shiva gave Barbarika three infallible arrows (Teen Baan). A single arrow was
enough to destroy all opponents in any war, and it would then return to Barbarika's quiver.
 Trishula (Trident): The trident of Shiva
 Third eye : The third eye situated in the center of the forehead of lord Shiva (also the point
where the three nadis – Ida, pingala and suhasmana meet – pituitary gland) is the most
destructive weapon/power in the entire universe. It is proved to destruct kaala (time) hence
ending all the creation. Once opened for a purpose, its immense energy is so intense that it
can burn down the entire universe into ashes. No other weapon can match its powers.

Vishnu.........
Main articles: Avatar § Avatars of Krishna, and Dashavatara

Vishnu, the Inconceivable Supreme, is the Supreme God in Vaishnavism sect of Hinduism. "Vishnu"
means "all pervading" supreme being, the source of everything. In the Vishnu Sahasranama he is
called Paramatman or Parameshwara(the highest form of God), and is periodically reborn as
an Avatar upon earth in order to destroy evil and bring deliverance to the pious. He is also the
refuge of the Devas in their battles against Asuras. The most martial Avatars
include Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Mohini, Vamana, Parshurama, Rama, Krishna, Kalki. He
is also considered to be the first God, 'Adideva'. He is beyond birth, death, time. He is Beyond all.
In battle, the Avatars of Vishnu are aided by a variety of astra or celestial weapons. His two human
avatars, Parashuram and Rama were fearsome warriors and possessed many celestial weapons
that accompany the past times of Vishnu. Sri Krishna also used a few of these weapons in
Mahabharata. These include:

 Kaumodaki: The divine mace weapon of Vishnu; invincible and without parallel, Lord Krishna
slayed demon Dantavakra with it.
 Kodandam: The bow of Rama, 7th avatar of Vishnu.
 Nandaka: The Sword of Vishnu
 Narayanastra: Narayanastra is the most powerful astra in the universe along with the
Vaishnavastra. The personal missile weapon of Vishnu in his Narayana (Naraina) form,
this astra lets loose a powerful tirade of millions of deadly missiles simultaneously. The
intensity of the shower increases with resistance. The only solution is total submission before
the missile; only then will it cease. The Narayanastra was first used by Lord Rama in
the Ramayana. Then, thousands of years later, this astra was again used by Ashwatthama in
the Kurukshetra War against the Pandava army.
 Parashu: The axe of Parashurama, 6th Avatar of Vishnu, given by Shiva.
  Sharanga: The Celestial bow of Vishnu
 Sharkha: The bow of Krishna, 8th avatar of Vishnu.
 Sudarshana Chakra: The magical Chakra, a spinning disc with sharp outer spears. It is the
most powerful Shastra in the universe, and without any parallel. The Chakra was famously
designed by Vishwakarma for Lord Vishnu. The Sudarshan flies at the command of Krishna,
spinning away to tear off the heads of His opponents, or to perform any function desired by
Vishnu. It was most famously used by His Avatar Krishna in the Mahabharata.
 Vaishnavastra: Vaishnavastra is the most powerful astra in the universe along with the
Narayanastra. The personal missile weapon of Krishna, once fired it cannot be thwarted by
any means, save by the will of Vishnu Himself.

11th-century statue of Shiva performing the dance of

destruction.

Celestial Weapons.........
An astra is a weapon that is to be hurled at an enemy.
Examples include arrows from bows. A shastra is a
personal weapon, like swords and maces, that must
be constantly operated by the warrior.

 Brahmastra: Embedded with the mystical force

of Brahma, this weapon releases millions of missiles,
great fires and a destructive potential capable of
extinguishing all creation, if not used by and aimed
only at a celestial fighter. Modern speculation has equated its destructive nature to be similar
to that of a nuclear weapon, it has been used multiple times in Ramayana, Indrajit used it
against hanuman, Lakshmana asked permission to use it against Indrajit, which Lord Rama
declined, Lakshmana used it to kill Atikaya, Lord Rama used it as final arrow to kill Ravana. In
the epic Mahabharata, it is said that the weapon manifest with the single head of Lord Brahma
as its tip. In Mahabharata era Parasurama, Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Kripa, Ashwatthama, Arjuna,
Yudhishtir and several Maharathi's possessed the knowledge to invoke this weapon.
 Brahmashirsha astra: A weapon capable of greater destruction than the Brahmastra. It can burn
all creation to ashes once discharged, Arjuna and Ashwatthama both used it against each other
after the Mahabharata war.Capable of killing even heavens. Was used by Ashwatthama on
Parikshit. It is thought that the Brahmashirsha is the evolution of the Brahmastra, 4 times
stronger than Brahmastra.Its similar to modern day hydrogen bomb or thermonuclear (fusion)
bomb.In the epic Mahabharata, it is said that the weapon manifest with the four heads of Lord
 Brahma as its tip.In Mahabharata era sage Agnivesha, Drona, Ashwatthama, Arjuna possessed
the knowledge to invoke this weapon.
 Brahmanda astra: This is the most powerful weapon of Lord Brahma. It was first used by sage
Vashishtha against vishwamitra's (who was King Vishwarath at that time) Brahmashirsha, as
only Brahmanda astra can stop Brahmashirsha astra, it was also used by sage Piplad
against Shani to avenge his father's death.In the epic Mahabharata, it is said that the weapon
manifest with the all five heads of Lord Brahma as its tip.Brahma earlier lost his fifth head when
he fought with Lord Siva.This weapon is said to possess the power to destroy entire solar
system or brahmand, the 14 realms according to Hindu cosmology. In Mahabharata era no one
possessed the knowledge to invoke this weapon. In some texts it is called Brahma-dhanda
astra, the weapon created by Saptarishi's to counter any weapon ever created, even that
of Trimurti's. The rishi of this weapon is Para Brahman. It is said to be the most difficult astra to
obtain. Capable of destroying entire multiverse in a blink of an eye. Vishvamitra used all kinds
of divine weapons against sage Vashistha, even Pashupatastra, but the Brahma-dhanda astra
of Vashistha neutralized and swallowed all astra (weapon) of Vishwamitra proving that Brahma-
dhanda astra is the most powerful of all astras....27...
 Pashupatastra: It is believed in Hinduism that Pashupatastra is most devastating weapons, as it
is the weapon of the consort of the Godhead Mahadeva, i.e. Mahakali. Mahadeva literally
means "Highest of all gods" and Mahakali means "Goddess who is beyond time". This weapon,
granted to Arjuna by Shiva, is one of the most destructive and foreboding weapon
in Mahabharata it was first used by lord Shiva for the destruction of tripura, also acc. To
Ramayana, Indrajit used it against Lakshmana, lord Shiva also granted this astra to Arjuna. In
Mahabharat era, Apart from Arjuna no one knew this weapon.
 Narayanastra: Invincible and painful, this astra is unconquerable except by total submission, this
astra was used by Lord Krishna against lord Shiva, when lord Lord Shiva was fighting on behalf
of the evil Banasura, when lord shiva charged his personal Pashupatastra on Lord Krishna, he
vanquished it with his personal Narayanastra, In Mahabharata ashwathama used it against
Pandava army to avenge his father's death.
 Vaishnavastra : One of the most powerful astras, this cannot be stopped by anyone except its
creator, Vishnu. Only Rama, Krishna & Arjuna possessed this weapon.
 Nagastra: The snake weapon used by Indrajit against Rama and Lakshmana, used
by Karna against ...Arjuna....
 Nagapasham: is the celestial weapon equal to Nagastra".
 Garudastra:The eagle weapon to counter against the Nagastra.
 Anjalikastra: The personal weapon of Lord Indra. This is the astra used by Arjuna to slay Karna in
the Mahabharata war.
 Ramabanam (Ramastra): Created by Lord Sri Ram, and is used to kill the Rakshasa King Ravana
in Ramayana.It cannot be countered by any weapon and could not be stopped by anyone
except Lord Sri Rama.
 Bhargavastra: this is the astra created by Lord Parasurama, he gave it to Karna in the
Mahabharata.
 Parvatastra: one of the most dangerous weapon, once it used mountains from sky fall in to the
earth.
 Vasavi Shakti: The magical dart weapon of Indra, unfailing at executing its target. Indra granted
it to Karna during the Kurukshetra war, in Mahabharata it was used by karna to kill ghatotkacha.
 Vajra: The thunderbolt weapon of Indra, who is the God of Thunder and Lightning, akin
to Zeus and Jupiter.,...28... this weapon was made from the bones of sage dadhichi and it was used
by Indra to slay demon called Vritra. Later, Indra gave his Vajra to his son Arjuna.
 Agneyastra: The fire weapon, created by Agni, master of the flames
 Varunastra: The water weapon, created by Varuna, master of the oceans
 Vayavastra: The wind weapon, created by Vayu
 Samvarta: Weapon belonging to Yama used by Bharata to annihilate thirty million gandharvas
in a moment, tearing them to pieces.
 Sammohanastra: Would cause entire hosts/armies to collapse in a trance. Was used by Arjuna
to collapse the entire army of kuru Maharathis including Duryodhan, Drona, Kripa,
Ashwatthama, Duhsashan, and Karna.
 Twashtastra: When used against a group of opponents (such as an army), would cause them to
mistake each other for enemies and fight each other.
 Sooryastra: Created by Lord Suryadev, Create a dazzling light that would dispel any darkness
about and dry up water bodies.
 Sabda vedastra: This weapon prevents an opponent from turning invisible. Used by Arjuna
against the Ghandarva king Chitrasena.
 Gandharvastra: Created by Gandharva King Chitrasena (who defeated the combined force of
Duryodhan and made karna flee the battlefield). He gave it to his best friend Arjuna.
 Mayastra: Dispel any form of maya or sorcery in the vicinity.
 Manavastra: Created by Manu" father of the human race, Could overcome supernatural
protections and carry the target hundreds of miles away. Can inspire humane traits in an evil
being. This weapon was used by Sri Rama on the rakshasa(demon) Maricha.
 Bhaumastra: Created by Goddess Bhoomi Devi, The weapon could create tunnels deep into the
earth and summon jewels.
 Indrastra: Created by the God Indra, King of Devas and God of the sky and weather, Would
bring about a 'shower' of arrows from the sky.
The three potential astras are Vaishnavastra, Pashupatastra and Brahmanda astra. However, these
astras cannot harm four principle gods i.e. Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and Devi as they are the
supreme manifestation of the divine. Especially, these astras cannot harm Vishnu, the greatest of
all gods, Shiva, the god of gods and the destroyer himself, and Shakti, the original energy behind
all astras. With these five gods, the astras also can not harm Hanuman, the son of god vayu, as he
obtained vardanas (boons) from several gods.

 Trimurti  Tridevi  Vedas

 Brahma  Saraswati  Rig

 Vishnu  Lakshmi  Sama

 Rama  Sita  Yajur

 Krishna  Radha  Atharva

 Shiva  Parvati  Upanishads

 Ganesha  Sati  Puranas

Gods Goddesses Texts
 Kartikeya  Kali  Ramayana
 Hanuman  Adi Parashakti  Mahabharata
 Indra  Mahavidya  Bhagavad Gita
 Surya  Durga  Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
 more  Shakti  more
 Navadurga

 Matrikas