Questions tagged [weapon]

For questions about Astra (Sanskrit: अस्त्र), a divine/supernatural weapon like Brahmaastra, Trishul, Sudarshana Chakra etc.

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How is use of naagastra by karna justified if other scriptures invalidate it?

Quoting from mahabharat here The Suta's son then fixed on his bow-string that foe-killing, exceedingly keen, snake-mouthed, blazing, and fierce shaft, which had been polished according to rule, and ...
Hope's user avatar
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Armor in Vedic/Hindu India

How exactly did Hindu/Vedic armor look like especially for Kashatryia regarding the Kavacha.
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Like Sudarshana Chakra, do any other weapons have a form?

The Sudarshana Chakra is said to have a form somewhat: Like the Sudharshana Chakra, do any other weapons also have an anthropomorphic form? What, if any, scriptures mention this?
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Are there instances when Brahma used the Brahmastra?

Siva uses the Pashupatasstra as his ultimate weapon and Vishnu the Vaishnavastra or Narayanastra. Brahma is not depicted as engaging in war that frequently - but is he known to have used his own ...
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What weapons were Rama & Lakshmana trained to use?

Lakshmana uses a sword to mutilate the unarmed Surpanakha - but apart from that both Rama and Lakshmana seem to have only fought with bow-and-arrows.
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Is Krishna answering the question "who is the better wielder of weapons" between Arjuna and Rama in BG 10.31?

https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/10/verse/31 पवन: पवतामस्मि राम: शस्त्रभृतामहम् | झषाणां मकरश्चास्मि स्रोतसामस्मि जाह्नवी || 31|| BG 10.31: Amongst purifiers, I am the wind, and amongst ...
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3 votes
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Which astras can be countered by surrendering to them?

In the answer to this question Are Vaishnavastra and Narayanastra the same? It is stated that Narayanastra can be made harmless by surrendering to it. Usually astras are countered by the same astra or ...
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2 votes
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Are these the most powerful astra of each of the tridevas?

I have come across people who say the most powerful astra of Tridevas are: Lord Shiva- शिवज्ज्वर अथवा माहेश्वरज्जवर(Shivjjwar or Maaheshwarjjwar) Lord Vishnu- विष्णुज्वर(Vishnujwar) Lord Brahmaa- ...
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4 votes
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Mighty warriors in Mahabharata and Ramayana who were left handed

Can you give references of mighty warriors in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana who were left handed in using Bow & Arrow, Mace etc weapons in battlefield ?
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What were the circumstances surrounding Srutayudha's birth and how did he become king of Kalinga?

Srutayudha (aka Srutayusha) was king of Kalinga who fought on side of Kauravas in Mahabharata. And Suvala's son Sakuni, and Salya, Jayadratha and the two princes of Avanti named Vinda and Anuvinda, ...
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1 vote
1 answer
146 views

Which astra or celestial weapon contains the power of Shiva's third eye?

Shiva has many astras that are considered to be very destructive such as the Raudrastra and Pashupatastra. My exact question is which astra or celestial weapon contains the power of Shiva's third eye?
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1 answer
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Which astra resists Varunastra?

Varunastra is a celestial weapon that unleashes water and is used as an encounter to Agneyastra, which releases fires and flames. My question is, how do you counter Varunastra?
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3 votes
1 answer
456 views

How do you counter Sammohanastra?

Arjuna used Sammohanastra in Virat army that put the Kuru army to sleep. Sammohanastra is a weapon that puts an enemy to sleep. If somebody hurled agneyastra or fire weapon, then you counter attack ...
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1 vote
1 answer
189 views

Is it possible to use astras in Kali Yuga

Is it possible for human to use ancient weapons in Kaliyuga? Can humans in Kaliyuga really control it? How much time does it take to understand those weapons?
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Who possessed Pashupatastra other than Arjuna and Shiva?

Shiva gave Pashupatastra to Arjuna but who possessed it besides those two?
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3 votes
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Was Vasishtha's Brahmadanda a weapon or was it an embodiment of a Brahmin's Tapas?

"danda" just means stick - so it is unlikely that it was a weapon. So when vishwamitra attacked vasishtha - did Vasishtha just use his stick to focus the power of his tapas to repel ...
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6 votes
1 answer
317 views

Where can I find the details about the weapons that kshatriyas had at olden times?

Are there any Vedas, Puranas, or holy scripts that contain their descriptions?
pushkar singh's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
164 views

Durga Devi's Weapon that killed Mahishasura?

The Legend of Durga , slaying the demon Mahisha talks about that the gods combined their energies (shakti) into the female form of Durga, a fierce manifestation of the Goddess (Devi). She received all ...
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The other bow of Shiva - Ajagava

Lord Shiva had 2 bows - Pinaka and Ajagava. There are few stories associated with the first bow Pinaka like Sita swayamvar. Are there any distinct stories/incidents associated with Ajagava that have ...
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1 answer
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Was Vibhishana powerful?

We all know that Vibhishana was a Brahmin-Daitya/Brahmin-Rakshasa and was an ardent follower of Lord Rama. But I think he didn't kill even a single person in the Rama-Ravana war. So, in my view, he ...
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What was Karna's Nagastra?

In the Mahabharat there is an incident between the final encounter of Arjuna and Karna where Karna used his Nagastra against Arjuna. The Suta's son then fixed on his bow-string that foe-killing, ...
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1 answer
177 views

Are Itihasas and Puranas the only classes of scripture in which celestial weapons are used?

Ramayana, Mahabharata and many Puranas relate conflicts in which Divyastras like Brahmastra get used. Do these weapons occur in earlier scriptures like Vedas and Brahmanas or any scriptures written ...
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1 vote
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Why is the bow regarded as the foremost of weapons?

In this section of the Mahabharata, Nakula says: The bow, O grandsire, is regarded as the foremost of weapons in this world. My question is, what reason does the Mahabharata give for the bow being ...
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2 answers
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What are the specific qualities of Lord Shiva's trishul?

Does any epic or purana describes about Lord Shiva's trishul briefly? Specially Shiva Purana & Mahabharata, if I'm not wrong, Upamanyu had described something about Shiva's trishul to Lord Krishna ...
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1 answer
366 views

How powerful was Brahmastra? [duplicate]

There's a weapon discussed in Mahabharata called Brahmastra. Maybe Bhishma and Drona had this weapon. How powerful was it? If any person used it, would it destroy whole world? Was there any technique/...
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2 votes
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Are there any dedicated Scriptures, that explain these various weapons, vyuhs and war tactics in details?

As I am reading through the Mahabharata (currently on the Drona Parva), I am truly amazed by the amount of details of war that are mentioned. The types and varieties of weapons are mind-blowing, ...
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0 answers
243 views

Who gave Vajra or thunderbolt to Indra - Dadhichi or Usana?

In puranas Dadhichi is primarily known for sacrificing his life so the Devas, or benevolent celestial beings, could make the weapon called "Vajra" from his bones. After being driven out from Svarga, ...
Srimannarayana K V's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
2k views

Primary weapon of kalki

Many of the avatars of Vishnu that has happened, who were supposed to kill someone or destroy something has some kind of primary weapons. Though they all can use various kinds of weapons, but had one ...
V.Aggarwal's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
3k views

When paramatma can control souls why does he need various weapons?

When paramatma can control his own souls why does he fight with weapons ?
Kno Noth's user avatar
14 votes
3 answers
1k views

How knowledge of weapons (shastra) शस्त्र got lost?

How did the knowledge of great weapons like Bramhastra got lost in Hinduism tradition? As can be seen in Ramayan and Mahabharat, Gurus used to give knowledge of weapons to their shishya which were ...
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2 votes
2 answers
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Did anyone ever receive Lord Shiva's Trishul as a boon?

In Hindu mythology,different weapons have been received from Lord Shiva.But I was wondering if there is any mention of anyone receiving Lord Shiva's Trishul as a boon.
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6 votes
2 answers
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What is the significance of PAsha and Ankusha?

What is the importance PAsha and Ankusha in Devi's hands? I didn't see these in Sri Parvathi's hands, as Sri Parvathi either holding Kumara in one hand and Lotus in another hand, when along with ...
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4 votes
0 answers
239 views

Why is the holding of Chakra different in different images of Vishnu

In northern parts of India, Sri Vishnu holds Sudarshana Chakra on His forefinger. But in the Southern parts of India, He is seen holding the chakra within two fingers (as seen in the enclosed images). ...
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1 vote
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119 views

Has any Asura or Rakshasa destroyed a city with an Astra, like the Brahmastra?

It is recorded in the Puranas and Itihasas that Krishna and Shiva destroyed some cities, like Kashi and Tripura respectively, with astras and other celestial weapons. My question is, has any Asura (...
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-4 votes
1 answer
215 views

Do Hindu scriptures allow the use of weapons of mass destruction like the Brahmastra to annihilate the civilian population of a foreign country?

In the Mahabharata, Krishna destroyed the city Kashi with his Sudarshana Chakra. Is the use of Brahmastras and other celestial Astras, akin to weapons of mass destruction, to destroy entire cities ...
Ikshvaku's user avatar
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0 answers
75 views

Could anybody learn the secrets of celestial weapons? [duplicate]

I think there is some condemnation of Drona the Brahmin for encroaching on the realm of warriors. Is there a prohibition on non-Kshatriyas learning those weapons?
S K's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
85 views

Which weapon did a lot of actual damage from a single use?

The big name weapons like Brahmastra are often neutralized by the same or similar weapon. When was the most damage inflicted by a single use of a weapon?
S K's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
176 views

Was the "yawning weapon" used in the Banasura war used on any other occasion in any scripture?

The "yawning weapon", which was used during Banasura war, has to be one of the strangest weapons mentioned in scriptures. Was it used on any other occasions?
S K's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
636 views

Is the roudra weapon really the same weapon as the pashupata weapon?

As I know, when Arjuna did penance to Indra, Shiva referred to the pashupata weapon as "roudra" but also as a pashupata, implying that it is another name of the weapon according to Shiva: '"O great ...
Gabriel Alexander Gonzalez Agu's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
2k views

Why don't the Vanaras use weapons?

I want to know why the Vanara never used weapons such as swords, bows, chakras, clubs, etc., since it has always been shown in Valmiki Ramayana that the Vanara as Hanuman and Sugriva used wrestling, ...
Gabriel Alexander Gonzalez Agu's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
121 views

How was the succession sequence of the Sudarshana Chakra among the avatars of Vishnu?

I know that the Sudarshana Chakra is one of the most powerful weapons in Hinduism, just as I know that it is associated with Vishnu along with being the weapon that he used the most. But I want to ...
Gabriel Alexander Gonzalez Agu's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
53 views

Vaataakarshanashtra (वाताकर्षणास्त्र - a weapon which removes air or O2 from atmosphere)

Shree Navanathas are described to possess Vaataakarshana Astra (वाताकर्षणास्त्र - a weapon which removes air or O2 from atmosphere) in 'Shree Navanath Kathaasaar'. But I didn't come across any ...
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4 votes
1 answer
1k views

What are the bows of the warriors of the Mahabharata? [closed]

I want to know what were the names of the bows of the warriors of the Mahabharata, their abilities and how they got them
Gabriel Alexander Gonzalez Agu's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
827 views

What is the story of Vijaya bow?

Who was the original owner of Vijaya bow? However it is wielded by Indra Dev, Parashurama and Karna. Who created this bow?
Deva's user avatar
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9 votes
0 answers
389 views

A Time Bomb placed in Patal lok

In 99th Adhyay of Udhyog-Parv of Mahabharat. When Krishna went to Hastinapur as a peace delegate. In the assembly of Hastinapur, Devrishi Narad told a story about his visit to Patal-Lok with Matli (...
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2 votes
1 answer
864 views

Significance of weapons in Vishnu's Chaturvyuha avatars

I read somewhere that the combination of weapons in the four hands of Vishnu's chaturvyuha avatars results in 4 factorial or 24 combinations of Vishnu's tattvas but what do each of these signify?
krishna PK's user avatar
11 votes
2 answers
1k views

When did Vishnu destroy trident of Shiva?

Vishnu Sahasranama stotram consist of thousand names of Lord Vishnu. The most popular one is from Anushasana parva of Mahabharata which was said by Bhishma to Yudhishtira. But there are other versions ...
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7 votes
0 answers
148 views

Information on list of Sri Vishnu's weapons requested

Sri Madhvacharya, the propagator of Dvaita siddanta and the Brahma sampradaya, has authored a book called TantrasArasaMgraha. In the same book, under adhyAya 4, verse 18-20, Sri Madhvacharya lists ...
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5 votes
0 answers
386 views

Gayatri mantras of Sri Vishnu's weapons

The commonly known weapons of Sri Vishnu are five in number - Panchajanya, Sudarshana, Sharanga, Nandaki and Koumodaki. Among the above 5, the Gayatri mantra of the first 2 are used in Pooja vidhana. ...
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3 votes
0 answers
324 views

What is the story of Vishwakarma creating the Saunanda mace used by Balrama?

The Markandeya Puran Section 1.11.5 mentions the following story: There lives a highly powerful and fierce Danava in Rasatala. He makes the earth yawn and therefore he is called Kujrimbha. Whatever ...
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