MAHABHARATA – A WAR FOUGHT WITH TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED WEAPONS?

For years The “ Kurukshetra war “ has been considered as a Hindu mythological epic put across in the form of a book called the “Mahabharata” . The Mahabharata speaks of a war that arose from a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru , the Kauravas and the Pandavas for the throne of Hastinapur. The location of the battle is described as having occurred in “Kurukshetra” currently in the modern state of Haryana, India.  The battle of Kurukshetra is considered to be a “Dharma Yudh “ meaning “ The War for Righteousness” .  As described in the Mahabharata texts , this battle lasted for 18 days , starting on the day of Kartheeka Bahula Amavasya ( The end of Kartheeka and the start of Margisira lunar month, on a Tuesday early morning ) . The year for the Kurukshetra war is still debatable as  various historians put it in the years ranging from 6000 BCE to 500 BCE . based on various interpretations on the astronomical and literary information provided by the Mahabharata and other ancient Vedas of the Hindus of that time. But I will concentrate on the material facts relating to the War and put across the subject in the light of the Weapons which the Mahabharata speaks off, that were used in this 18 days throughout this Epic battle of supremacy.

But before we start with unfolding and better understanding of the depth of the Weapons used, let us understand some very critical information about this Epic War at a short glance to understand the magnitude of this War in the first place:

Total length of this War	18 Days
Total Number of Chariots and Riders	393660
Total Number of Elephants and Elephant Riders	393660
Total Number of Horses and Horse Men	11,80.980
Total Infantry / Foot Soldiers	1968300
Total Casualty	3936600
Total Survivors	12

So, we have understood one fact that in this war, Close to 4 Million warriors had died in a span of 18 days. Leaving only 12 survivors , 8 from the Pandavas tent ( namely all the 5 Pandavas , Krishna, Satyaki and Yuyutsu ) and 4 from the Kauravas tent ( Namely Aswatthama ( Guru Drona’s Son ) , Sage Kripa , Kritavarma and Vrishakethu ( Son of Karna ) . 4 Million deaths , in a war spanning just 18 days and would this magnitude of destruction be possible with 2 opposing armies fighting against each other with Bows and Arrows , Gadas, Spears and Swords and keeping in mind that This War had its own rules of ethics like , This entire war had to be fought during daylight and there was never to be a night time attack by either enemies and the Mahabharata speaks that this ethics were maintained . So we start our adventure from here on.

The Mahabharata speaks about a lot of Weapons that were used in this War of Kurukshetra. The numbers are very high, when we look into the descriptions of the enormous destruction each of the weapons could bring about. However, I am sticking to just 10 weapons , Weapons which speak of Mass Destructions or in the modern era , we say them as WMD – Weapons of Mass Destruction  and I am concreting on what the Mahabharata speaks of about the vastness of destruction these set of  Weapons could bring about.  And here are the Top 10 Most Destructive Weapons and also so note more importantly : Do We Have These Weapons Today in the Modern Era ? We Need to think , we have them NOW in the Modern Era, Don’t We ??? Lets Go .....

1)  Brahmanda Astra – This Weapon is mentioned as the Weapon superior to any other weapon in terms of capabilities and the destruction it could cause. In Short, the Mother of all weapons. This weapon is said to possess the power to destroy the entire universe or in Sanskrit ( Brahmand ). In the Mahabharata era, Parasurama , Bhisma , Drona , Karna all were said to possess the verse to invoke this weapon. Later, Parashurama who had sworn in to teach only the Brahmins about how to invoke this weapon laid a curse on Karna because he lied about his real identity ( He was not a Brahmin). The curse was, Karna would forget all the knowledge required to wield this divine weapon at the greatest need when fighting with an equal. Upom Kama’s pleading however Parshuram gave him the celestial weapon Bhargavastra , equivalent to Brahmastra along with his bow Vijaya . When this weapon is invoked , events similar to Brahmashirsha astra and Brahmastra takes place . According to the Puranas , when this weapon is invoked it will cause “ The Oceans to boil due to its heat . Earth and Mountains will float on air , and everything will burn without ever leaving ashes “ When this astra ( Weapon ) is used for defensive purpose or counter to Brahmastra or Brahmashirsha astra it will swallow the above astras and neutralise it . When this weapon was used for the offensive purpose, nothing can stop it or escape it. While guru Dronacharya had the knowledge about this weapon, he never gave it to his son Ashwathama and his favourite student Arjuna. During , the Mahabharata War , Drona invoked this weapon to use it against the Pandava army ,but due to the request of the Gods and his ancestors, Drona decided not to use this weapon and revoked the idea as it would have annihilated the entire Pandava army who were fighting on the side of righteousness. This weapon was not used in the war of Mahabharata. Now , while the Mahabharata clearly states that the Brahmanda Astra was the most destructive of all the weapons that were used in the Kurukshetra war and much more ahead in terms of potency even than the Brahmashirsa Astra and the Brahmastra and taking this into note if in the modern era , this Weapon had to be compared to than it will be equivalent to 1000 Nuclear War heads being discharged at the same time , targeted at the same place and exploding exactly at the same moment and the energy that would evolve out of this mega explosion is what might be comparable to what the Brahmanda Astra is being said Is what it delivered. Is this possible? We will better understand about the possibility when we try to understand the destructiveness of this weapon when we go through what the Mahabharata speaks about the Brahmastra, which was indeed used in this War.

2)  Brahmashirsha Astra – Brahmashirsha Astra is considered an upgraded version of the Brahmastra and the second most lethal weapon as described in the Mahbharata. According to the Mahabharata, Ashwatthama ( Guru Drona’s Son ) fighting for the Kaurava’s and Arjuna ( The Third son of Kunti and the 3^rd brother of the Pandavas), used this weapon in this war. The Brahmashirsha Astra was considered 4 times more deadlier than the Brahmastra . Parashurama , Bhisma, Drona, Karna Ashwatthama and Arjuna all possessed the knowledge of invoking this weapon by using sacred mantras into any object even to a blade of grass. The Mahabharata explains this weapon when invoked “ It Blaze up with terrible flames with a huge sphere. Numerous peals of thunder were heard , thousands of meteors fell and all living creatures trembled with utter dread. The whole earth trembled , mountains , water bodies and trees all alike. When this weapon was targeted and used , there was no escaping. It would bring total annihilation. The area it hit, it will create a complete destruction and nothing were to grow , not even a single blade of grass for the next 12 years . The area would not have a single drop of rain for the next 12 years. Everything in that entire area would be poisoned including metal & earth  ( Signs of radiation if it was to be looked upon considering it to be a Nuclear/ Atomic detonation ) . The Brahmashirsha Astra is said to be as potent and lethal as the Brahmastra. We will try to explore more about this Weapon in detail in the Brahmastra segment.  

3)  Brahmastra – Brahmastra is the third most lethal weapon mentioned in the Great Epic Mahabharata. This weapon was created by Lord Brahma (One of the among the Trinity with Lord Mahesh ( Shiva ) and Vishnu being the other two. The earlier two weapons which you have already read as I have mentioned were also his variants ) . Third in the reign but a weapon that could destroy multidimensional physical region at once. Lesser in capabilities than the Brahmanand astra and the Brahmashirsha astra , this lethal weapon  according to the Puranas was considered as a very destructive weapon. It is said when the Brahmastra was discharged , there was neither a counterattack nor s defense that could stop it , except for ( Brahmanand astra or Brahmashirsha astra ) . The Mahabharata epic narrates that during the Kuruskshetra war ( the place where this epic war happened , currently in Haryana , India ) , Karna ( Son of Surya ( Son God) and Kunti ) neutralised a Brahmastra discharged by Arjuna with an equal Brahmashirsha astra and the destruction caused by the colliding of this weapons was catastrophic. The Brahmastra was believed to cause severe environmental damage, the land where the weapon was used became barren and all life in and around that area ceased to exist , as both men and women became infertile. There was also severe decrease in rainfall with land developing cracks like in a drought. This weapon is mentioned in the Vedas as the weapon of last resort and was never to be used in combat . The Mahabharata gives much detail about this weapon of mass destruction and narrates it as a weapon with a single projectile charged with all the power of the universe. The Hindu puranas throws much more light into this weapon stating “ An Incandescent colum of smoke and flame as bright as ten thousand suns rose in all its splendour. It was an unknown weapon , an iron thunderbolt, a gigantic messenger of death, which reduced the entire race of Vrishnis and the Andhakas, The corpses were so burned as they were never to be recognised, their hair fell and the nails as well, pottery broke without apparent cause and the birds turned white. Within hours all foodstock were infected. The soldiers at the war, threw themselves in streams to wash themselves and their war equipments “. The Brahmastra also finds narration in the earlier great epic for the Hindus , The Ramayana . The Ramayana mentions it as a weapon “ Contains air, fire and cosmic poison, weighty, emitting air containing Mercury , fiery and sparkling the sky giving the enemy no defense but accept death as a prize “ . In the modern era, the only weapon that relates all the characteristics this potent weapon signifies is nothing but the Atomic Bomb. But , is it rational to say that this Weapon was actually a Atom Bomb . We get the answer , when we study what Dr. Robert Oppenheimer ( 1904 -1967 ) , the man behind the development of the First Atomic Bomb of the Modern Era said in a lecture at Rochester University. And this lecture happened 7 years after the first successful atom bomb test in New Mexico ( Trinity ) . To the question “ Was the Bomb exploded at Alamogordo during the Mahattan Project the first one to be detonated ? “ Dr Oppenheimer gave a strange reply “ Well – yes. In Modern Times , of course “ And as for Oppenheimer’s first words after the detonation of the bomb he quoted from the Hindu epic Mahabharata “ If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky that would be like the splendour of the mighy one. Now I have am become Death, the Destroyer of World .”- ( Bhagavad Gita ) .

4)  Narayanastra – This Weapon was considered to be the personal weapon of Lord Vishnu. The weapon fires a powerful tirade of millions of deadly missiles simultaneously. The intensity of the shower increases with the increase in resistance. The only way of defense towards this missileis to show total submission before the missile hit. This in turn will cause this weapon o stop and spare the target. Aswatthama , is said to have unleased this weapon on the Pandavas during the epic battle . Knowing that there was no defense, Krishna who was at the helms of the Chariot on which Arjuna was told the pandavas and their warriors to drop their weapons and lie down on the ground , so that they all surrender completely to the power of this weapon. It was also said that this weapon can be used only once in a war and one treis to use it twice , then it would devour the user’s army . When it was used , 11 Rudras appeared in the sky to destroy the pandavas . Millions of types of weapons like the Chakra, Gadha, Arrows appeared in rage to destroy them, Whoever  tried to offend were destroyed. Krishna who knew how to cool down the Narayanastra advised Pandavas and their army to immediately drop all types and sorts of weapons from their hands and utterly surrender to this great weapon . And as said , everybody does the same and survived the onslaught of this weapon. But , Bhima refused to surrender thinking that it was a sign of cowardice and this brought the attacks of the downpour of fiery arrows and concentration upon him. Bhima gets steadily exhausted and before he had worn out of fatigue , Krishna and his pandava brothers restrain him at the right time. In the modern era, if there is a weapon that could do the same affect as mentioned in the Mahabharata , it has to be a Chemical or Bio-Chemical weapon.

5)   Rudrastra – One among the Most destructive all astras ( weapons ) is higher in capabilities when considered to the Pashupati Astra . Presided over by Rudra ( Lord Shiva ) . Once discharged , this Weapon was a ready to kill enemies  in thousands. In the modern era, we have numerous missiles , which would exactly cause the same amount of destruction . While it need not be a Nuclear Warhead based missile , even today’s Conventional Warheaded missiles have the same potency and destructive prowess . We will better understand this Weapon in detail when we study the Pashupatastra segment below.

6)  Pashupatastra – Considered a highly destructive weapon and falls just behind the Rudrastra is the Pashupatastra. This Weapon presided by Rudra ( Lord Shiva ) is a highly feared weapon belonging primarily to Goddess Durga, the destructive manifestation of Parvati Devi was one of the most destructive weapon in Shiva’s arsenal. Lord Shiva is also known as Pashupatinath. At various times , Lord Shiva also bestowed the use of this astra to other famed personalities, one of them being Meghnad , the son of Ravana , who used it against Laksmana in Ramayana. During the Mahabharata War, Arjuna employed this weapon in Kurukshetra to kill Jayadratha .Arjuna also used this weapon against Karna and Aswatthama.  Pashupati astra can be discharged simply by a thought, by using one’s eyes or by a mantra. It can also be activated and delivered by a bow. The following mantra is said to be the one used for deploying this weapon, although it is said to be locked during Kali-Yuga. “Om hara maheshwarah shoola paani pinak drikk , pashupati shiva mahadeva esshanaa namah shivaaya “ . This astra is capable of destroying the manifest creation and vanquishing all beings. This weapon would destroy any target completely irrespective of target’s nature. When released this weapon summons several monsters and a huge spirit which personifies the weapon. Sometimes, it can cause a catastrophic explosion similar to a hydrogen bomb. Each time the weapon is summoned, its head is never the same. One of the facts , that the Mahabharata clearly indicates is when it says “ Each time the Weapon was summoned, its head is never the same “ . We know today that any missile system would involve 2 characteristic parts. One the Delivery Vehicle and the Other the Warhead with the explosive. The Delivery vehicle becomes important for the launch of the missile to the targeted destination where the Warhead needs to be exploded. In the Mahabharata , it clearly mentions that both the armies were fighting within the territory of Kurukshetra. So possibly , a delivery vehicle was not of much importance and the explosive Warheads could be just mounted upon special arrows ( Again here the Mahabharata says that the nature of the arrows used were of celestial nature and not just ordinary ones) and delivered at the targets. Again noting the fact that , the Head of the Pashupatastra never was same when it was invoked in the next time. Could it mean that the War heads of different nature could be mounted onto this Weapon and delivered at premise targets. After all , it was said that this Weapon was infallible and would destroy the target irrespective of the target’s nature.

7)  Vajra astra – The Presiding deity for this astra is Indra, the head of all the Devas. Vajra means “The Divine Lightning Thunderbolt “ in Sanskrit. This weapon could cut through any mortal defences. Once invoked and discharged, the weapon brought down a shower of arrows from the sky. Vajra astra is considered to be one among the most fearsome weapons in the battle field as it would cause high casualty to the enemy and it would scatter the opposing army. What the description of the Mahabharata brings to the forefront is that The Vajra Astra unlike other weapons was not a missile based system . The manifestations leave me to believe that The Vajra Astra was basically a type of a Fragmentation Grenade. Ancient Hindu scriptures give a detailed structural idea about the Vajra Astra and yes, the modern Grenades do have a huge similarity with this Astra.  To better understand the similarities between the Vajra astra and Fragmentation Grenades , let us understand what a fragmentation grenade is in the first place. The fragmentation grenades are weapons that are designed to disperse lethal fragments upon detonation . The body is generally made of a hard synthetic material or steel, which will provide some fragmentation as shards and splinters. One of the best example for this type of Fragmentation Grenades is the American M67 grenades. This Grenade does exactly the same thing of scattering the opposing army and cause casualty .

8)  Sammohana / Pramohana astra – Sammohana astra , also referred to as the Pramohana astra is a weapon that could put the entire enemy armies into unconsciousness or collapse in a state of trance. Sammohana means “ Delusion “ or “Unconsciousness“ in Sanskrit. It is described as a weapon that can deprive warriors of their senses. In the Mahabharata , Dhrishtadyumma unleashed the Pramohana astra upon the enemy warriors depriving of their senses. In the modern era, We have weapons that exactly fit , what the Sammohana / Pramohana astra was designed to do and that it makes the enemy Hallucinate or go Unconscious. A lot of study in the field of Calmatives , Anaesthetics , Chemical agents has led to the evolution of Modern Chemical weapons that we have today , which can put the enemy’s central nervous systems to unconsciousness or incapacitating Hallucinations.

9)  Nagastra – The Nagastra is a celestial weapon . The first mention of this astra is in the Ramayana , when Indrajith used this weapon against Rama. In the Mahabharata , Karna used this weapon against Arjuna. Though a counter weapon was available in the form of Garuda Astra to counter the Nagastra, Arjuna did not have this Counter Astra in his disposal. Knowing the destructive power of this weapon. Krishna who was at the helm of the Chariot on which Arjuna was , lowered the Chariot wheel into the earth . The astra missed Arjuna, while it hit only his “Mukut “ or the crown Arjuna was wearing. The Nagastra was a weapon that took the form of a snake and upon impact would bind the target in coils of living venomous snakes. A certain death for the enemy was always the final result.  What is very important to note is that , This Weapon was not a Mass Destructive weapon but was to be used only on one specific opponent at one time. What also comes out is , what if these snakes which the Mahabharata speaks of are nothing but electrical impulses coiling up the enemy and slowly override the central nervous system and effect an uncontrollable contraction of the muscle tissue, finally leading to a Cardiac arrest . If we consider the Nagastra in this light , In the modern era we have what we call as Electro Muscular devices ( EMD ) and more easily known as TAZERS . Some of the tazers of today emit close to about 50,000 volts at 25 watts . But these TAZERS of today can very well be designed to send in much more electro waves and much higher voltages . And we have reports that deaths have indeed caused by tazers in the US  And we get an answer for the Nagastra of the Mahabharata.

10) Agneyastra – The Agneyastra was presided by Agni (The Fire God ) . Once the weapon was invoked and discharged, this weapon would emit flames which were not possible to be extinguished by normal means. In the Modern Era, We know a Conventional Warheaded Missile does exactly this.