Concept
Astra (weapon)
Related concepts (7)
Ashwatthama
In the Hindu epic the Mahabharata, Ashwatthama (Aśvatthāmā) or Drauni was the son of guru Drona and Kripi (sister of Kripacharya). and a pivotal character in the Mahabharata. The grandson of the sage Bharadwaja, Ashwatthama ruled the northern region of Panchala with Ahichhatra as his capital, being subordinate to the rulers of Hastinapura. He was a Maharathi who fought on the Kaurava side against the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra War. He became a Chiranjivi (immortal) on being blessed by Shiva.
Narayanastra
In Hindu mythology, the Narayanastra (नारायणास्त्रम्) is an astra, a celestial missile, affiliated to the Hindu deity, Vishnu, in his form of Narayana. This astra ("celestial weapon" in Sanskrit) fires a volley of millions of deadly missiles simultaneously, the intensity of which rises in proportion to the resistance of the target. The only way to defend against the Narayanastra is, therefore, to show total submission before the missiles hit, which would cause them to stop and spare the target.
Pashupatastra
The Pashupatastra (IAST: Pāśupatāstra, Sanskrit: पाशुपतास्त्र; the weapon of Pashupati, an epithet of Shiva) is an astra, a celestial missile, affiliated to the Hindu deity Shiva, as well as Kali and Adi Parashakti, which can be discharged by the mind, the eyes, words, or a bow. Never to be used against lesser enemies or by lesser warriors, the Pashupatastra is capable of destroying creation and vanquishing all beings. In the Mahabharata, Arjuna, and in the Ramayana, only the sage Vishvamitra, Indrajit and Rama possessed the Pashupatastra.
Parikshit
Parikshit (परीक्षित्, ) was a Kuru king who reigned during the Middle Vedic period (12th-10th centuries BCE). Along with his son and successor, Janamejaya, he played a decisive role in the consolidation of the Kuru state, the arrangement of Vedic hymns into collections, and the development of the orthodox srauta ritual, transforming the Kuru realm into the dominant political and cultural center of northern Iron Age India. He also appears as a figure in later legends and traditions.
Arjuna
Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is the central protagonist of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. In the epic he is the third of five Pandava brothers, from the lineage of the Kuru. In the Mahabharata War, Arjuna was a key warrior from the Pandava side and killed many warriors, including his elder brother Karna and grandfather Bhishma. Before the beginning of the war, his mentor Krishna gave him the supreme knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita to overcome his moral dilemmas.
Agni
Agni (अग्नि, ˈɐgnɪ) is a Sanskrit word meaning fire and connotes the Vedic fire deity of Hinduism. He is also the guardian deity of the southeast direction and is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu temples. In the classical cosmology of the Indian religions, Agni as fire is one of the five inert impermanent elements (pañcabhūtá) along with space (ākāśa), water (ap), air (vāyu) and earth (pṛthvī), the five combining to form the empirically perceived material existence (Prakṛti).
Rakshasa
Rākshasas (राक्षस, raːkʂɐsɐ ; rakkhasa; preservers) are a race of usually malevolent beings prominently featured in Hindu mythology. They reside on Earth but possess supernatural powers, which they usually use for evil acts such as disrupting Vedic sacrifices or eating humans. They are offered a distinction from yakshas, their cousins who are depicted to be forces of destruction. The term is also used to describe asuras, a class of power-seeking beings that oppose the benevolent devas.