Imagine a weapon so powerful that the purest soul could summon it, and even a god feared its powers. In the world of celestial weapons, the Brahmastra stands unmatches- A weapon of fate, potent enough to rewrite the destinies of wars with just one invocation. If you have read Indian Mythology, you will find that it has two types of weapons: the Astra, the gun that is charged by Mantras, and the Sastra, the physical weapon that is adorned and fought with, such as a sword or arrow.
In Puranas, Brahmastra is described as an extremely deadliest and dangerous weapon that never fails. According to the mythology description, when Brahmastra is deployed, it’s like a vibrant explosive fireball that bursts into flames with bolts of thunder.
It is said that no other weapon can defend, destroy, or counter back once it is deployed. In the Hindu Scriptures, it is mentioned that the Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe, created the Brahmastra. To deploy this, users have to chant the specific mantra to activate this weapon. It is capable of destroying the entire world.
Have you ever heard about nuclear weapons? Of course, you did. Brahmastra is considered similar to the modern world’s nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction.
How fascinating is it to learn about the most potent weapon in Hindu mythology? If you’re curious to know more, don’t worry—in this Blog, we will cover all the aspects of the Brahmastra.
What is Brahmastra?
In Hinduism, Brahmastra is one of the most powerful, destructive, and irresistible weapons created by Lord Brahma to uphold Dharma and Satya. It was supposed to be obtained by meditating on Lord Brahma or from a Guru who knows it, and it could only be used once a day or a lifetime. It requires an immense amount of mental concentration to obtain it.
This weapon has been placed at the topmost places because it is believed that Bhramastra can not be destroyed by Trishual or Sudarshan Chakra.
In Epic and Mythologies, we find that Brahmastar never missed its mark and had to be used for a particular purpose against an individual enemy or army, as the target would face destruction. Whenever it deployed, the entire sky seemed to be filled with noise, cracks started on Earth, and all living creatures became frightened with great fear.
Whichever area it strikes, it is believed that nothing will grow there, not even a blade of grass, for the next 155.5 trillion human years. Weapons have also been believed to cause several environmental damage. The land where weapons are deployed results in massive destruction, targeted land becomes barren, and life becomes extinct.
What is the History of Brahmastara?
Lord Brahma created Brahamastra to ensure that all the work in the cosmos is carried out rationally and under control. It is considered a messenger of death that turns everything into ashes. According to Puranas, it is said to be so powerful that it can remove someone’s existence from the past, present, and future. When Brahmastra is invoked, it causes horrible flames, thunder, dry rivers, and falling meteors.
There are numerous instances in Hindu scriptures where it is mentioned the use of Brahmastra or its use is threatened, including once against Jayanta when he hurt Sita ji, Brahmarshi Vishwa Mitra against Maharishi Vashistha, and many more. Let us take a peek into some of the historical instances in which Brahmastra has been used.
Use of Brahamastra in Ramayana
1. Against Jayanta when he hurt Sita
It is mentioned in the Sundara Kanda that when Hanuman meets Sita, she narrates the story of what happened in the forest of Chitrakuta. When Ram, Sita, and Lakshman ji are exiled to the forest. One day, when Lord Ram was resting in the lap of his wife Sita, suddenly Indra’s son Jayanta took the form of a crow and attacked Sita with his claws and beaks twice.
When Ram wakes up and sees Sita bleeding and the claws of crows dropping blood, he picks a blade of grass and releases the divine weapon Brahmastra out of it on the crow, who tries to escape in fear. Despite that, the arrow keeps following Jayanta wherever he goes.
In the end, he came back to Ram and asked for their forgiveness, but Ram told Jayanta that once Brahmastra is invoked, it can not be withdrawn. So he asked Ram to hit the crow’s right eye. So Ram redirected it towards the crow’s right eye and spared his life.
2. Against Ocean on his way to Lanka
When Lord Ram was on his way to rescue Sita from Ravan and go to Lanka, which is surrounded by sea, he asked the sea god Sagara to help him and make a way for them to go. But the sea god didn’t offer any help to Lord Ram. After this, Lord Ram got angry and deployed the Brahmastra towards the sea to dry itself.
After seeing that, the Sea god appeared and started begging for forgiveness. He promised Lord Ram to help and give the way for him and his army to cross the sea. But because Lord Ram has invoked the Brahmastra, it cannot be put down without using it.
Hence, he redirected it towards another region, which is presently Rajasthan State, where the water body was transformed into the desert.
3. In the last Battle against the Raven
In the last battle of Ramayan, Lord Ram tried every possible way to kill Ravan but failed to do so. At that, Vibhishan told Lord Ram that Ravan’s weakest point was his naval. Lord Ram, with his powerful arrow, Brahmastra, shot the arrow into Ravan’s naval. So, Lord Ram killed Ravan by using Brahmastra.
Use of Brahmastra in Mahabharata
1. Curse of Karna
Karna learned the skills to use Brahmastra from his teacher, Parshuram. But Pashuram had a condition that he would not teach anyone from the ruling clan. On a fine evening, when Pashuram was resting on the lap of Karna, suddenly, an insect started biting on his thigh. He did not want to disturb the sleep of his teacher, so he did not move.
This caused severe bleeding on Karna’s thigh. As soon as Pashuram woke up and saw the wound on Karna’s thigh, he realized that only someone from the royal clan could bear so much pain. Pashuram felt fooled by Karna, so he cursed Karna that he would forget all the knowledge regarding the Brahmastra.
2. Ashwatthama operated against the Pandava
During the Mahabharat, Asthwatthama has taken an oath to kill Arjun after Dronacharya is killed. To take revenge on Arjun, Asthwatthma invoked Brahmastra toward him, and in response, Arjun also invoked the Brahamastra towards him. However, the collision of the two Brahmastra, the deadliest weapons, can wipe out the entire world.
So, to stop this, all the holy beings came and asked both to call it back. Arjun called it back, but Aswatthama, instead of calling it back, redirected it toward the unborn child in Uttra’s womb. Lord Krishna used his power to save the child from it.
How is it invoked?
Any object can be converted, even grass straw, into a Brahmastra by chanting the sacred mantra. To invoke the Brahmastra, it is essential to chant the holy mantra. The sacred mantra that is chanted to invoke the Brahmastra is Gayatri Mantra. Chant of the Gayatri mantra in a specific manner with extreme focus and concentration is needed to invoke Brahmastra.
Only the person who invoked the weapon can stop it, call it, or redirect it. To invoke the Brahmastra, one has to gain siddhi over a mantra only after rehearsing it for a particular duration of time for a defined number of times with immense concentration.
Before invoking the Brahmastra, one needs to obtain it by worshipping Lord Shiva or Brahma or by a Guru who knows how to invoke it with immense medication. Brahamastra can only be invoked by chanting the Gayatri Mantra with total concentration, medication, and devotion.
What happens when Brahmastra Deployed?
As mentioned earlier, Brahmastra has been deployed in Ramayana and Mahabharata and has resulted in Mass destruction. Brahmastra is the divine weapon of immense destruction through which one can destroy the powerful enemy. Deploying Brahamstra requires chanting the sacred mantra with tremendous concentration and mental strength.
Once it is deployed, it cannot be taken back, and no other weapon can defend it unless it has an alternative encounter. If Brahmastra is deployed, it causes not only massive collateral damage but also, it’s said, rivers become dry, earth fissures, and life becomes extinct in the place where it is deployed.
According to Sanskrit Mythology, it is believed that when Brahmastra is activated, the sky becomes darker, clouds crackle with intense energy, and under this massive storm, the sky fills with flames. Flames are brighter than the thousands of suns, and dead bodies are burnt beyond recognition. It seems like the whole world is coming to an end; everything is turning into ashes.
Who knew how to exert the Brahmastra in the past?
According to mythology, not everyone can exert the Brahmastra; there are only free warriors in history who have used this weapon. In Hinduism, this is a celestial weapon that is considered the most powerful weapon for destruction.
According to the Hindu Scriptures, only Lord Ram, Vibhishan, and Lakshman could use or wield this weapon during Ramayan. Alternatively, during Mahabharat, only Dhroncharya, Parashurama, Ashwathama, Lord Krishna, Karna, and Arjuna knew how to wield the Brahmastra.
Conclusion
Beyond the doubt, Brahmastra is the most potent weapon of Indian Mythology. The weapon that leads to the destruction of the world is similar to the modern world atomic bomb. The creator of the world has created this weapon to protect Satya and Dharma and those who are on a righteous and noble path.
In Indian mythology, the Brahmastra remains the symbol of divine power and has extreme impacts for its misuse. In the Scriptures like Mahabharat and Ramayan, the weapon is defined as the weapon of the last alternative.
We hope this blog has been suggested to you as very informative and helped you refine your research in developing an in-depth awareness of the deadliest weapon, Brahamstra.
Frequently Asked Questions
Brahmastra has been called the most potent weapon in Indian mythology as it was created by the inventor of the universe and is said to be unstoppable and capable of causing immense damage or destruction once it is invoked.
According to Hindu mythology, the Brahmashirā Astra or Brahmashirsha Astra is considered four times stronger than the Brahamstra.
In Indian Mythology, the Brahmastra is unstoppable, and once it is deployed, it can not be taken back. It could only be stopped by another Brahamstra, which resulted in massive destruction.