Hindu mythological wars
Hindu mythological wars are the mythical battles described in the Hindu texts of ancient India. These battles depict great heroes, demons, celestial weapons and beings, magic, 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 wantonly 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, Shiva, and Shakti, often engage in war, either in the form of Avatars or in their true form. They and many mythological Hindu heroes use astra – celestial weapons with fearsome supernatural power – to aid them in battle.
In Vedic literature
Indra and Vrta
The central battle in the Vedas is between Indra and Vrtra, and the defeat of the serpent demon Vrtra leads to the liberation of rivers, cattle and Ushas (dawn/light). Another important battle is the historic Battle of the Ten Kings, alluded to in the Rig Veda, in which the Trtsu clan, led by Sudas, defeat the Puru confederation of ten Indo Aryan clans.
The Devas and Asuras
The perennial battle between the Devas and Asuras is undertaken over the dominion of the three worlds: Swarga, 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 Lord 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.
- Sukracharya: is the Preceptor of the Asuras, their chief priest and martial guru. Sukracharya is a great worshipper of the Supreme Lord, but remains supportive of the Asuras, who are often identified as atheistic and demonic in nature.
- Brihaspati: is the Guru Preceptor of the Devas. Possessing unparalleled knowledge of the Vedas, scripture, religion and mysticism, Brihaspati's mastery of the military arts is akin to Sukracharya, his counterpart.
- Indra: the God of thunder and lightning, he is the King of Swarga, or Heaven, and the leader of all the Devas against the demon hordes. The greatest performer of sacrifices, Indra is the most famous and fearsome warrior in the three worlds, but faces opponents often equal or greater to him and is sometimes unable to vanquish enemies like Indrajit, who was able to humiliate Indra for his past sins. When facing opponents like Vritra, Indra seeks the aid of Lord Vishnu.
- Skanda: the Vedic God of War.
- Narakasura: the great Asura opponent of Vishnu.
- Vritra: the brahmin Asura, who performs a sacrifice to obtain sovereignty of the three worlds.
The Kshatriya order
War Sacrifices
- Ashwamedha: 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
- 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 highest abode of Lord Indra. It was performed by the Pandava hero Yudhisthira in the Mahabharata epic.
- Vajpeya: Akin to the conduct of the Rajasuya, save only that the entire sacrifice is to please Lord Vishnu, who is the Supreme God.
Levels of Warrior Excellence
- Mahamaharathi: A warrior capable of fighting 24 Atimaharathi warriors simultaneously. No warrior has attained this status, not least because there have never been 24 Atimaharathi warriors at the same time.
- Atimaharathi: A warrior capable of fighting 12 Maharathi warriors simultaneously. Rama, Hanuman and Indrajit are Atimaharathi's.
- Maharathi: A warrior capable of fighting 60,000 warriors simultaneously; circumspect in his mastery of all forms of weapons and combat skills.
- Atirathi: A warrior capable of contending with 10,000 warriors simultaneously.
Strategic Formations: The Vyuha
- Krauncha Vyuha: The crane-shaped formation of an army; forces are distributed to form spanning wing-sides, with a formidable, penetrating centre depicting the crane's head and beak.
- Padma Vyuha or the Chakra Vyuha: A winding, ever-rotating circular formation; considered impenetrable during the Mahabharata age by all warriors except Arjuna, Bhisma, 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.
- Sarpa Vyuha: Winding Snake Formation.
- Makara Vyuha: Crocodile Formation
- Sakata Vyuha: Cart Formation
- Shukar Vyuha: Pig Formation
The end of the world
- The end of the world, all creation and illusion is prophesied to happen at the end of the Kali Yuga.
- 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 is the penultimate martial art, destroying all forms of matter and energy, materials, beings and illusions, which are absorbed within the Supreme Brahman.
- Kalki, the final Avatar of God Vishnu is also prophesized to appear the end of the Kali yuga, to wage the final battle between good and evil. It is not clear how to reconcile this prophecy with Shiva's role as the Destroyer, but Kalki will appear upon a white horse, amassing an army of the few pious remaining, and incarnations of all of Hindu God-head, to destroy the demons and sin manifest in the world.
Other Sanskit epics
The Ramayana
- Vishwamitra: is the preceptor of Rama and Lakshmana, a powerful tapasvin and Brahmarishi. He bestows the knowledge of all divine weaponry to Rama and Lakshmana, leads them to kill powerful demons, and instructs them in advanced religion and military arts.
- Rama: is the Seventh Avatar of Vishnu, and the greatest warrior-tapasvin in the three worlds. His knowledge, powers and tapasya is unparalleled. Rama single-handedly slays the 14,000 demon hordes of Khara (in 14 minutes, 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 excellent a warrior as his brother, and slays extremely powerful demons, including Atikaya and Indrajit. This is considered to be the turning point of the war.
- 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.
- Prahasta: the chief commander of Lanka's army, Prahasta defeated the host of the Gods, and subjugated many kings on Ravana's behalf.
- Ravana: is blessed by his fearsome 10,000 year 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 Lord Shiva, he is the Emperor of evil due to his patronage of demons, desecration of women, 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. Master of mystical warfare and celestial weapons, and blessed by boons from Gods, Indrajit was considered the most fearful warrior, virtually invincible.
- 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.
The Mahabharata
Main article:
Mahabharata
- 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 Shalya of Madra.
- Commanders in Chief: Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Shalya, Ashwathama
- Atirathis: Shalya, Somadatta, Bhurishravas, Bhagadatta, Jayadratha, Kritavarma
- Maharathis: Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Ashwathama, Shrutyudha, Duryodhana
- 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.
- Commanders in Chief: Dhristadyumna
- Atirathis: Ghatotkacha, Satyaki, Yuyutsu
- Maharathis: Arjuna,Bhima,Abhimanyu, Nakul, Sahadev, Yudhistra, Dristadyumna, Dhrupad, Viraat
- Bhishma: the most consummate warrior trained by Parashurama, Bhishma is indestructible by any warrior when he lifts his weapons. Having defeated 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 also has great religious knowledge and wisdom. He becomes the second Kuru commander, and Arjuna is his favorite student. Drona's rejection of Karna as a student, owing to his unknown caste, lays the foundation for the great Karna-Arjuna rivalry.
- Arjuna: known all over the three worlds as the foremost warrior alive in his time, he is the son of Indra and the most powerful maharathi. He was the greatest archer on Earth and, at the battle of Viratnagar, he single-handedly defeated the entire kuru army with all its warriors, including karna who had powers of all five Pandavas combined. He is responsible for vanquishing Bhishma, as well as exterminating an entire Akshauhini of warriors and Maharathas in one day, in addition to the armies of Samshaptakas, Trigartas and Narayanas - millions of soldiers and heroic warriors. He is also the protagonist of the most intense personal rivalry of the war, between himself and the other reputed greatest warriors, Karna, whom he slays. (Pandava's chief army general was Drushtadhymna and not Arjuna as it was mentioned in the earlier editions of this page)
- Bhima: One of the four supreme physical powers, along with Balrama, Shalya & Kichaka. He was the second and most impetuous Pandava. Bhima had phenomenal personal strength; he was an unsurpassed master of the mace weapon and a consummate wrestler. He slays all but one of the one hundred Kuru brothers, and the chief antagonist of the saga, Duryodhana.
- Abhimanyu: the son of Arjuna, Abhimanyu is a consummate warrior almost equal to his father. When he enters the unbreakable Chakra vyuha, he holds the entire Kuru host, with Drona, Karna and hundreds of other heroic warriors, in addition to hundreds of thousands of foot soldiers at bay single-handedly. He is killed however, by deceit and a merciless and unlawful slaying while he is unarmed and without a chariot, by all the powerful Kuru heroes.
- 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 and astronomy. 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 the only son of Shakuni, Ulloka.
- Karna: the tragic hero of the epic, Karna is the first-born of Kunti, the mother of the five Pandavas, but abandoned as a child owing his mother's maidenhood and fear of destroying her honor. As a result, Karna is raised by charioteers and denied the recognition and benefits of belonging to the Kshatriya order. Karna has to employ deceit to dodge the question of his caste, but obtains training from Parashurama. The entire rivalry is a question of who is truly superior. Karna's prowess is equal to Arjuna's, and Karna devises a fearsome plot to kill the Pandava prince. He uses snake arrows against Arjuna. His plot is thwarted by Krishna, who sinks Arjuna's chariot just as the arrow passes Arjuna's head, missing it by an inch.
Key players
Vishnu
Vishnu, the Inconceivable Supreme, 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, Vamana, Parshuram, Rama, Krishna, Kalki.
In battle, the Avatars of Vishnu are aided by a variety of astra, or celestial weapons. These include:
- Narayanastra (Naraina-astra): 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 Mahabharata war against the Pandava army.
- Vaishnavastra: The personal missile weapon of Vishnu, once fired it cannot be thwarted by any means, save by the will of Vishnu Himself. This astra was used by King Bhagadatta, son of Narakasura and King of Prajyogsta (modern day Burma) in the Mahabharata war against Arjuna. This astra was stopped by Shri Krishna himself, as Arjun couldn't stop it even with his most powerful weapons.
- Kaumodaki: The divine mace weapon of Vishnu; invincible and without parallel.
- Sudarshana Chakra: The magical chakra, a spinning disc with sharp outer spears. The Sudarshan flies at the command of Vishnu, 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.
- Nandaki: The Sword of Lord Vishnu.
- Sharnga: The Celestial Bow of Lord Vishnu.
Shiva
Mahadeva literally means "Highest of all god". Shiva is also known as Maheshvar, the great Lord, Mahadeva, the great God, Shambhu, Hara, Pinakadhrik, bearer of the axe and Mrityunjaya, conqueror of death. He is the spouse of Shakti, the goddess. He also is represented by Mahakala and Bhairava, the terrible, as well as many other forms including Rudra. 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.
The Lord Destroyer, Sarvaripati Shiva is the most fearsome manifestation of the Supreme God. Assigned with destroying all of the universe at the end of time, Shiva is the most fearsome warrior and totally unconquerable. Tandava is the dance of the Destroyer, which He performs over the body of a demon, and simultaneously destroys all creation, all beings, material and illusion alike.
Shiva employs his power to kill the Asura Tripura, destroying the flying three cities of Tripura. He is restrained and not involved in the wars of the worlds prior to dissolution.
Shakti
Both a Supreme Being and an energy that is considered to be the source of all works of creation, preservation and destruction, Shakti is the wife of Shiva and the mother of the universe and all of creation. She took many incarnations to fight with demons, including Parvati, 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, including Lord Shiva, because she is shakti herself.[1]
When trimurti became helpless to fight with demons, the gods at last worshiped Goddess Parvati, who came before them in different avatars and forms:
- Durga, who killed the demon Durgamasur, She rides on a lion.
- 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 Goddess Durga or Kali, Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Saraswati, who killed Demon Mahishasura in battle of Alkapuri.
- Kanyakumari, who killed Banasura
- Chamunda, Who killed Chand mund and Rakta vijya
- Goddess Kaushiki, who killed Shumbha and Nishumbha
- Goddess Meenakshi, who defeated all the demigods and destroyed the arrogance of all demi-gods.
Apart from Goddess Parvati, there are some demons who were killed by Goddess Laksmi's incarnation. One example is Demon Muru, who was killed by the Goddess while she saved her consort Lord Vishnu.[2]
Shakti is usually depicted as having the weapons of all the gods, even the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva). She holds the trident of Shiva, the Chakra of Vishnu, the Vajra of Lord Indra, the Gada of Yamaraaj.[3] This signifies that she is above any power this universe or beyond. In addition to the weapons of other gods, Shakti has the Pashupata. Discharged by the mind, eyes, words or a bow, the Pashupata is the irresistible and most destructive personal weapon of the Goddess Kali. Never to be used against lesser enemies and by lesser warriors, the Pashupata is capable of destroying creation and vanquishing all beings.[4]
Celestial Weapons
An Astra is a missile-type 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.
- Brahmadanda : This is the most powerful weapon in the universe. It contained the spiritual power of the 7 greatest sages of Hinduism - Bhrigu, Agastya, Jamadagni, Vasistha, Bharadwaja, Gautama and Kashyapa. This astra is the most powerful weapon of Lord Brahma.
- Pashupatastra: It is believed in Hindu mythology that Pashupatastra is one of the most devastating weapons, as it is the weapon of the consort of the Godhead Mahadeva, i.e. Mahakali. Mahadeva literally means "Highest of all god" and Mahakali means Goddess who is beyond time. This weapon, granted to Arjuna by Lord Shiva, is one of the most destructive and foreboding weapon in The Mahabharata. It is said to have the power to change the course of Creation and Destruction. This irresistible Pashupatastra was used twice by Arjuna in the entire Mahabharata war at Kurukshetra to kill Jayadratha, the monarch of the Sindhu empire (modern day Pakistan) and by killing the entire host of kalakeyas, enemies of Indra
- Narayanastra: Invincible and painful, this astra is unconquerable except by total submission.
- Brahmashir Astra: A weapon capable of greater destruction than the Brahmastra. It is said to be evolution of brahmastra. It can burn all creation to ashes once discharged.
- Brahmastra: Embedded with the mystical force of Creator 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.
- Nagastra: The snake weapon, used by Karna against Arjuna in Kurukshetra war. It is considered as an irresistible weapon equal to the Brahmastra. It has a fame that never misses its target.
- Vasavi Shakti: The magical dart weapon of Indra, unfailing at executing its target. Indra granted it to Karna during the Kurukshetra war. The Mahabharata also refers to it as the Amoghastra.
- Vajra: The thunderbolt weapon of Indra, who is the God of Thunder and Lightning, akin to Zeus and Jupiter in Greek and Roman mythology.
- Agneyastra: The fire weapon, created by the God Agni, master of the flames.
- Varunastra: The water weapon, created by the God Varuna, master of the oceans, rivers and lakes.
- Vayavastra: The wind weapon, created by the God Vayu, master of wind.
Although the power astras are said to be capable of destroying creation, they did not harm Shakti, Vishnu, Shiva or Brahma, because all of them are the personifications of God.
References
- ^ www.shaktisadhana.org
- ^ www.shaktisadhana.org
- ^ Devi bhagwat Puran
- ^ www.shaktisadhana.org