A movie named Brahmastra has been released recently, in which Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt played the lead roles. The mention of Brahmastra is found in Hindu mythological texts. Especially it has been mentioned in Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Ahirbudhnya Samhita.
Brahmastra is considered like an atomic bomb. In modern times J. Robert Oppenheimer and his team tried to know the destructive potential of Brahmastra by studying Gita and Mahabharata deeply. He named his mission Trinity (Tridev). Between 1939 and 1945, under the leadership of Robert, a team of scientists did this work.
Origin of Brahmastra
Brahmastra is a nuclear weapon that has been called a divine weapon. It is believed that it is the most infallible and most dangerous weapon. This weapon was operated by a mantra. There were many types of Brahmastra. Small-big and widespread killers. Desired, chemical, divine and magical weapons, etc. It is believed that a situation of holocaust arises when two Brahmastras collide with each other. Due to this, there is a fear of the end of the whole earth. In the Mahabharata, the results of it are given from chapters 13 to 15 of the Sauptik Parva.
It is described in the Vedas and Puranas etc. that the father of the world, Lord Brahma created the Brahmastra to destroy the demons. In ancient times, Astra was more destructive than Shastra. Weapons were made of metals, but the knowledge of making weapons were different.
Power of Brahmastra
Maharishi Vedvyas writes that where the Brahmastra is released, there does not occur Parjanya Vrishti (origin of living beings, trees, plants, etc.) for 12 years. It is mentioned in the Mahabharata that due to Brahmastra the wombs of the women living in the village were killed. Significantly, due to the radiation fallout in Hiroshima, fetuses were killed and there was a famine in that area for 12 years. Each weapon has the authority of a different God or Goddess and it is operated by Mantra, Tantra and Yantra. It is an infallible weapon, which releases only after destroying the enemy. It can be counteracted only with another Brahmastra, otherwise not.
How did humans get Brahmastra ?
Initially, it used to be with Gods and Goddesses only. Each deity had a weapon according to its specialty. The gods first presented this weapon to the Gandharvas. It was later acquired by humans from the Gandharvas.
In Ramayana and Mahabharata, this weapon was with a few warriors. While this weapon was with Vibhishana, Meghnad and Ram, Ravan, and Laxman in the Ramayana period, it was with Dronacharya, Ashwatthama, Krishna, Kuvalashva, Yudhishthira, Karna, Pradyumna and Arjuna in the Mahabharata period. Arjuna got it from Drona. Dronacharya got it from Ram Jamadagneya. It is also said that this weapon was presented to Arjuna by Indra.
Brahmastra in Ramayana period
In Ramayana, when Lakshman wanted to use Brahmastra for the war with Meghnad, Shriram stopped him by saying that it is not appropriate to use it now because it will clean the whole of Lanka. Although Meghnad used it on Laxman, but since Laxman was the incarnation of Sheshnag, it did not affect him. He just fainted. He did not oppose the Brahmastra but respected it.
It contains air, fire, and cosmic poison, two goat-like fangs, full of poison, weighty, emit air, contains mercury, fiery, sparkling, sky is filled with air, enemy-killing, greatly radiant and it is projected with three hymns, Gayatri at its center, it is known as brahma-astra – Citation and source for sloka for Bala Kanda of Valmiki Ramayan.
Brahmastra in the Mahabharata period
Ashwatthama used it in Kurukshetra during the Mahabharata period. The person who released this weapon also had the ability to take it back but Ashwatthama did not remember the way to take it back which resulted in the death of lakhs of people. However, it is also said that because of him the death of the child in Uttara’s womb was certain but he was saved by Shri Krishna.
