What is the Narayanastra?
The Narayanastra (Narayana) is a divine weapon in the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata. Narayana is another name for Vishnu, one of the supreme gods of Hinduism, and the weapon was said to hold Vishnu’s power.
The Narayanastra in the Mahabharata
In the great war of the Mahabharata, when the martial arts master Drona is slain, his son Ashwatthama, burning with rage, unleashes the Narayanastra to avenge his father. Countless fiery arrows and weapons appear in the sky and rain down, fierce winds howl, thunder roars and the earth shakes, it is said. The weapon grows stronger the more it is resisted, burning up those who fight it. But when, on the god Krishna’s advice, everyone throws down their weapons, steps down from their chariots and bows their heads, the weapon’s power subsides, the story goes.
Link with the ancient nuclear war theory
The description of the Narayanastra, together with the “Brahmastra,” also in the Mahabharata, has often been cited as evidence for the ancient nuclear war theory, since descriptions of a burning sky and shaking earth are said to suggest a nuclear explosion. However, these are thought to express the overwhelming power of mythological weapons, and no evidence has been found that nuclear weapons were used in ancient times. Together with the flying vimana, it is known as one of the super-weapon legends of ancient India.
