If you’ve ever read Mahabharata or if you have even seen it or if you have even the slightest hint of Mahabharata, then you know that most of the story revolves around battles and wars.
Here are some of the most powerful weapons used (in descending order) in the epic:
10. Vasavi Shakti
Vasavi Shakti belonged to Indra and had the power and certainty to kill anyone that’s used against. It was loaned to Karna to use it for one time and he preserved it so that he could kill Arjuna. However, by some tactical maneuvering, Karna was forced to use it against Ghatokacha instead. Thus, it was one of the only few weapons that threaten Arjuna.
9. Vajra
Vajra is Indra’s most powerful weapon and is made from the spine of Sage Dadhichi. In the story, Indra used the weapon to kill demon Vritra. Vajra is so powerful that the gods used it as an adjective to glorify power, for instance, in Gita, Lord Krishna claims that he is Vajra.
Not only is it powerful, but it is also indestructible too.
8. Narayanastra
Narayanastra is Lord Narayan’s weapon and is said to have a capacity of self-splitting into millions of self-guiding missiles with strong power of impact that’s proportional to the resistance offered. The only way to combat the weapon is to disarm it. Else, surrender! Drona, his son, and Krishna were the ones who knew about the weapon, and when Ashwattama used it against Pandava armies, Krishna disarmed it as he knew the trick.
7. Brahmastra
Brahmastra is very very rare. Though possessed by many gods and demi-gods, it was only used once in the entire epic of Mahabharata. The weapon had power similar to that of a nuclear bomb: the complete annihilation of the place implanted, people get contaminated and suffer across generations. Hence, the use is restricted amongst the mortal. Once, Karna decided to use it against Arjuna, but could not do so because of his mother’s pleading and also his teacher’s curse.
6. Brahmashira
This weapon was used by Ashwattama against Pandavas, and in defence, by Arujana. When the nuclear fallout occurred, Sages Narada and Vyasa ordered to contain the effect. Only Arjuna was able to retract the weapon, but Ashwattama couldn’t and sent it to attack Arjuna’s unborn grandson Parikshit. Parikshit was then saved by Lord Krishna.
5. Pashupatastra
Pashupatastra belonged to Lord Shiva and is considered to be indestructible. It could destroy any creation. The use is prohibited against mortals. Arjuna once obtained the weapon from Lord Shiva directly but was never used in the epic.
4. Brahmadanda
The person who used Brahmastra in no. 4 was King Kaushika, later called Sage Vishavamitran a conflict against Sage Vashista. Brahmadanda was the weapon that swallowed it and acted as a nuclear shield.
3. Sudarshana Chakra
This weapon belonged to Lord Vishnu and was once used by Krishna to destroy Sisupala at Yudhisthira’s Rajasuya Yagna.
2. Trishul
Well, with everything above, it leaves with one ultimate powerful weapon, the Trishul. It is the most powerful weapon of the God of destruction, Lord Shiva. It was used to sever the original head of Ganesha too.
1. Buddhi, Mind
There is still one more powerful weapon that the most powerful weapon possessed by the God of destruction, and it’s the mind. “The mind is higher than the senses, intelligence is higher than the mind, and the soul is even higher than the intelligence,” an English translation of Krishna’s statement in Bhagavad Gita reads. Then he adds, “Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to the material senses, mind and intelligence, O mighty-armed Arjuna, one should steady the mind by deliberate spiritual intelligence and thus – by spiritual strength – conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust.
Thus, the mind is the most powerful weapon of them all.
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