Weapons in Scripture
Puranic references and scriptural sources for divine weapons — from the Mahabharata to the Shiva Purana.
Key Scriptural Sources
Mahabharata
The great epic — primary source for Divyastra and combat weapons
Ramayana
Rama's divine bow, Brahmastra, and celestial weapons in the Lanka war
Bhagavata Purana
Sudarshana Chakra, Vishnu's weapons, and divine armoury
Shiva Purana
Trishula, Pashupatastra, and Shiva's cosmic weapons
Devi Bhagavata
Shakti's weapons, Kali's Khadga, and divine arsenal of the Goddess
Vishnu Purana
Sudarshana, Kaumodaki, Sharanga bow, and Narayanastra
Agni Purana
Detailed classification of weapons and Dhanurveda combat system
Key Scriptural References
Arjuna invokes the Brahmastra after Drona's death — Vyasa intervenes to prevent cosmic destruction.
Agni gifts the Gandiva bow and two inexhaustible quivers to Arjuna, declaring it the finest weapon in the three worlds.
Indrajit uses the Brahmastra against Lakshmana. Brahma intervenes to protect the dharmic warrior.
Vishwamitra teaches Rama the Bala and Atibala vidyas, then bestows 200 divine weapons including the Brahmastra.
Shiva grants the Pashupatastra to Arjuna after his penance on the Himalayas. The weapon can destroy all three worlds.
Durvasa Muni and the Sudarshana Chakra — the disc pursues Ambarisha's enemies across all realms.
Vishnu bears the Kaumodaki mace gifted to him by Varuna — it represents the power of time and universal knowledge.
Systematic classification of all weapons — Shastra (melee), Mukta (thrown), Amukta (hand-held), and Mantramukta (mantra-invoked Divyastra).