Arjuna and Pashupatastra

Arjuna parted ways with his four brothers after the battle of Khandava. He was tired and sore, and his exhaustion showed in the way he walked — slow, with dragging feet. He thought longingly of a soft bed, but his destination kept him moving forward.

Arjuna made way to Indrakeeladri Hill. It loomed in the distance, green with foliage fresh from spring rains.

The battle had been been hard, and he fought diligently. His bravery in battle, and then number of men he took out proved his worth in the eyes of Lord Krishna. It's with his advice that Arjuna set out to meditate upon Indrakeeladri with the hope of attaining Pashpupatastra — the divine weapon of Lord Shiva.

Reaching the peak of the hill, Arjuna sat and began to meditate. All was quiet upon the hill, and the archer found peace in his deep breathing. A rustle from the trees alerted Arjuna, and opening his eyes he saw a boar charging at him.

Arjuna grabbed his bow, and released an arrow. His arrow found his mark in the same moment that another arrow entered the boar's flesh. Looking around, Arjuna saw a hunter approach. "That's my game," said the hunter as he pulled the arrows from the boar. Arjuna took umbrage with the hunter's claim, and argued back that he had killed the boar.

Arjuna stepped up to the dead beast, and made to grab its body, but the hunter nudged it away with his foot. In anger, Arjuna pushed the hunter. The hunter pushed him back, and Arjuna grabbed his bow and broke it. The hunter unsheathed his sword and charged at Arjuna, who unsheathed his as well.

The battle raged on, and the hunter was able to slice Arjuna many times. His blood made his grip slippery, and the hunter took the chance to disarm Arjuna. Without a sword, Arjuna wasn't able to properly defend himself. He lunged at the hunter, and wrestled him to the ground. The hunter's sword flew from his hands, and bounced down the hill.

The two grappled with each other, never able to overcome the other. Arjuna found himself many times under the hunter, but was always able to free himself and lunge again. The hunter threw the archer around like he weighed nothing, and Arjuna couldn't believe his strength. It was almost as if he were fighting a god.

This thought raged through Arjuna, and he realized he had been fighting Lord Shiva.

Arjuna fell to his knees in worship, and begged the God's pardon. Shiva laughed, and helped the archer to his feet. "Vijaya — you're invincible. You're a worthy adversary deserving of my blessing," stated Shiva, who then revealed to Arjuna the secrets of his divine weapon Pashupatastra.

Lord Shiva left, knowing his blessing was in good hands.

The Six Mantramukta Astras

Brahmastra - Wielded by Brahma the Creator

• Capable of destroying entire armies at once. Could deflect and counter other astras. Described in Mahabharata as manifesting with the fifth head of Brahma at its tip. It is said to be the only weapon capable of piercing the invincible armor of Lord Brahma, the Brahma Kavach. Many heroes wielded this weapon or were gifted the knowledge to use it.

Brahmaashirsha - Wielded by Brahma the Creator

• Able to kill devas. The evolution of Brahmastra, and is four times as powerful as its first incarnation. Capable of mass destruction.

Narayanastra - Wielded by Vishnu the Preserver

• Creates showers of arrows. Its power increases with resistance of the enemy. This weapon can be used only once during battle, and is considered one of the most powerful astra. Any attempt of using it a second time would rebound on the user and his army. The only way for the target to escape it's annihilation is for complete, and total submission before it.

Brahmananda - Wielded by Brahma the Creator

• A divine rod. The personal weapon of Brahma. Repels the attacks and energy of other weapons.

Bhargava - Wielded by Parashyrama, the avatar of Lord Vishnu

• Creates a shower of arrows, maces, spears and other types of weapons. The carnage continues until the warrior who set the weapon off recalls it.

Pashupatastra - Wielded by Shiva the Destroyer

• Considered the most powerful astra. It's summoning would be different every time, causing complete destruction in different ways. Capable of complete destruction of it's target. Able to eradicate the entire universe.

Speculation

The descriptions of divine weapons in the Indian Epics are incredibly similar to weapons used by the modern military. Descriptions of the weapons state that they're capable of mass destruction — with some having the ability to destroy the entire universe. The Mahabharata describes one such weapon as an unmanned flying object, traveling faster than light and spraying fire unto the earth, never missing it's mark. This description sounds very similar to guided missiles used by modern military. Were these weapons man made, or perhaps gifted by something beyond this world?

Ancient Astronaut Theory suggests they were alien in origin, and points out many such weapons described in ancient Indian texts. Incendiary weapons, heat seeking missiles, nerve gas, and camouflaged flying objects are all described in the Mahabharata in great detail.

If the astra were, in fact, alien weaponry, were the wars described in the Mahabharata and Ramayana alien? There is evidence to suggest this true.

Looking back to Harappa and Mohenjo-daro , archeologists have found remnants of nuclear blasts in the form of vitrified bricks, stonewalls and pottery. No ancient fire could have reached the temperatures to inflict such degradation. Many suggest these sites were locations of major extraterrestrial battles.

Throughout every ancient culture there is myth of divine war. The gods of each culture battled for control of the earth.

Like the flood myth, the prevalence of divine war in ancient myths suggests a degree of truth. Perhaps the "gods" weren't gods at all, but an extraterrestrial species. Their supernatural powers and access to advanced technology validates this. The ancients didn't understand such advancements, and used their primitive view of the world to describe this war to the best of their ability, designating what they witnessed to divinity.

Many theorists believe the battle for earth waged throughout our solar system. In fact, one researcher has found evidence of war on Mars. Scott C. Waring searched through Mars rover photos, and found artifacts he believes are remnants of an ancient alien battle.

Another points to the description of a battle on the moon between the Ashvins and a vimana in the Hindu epic Ramayana. Could this battle have been between warring spaceships?

This expands beyond Mars and the Moon to the dwarf planet Ceres. Ancient Astronaut Theorists have found evidence of alien life residing on the planet. Lights reflecting off of it surface can't be explained by scientists. Researchers looked further from the lights, and discovered a pyramid shaped growth on its surface. Was Ceres used as a "base" for an alien military?

Taking the myths and stories of an ancient alien war into consideration, it begs the question of were the Gods themselves alien?