The Ancients Series | Part II: Indians, page 3

Bhagavad Gita, 11.32,11.12

kalo ’smi loka-kshaya-krit pravriddho,lokan samahartum iha pravrittah

If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one. Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds- Quoted by Oppenheimer at Alamogordo

Bhagavad Gita 10.34

Meteors flashed down from the firmament. The points of the compass seemed to be ablaze. The earth trembled --- the trees began to cast off their branches and the mountains their summits --- the sun seemed at that moment to be shorn of splendour' (Shanti Parva, section 334) A thick gloom suddenly shrouded the host --- inauspicious winds began to blow, the sun himself no longer gave any heat. Ravens fiercely croaked on all sides. Clouds soared in the welkin [ie. the sky], showing blood --- the very elements seemed to be perturbed, the universe, scorched by heat, seemed to be in a fever. The elephants and other creatures of the land, scorched by the energy of that weapon, ran in fright, breathing heavily and desirous of protection against that terrible force. The very waters heated, the creatures residing in that element --- seemed to burn --- hostile warriors fell down like trees burnt down by a raging fire. Huge elephants, burnt by that weapon, fell down on the earth all around --- other elephants scorched by that fire, ran hither and thither and roared aloud in fear, as if in the midst of a forest conflagration. The steeds, Oh King, and the cars [ie. chariots], also, burnt by the energy of that weapon, looked, Oh King, liked the tops of trees burnt in a forest fire --- we had never before, Oh King, heard of, or seen the like of that weapon --- the forms of the slain could not be distinguished.

According to Pratap Chandra Roy's 1889 Mahabharata translation, in the dhanur veda, in reference to Karna Parva, section 34, Drona Parva section 201, Mausala Parva, 2A.

A single projectile charged with all the power of the universe. An incandescent column of smoke and flame, as bright as 10,000 suns, rose in all its splendour…. It was an unknown weapon, and iron thunderbolt, a gigantic messenger of death which reduced to ashes the entire race of the Vrishnis and Andhakas…. The corpses were so burned as to be unrecognisable. Their hair and nails fell out; pottery broke without any apparent cause, and the birds turned white. After a few hours, all foodstuffs were infected…. To escape from this fire, the soldiers threw themselves in streams to wash themselves and all their equipment.

This was very likely the projectile known as the brahmaastra. Another potent weapon was the Pasupata weapon which Shiva presented to the archer Arjuna with the comment:

I shall give you the great Pasupata weapon, which is my favorite... However, Partha, you must never let it loose at any man in wanton violence, for if it hits a person of insufficient power, it might burn down the entire world. There is no one in all three worlds with their moving and standing creatures who is invulnerable to it, and it can be launched with a thought, a glance, a word, or a bow.

In the Bhagavad Gita there is a description of the misguided warrior Asvatthama being chased by the more powerful Arjuna and, out of desperation, launching a nuclear attack against his enemy. However, Asvatthama didn’t know how to properly control the weapon and the chain reaction cascaded out of control, threatening to destroy the entire world. Arjuna, on Krishna’s advice, released a nuclear weapon of his own, merged its explosion with that of Asvatthama’s weapon and then slowed the joint reactions and retracted both weapons, saving the day.

Source: Drona Parva, section 201

I could go on and on, but whats the point?

To try and deny ignorance is one thing, but to remove stupidity overnight?? Naah!! I give up.

[edit on 12-11-2009 by Charismagic]