Misconceptions regarding Pashupatastra exposed!
Arjuna fans have started spreading lie about Pashupatastra. These idiots think that it was the most powerful weapon of world.
Time to expose their wrong beleif.
Misconception 1:- Arjuna was the only one in the world who possessed Pashupatastra.
Vana Parva XL
Anushasan Parva XIV
Srimad Bhagwatam
Misconception 3:- Any weapon could be countered by Pashupatastra.
Time to expose their wrong beleif.
Misconception 1:- Arjuna was the only one in the world who possessed Pashupatastra.
Vana Parva XL
Neither the chief himself of the gods, nor Yama, nor the king of the Yakshas, nor Varuna, nor Vayu, knoweth it. How could men know anything of it?
Analysis:- This passage is only for overglorification of Pashupatastra. It's not a new thing. Mahabharat is a poetry and it is common in Sanskrit poetry under a poetic device known as अतिशयोक्ति अलंकार in which things are overglorified. Proof that it is just an overglorification:-
Vishvamitra, the son of Gaadhi then rancorously fusilladed the missiles regulated by gods like Varuna, Rudra, Indra, Paashupata, and even a missile which is projectile through grass blade called Ishiika. [Valmiki Ramayana, Balkanda 56-6]Vishvamitra possessed Pashupatastra itself proves that statement of Shiva was just an overglorification. Even Parshuram (disciple of Shiva) possessed Pashupatastra.
56-61. After saying this, Śaṅkara taught him the Mantra (esoteric formula) that is extremely difficult to obtain and the following weapons etc. viz.—extremely miraculous coat of mail named Trailokyavijaya; the Nāgapāśa (Serpentine noose), (missiles like) the Pāśupata, the Brahmāstra which is very much inaccessible, Nārāyaṇāstra, the Āgneya (Arrow with the fìregod as deity), the Vāyavya (of the wind god), the Vāruṇa (of Varuṇa the ocean-god), the Gāndharva, the Gāruḍa, the extremely wonderful weapon Jṛmbhaṇāstra, the mace, the Śakti, the Paraśu (Axe) the trident and the excellent Daṇḍa (baton). Brahmand PuranaMisconception2:- No weapon could counter Pashupatastra. Even Lord Brahma and Vishnu could not counter it.
Anushasan Parva XIV
In the universe there is no being including even Brahma and Vishnu and the deities, that are incapable of being slain by that weapon.Analysis:- It is also overglorification and let me tell why? It is written here that no one could counter it including Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma.
Srimad Bhagwatam
(13) He used a brahmâstra against a brahmâstra, a mountain weapon against a wind weapon, a rain weapon against a fire weapon and His nârâyanâstra [His personal weapon] against S'iva's [personal] pâs'upatâstra [the 'beast strap'-weapon].See, Lord Krishna (incarnation of Lord Vishnu) baffled Pashupatastra so saying that Vishnu couldn't counter Pashupatastra is just an overglorification. Now Let's analyse that either Lord Brahma could counter Pashupatastra or not.
तदप्यस्त्रं महाघोरं ब्राह्मं ब्राह्मेण तेजसा |
वसिष्ठो ग्रसते सर्वं ब्रह्मदण्डेन राघव || १-५६-१ Even that deleteriously destructive Brahma's missile is completely consumed with the seraphic resplendence of Brahmadanda of Sage Vashishta. [1-56-16]Pashupatastra of Vishwamitra countered by Vashistha through Brahmadanda. Some frustrated Arjuna fans say that Brahmadanda was not a weapon but the stick of brahmin. In the above verse of Brahmand Puran it is written that Lord Shiva gave Brahamdanda to Lord Parashurama. It means that it was a weapon of Lord Brahma and most destructive weapon of universe which destroyed Brahmastra, Pashupatastra and Narayan Astra at a single time.
Misconception 3:- Any weapon could be countered by Pashupatastra.
Lets see what is the opinion of Arjuna regarding this.
Karna Parva 45 (BORI CE)
At this, Kunti’s son, Dhananjaya, spoke to Vasudeva. ‘Behold the extremely terrible bhargava weapon. O Krishna! O mighty-armed one! Behold the valour of the bhargava weapon. There is no means of countering that weapon in a battle. O Krishna! Behold the angry son of a suta in the great battle. The brave one is like Yama and has performed a terrible deed. He is repeatedly casting extremely terrible glances towards me. I do not see any means of running away from Karna in this battle. If a man remains alive in a battle, there may be victory, or there may be defeat. O Hrishikesha! For the sake of victory, how can one be victorious if one is dead?’ O venerable one! Janardana wished to leave to see Yudhishthira and thought that Karna would be overcome with exhaustion in the battle.
Arjuna himself accepted that Bhargavastra could not be countered. If Pashupatastra could counter any weapon than why he didn't countered Bhargavastra from it. It means that this is also just an overglorification. Now all the misconceptions about Pashupatastra are cleared. I think now you could realise that Pashupatastra was a common weapon.
The word of Lord Śiva can NEVER be false. When Lord Śiva had said to Arjuna 'Neither the chief himself of the gods, nor Yama, nor the king of the Yakshas, nor Varuna, nor Vayu, knoweth it. How could men know anything of it?' and 'In the three worlds with all their mobile and immobile creatures, there is none who is incapable of being slain by this weapon' then it is the truth that none except Arjuna had the knowledge about the Pāsupata weapon at that time. This means the version of the Pāsupata weapon of Sage Viswāmitra in the Rāmāyana, which was nullified by the Brahmadanda was NOT that version of the Pāsupata which Lord Siva gave to Arjuna. That weapon of Arjuna could destroy any weapon. Yet, Arjuna did NOT use it for the security of the world
ReplyDeleteSage Upamanyu had said the following about the Pāsupata weapon to SriKrishna:
ReplyDeleteब्राह्मान्नारायणादैन्द्रादाग्नेयादपि वारुणात् |
यद्विशिष्टं महाबाहो सर्वशस्त्रविघातनम् ||
(श्री महाभारत, अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय १४, श्लोक १२७)
Meaning: O thou of mighty arms, that weapon is superior to the Brahma, the Narayana, the Aindra, the Agneya, and the Varuna weapons. Verily, it is capable of neutralising every other weapon in the universe.
नावध्यो यस्य लोकेऽस्मिन्ब्रह्मविष्णुसुरेष्वपि |
तदहं दृष्टवांस्तात आश्चर्याद्भुतमुत्तमम् ||
(श्री महाभारत, अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय १४, श्लोक १३०)
Meaning: In the universe there is no being including even Brahma and Vishnu and the deities, that are incapable of being slain by that weapon. O sire, I saw that excellent, wonderful and incomparable weapon in the hand of Mahadeva.
Here, it is to mention that Sage Upamanyu was a त्रिकालज्ञ ऋषि viz. the Sage who knew everything of the past, present and future.
When Sage Upamanyu prayed for this boon to Lord Śiva :
अतीतानागतं चैव वर्तमानं च यद्विभो |
जानीयामिति मे बुद्धिस्त्वत्प्रसादात्सुरोत्तम ||
(श्री महाभारत, अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय १४, श्लोक १८८)
Meaning:O best of the deities, let me, through thy grace, have knowledge of the Present, the Past, and the Future.
Lord Śiva had granted Sage Upamanyu the boon to be omniscient. Here are the verses:
एवमुक्तः स मां प्राह भगवाँल्लोकपूजितः |
महेश्वरो महातेजाश्चराचरगुरुः प्रभुः ||
अजरश्चामरश्चैव भव दुःखविवर्जितः |
शीलवान्गुणसम्पन्नः सर्वज्ञः प्रियदर्शनः ||
(श्री महाभारत, अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय १४, श्लोकौ १९०- १९१ )
Meaning: (Sage Upamanyu said)Thus addressed by me, the illustrious Maheswara endued with supreme energy, that Master of all mobile and immobile, viz., Siva, worshipped of all the universe, then said unto me these words: 'Be thou free from decrepitude and death, be thou free from sorrow, possessed of good and righteous behaviour, omniscient and possessed of all knowledge about weapons.
These verses are cited from the BORI CE of the Māhābhārata and, therefore, are not interpolations. Therefore, whatever Sage Upamanyu has said about the Pāsupata weapon here is definitely true.
Any verse in any other scriptures that say the Pāsupata weapon was nullified by any other weapon stands definitely an interpolation then.
Lord Śiva Himself has said about the Pāsupata weapon while conferring that weapon on Arjuna:
ReplyDeleteभगवानुवाच||
ददानि तेऽस्त्रं दयितमहं पाशुपतं महत् |
समर्थो धारणे मोक्षे संहारे चापि पाण्डव ||
नैतद्वेद महेन्द्रोऽपि न यमो न च यक्षराट् |
वरुणो वाथ वा वायुः कुतो वेत्स्यन्ति मानवाः ||
अवध्यो नाम नास्त्यस्य त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे |
मनसा चक्षुषा वाचा धनुषा च निपात्यते ||
(श्री महाभारत्, वनपर्व, अध्यायः ४१, श्लोकाः १३, १४, १६)
Meaning:
Bhava replied, 'O powerful one. I will give to thee that favourite weapon of mine called the Pasuputa. O son of Pandu, thou art capable of holding, hurling, and withdrawing it. Neither the chief himself of the gods, nor Yama, nor the king of the Yakshas, nor Varuna, nor Vayu, knoweth it. How could men know anything of it?In the three worlds with all their mobile and immobile creatures, there is none who is incapable of being slain by this weapon. And it may be hurled by the mind, by the eye, by words, and by the bow.
These verses cited above are in the BORI CE of the Māhābhārata. Therefore, they are not interpolations.
Again, the Veda says that Lord Śiva is the embodiment of Truth in the verse below:
ऋ॒तꣳ स॒त्यं प॑रं ब्र॒ह्म॒ पु॒रुषं॑ कृष्ण॒पिङ्ग॑लम् । ऊ॒र्ध्वरे॑तं
वि॑रूपा॒क्षं॒ वि॒श्वरू॑पाय॒ वै नमो॒ नमः॑ ॥(तैत्तिरीय-आरण्यक, १०। २३। ४१)
Meaning: “ Salutation, to Him, the Absolutely righteous, the Truth, the Supreme Being (ParaBrahman), the one with raised semen, the three - eyed (Virupaksha - Lord Siva), who has the Universe for His form”
Therefore, nothing that Lord Śiva has said can be false.
So, if any other verse in any scripture says that any other one possessed the Pāsupata weapon and any other weapon stopped the Pāsupata weapon, then that verse must be rejected as interpolation
॥ॐ नमः शिवाय॥