Hindu mythological wars


Hindu mythological wars are the wars described in the Hindu texts of ancient India. These wars depicted both mortals of great prowess as well as deities and supernatural beings, often wielding supernatural weapons of great power. Hindu teachings prescribe war as the final option, to be employed only after all peaceful methods are exhausted. Participation in righteous war, or dharmayuddha, was said to be honourable and was a principal duty of the Kshatriya or the warrior varna, and victory in such wars was regarded as a matter of honour.

In Vedic literature

Indra and Vritra

The central battle in the Vedas is between Indra and Vritra, and the defeat of the demon Vritra leads to the liberation of rivers, cattle and Ushas.

The Kshatriya class

War sacrifices

  • Ashvamedha: The famous horse-sacrifice was conducted by allowing a horse to roam freely for a slated period of time, with the king performing the sacrifice laying claim to all the lands it touched. The king whose authority is contested must prove himself in battle or accept the imperial supremacy of the challenging king. When the horse returns safely after the period of time, the main sacrifice is performed, and the king, if successful in obtaining dominance over other kings, is crowned Emperor of the World. The Ashwamedha allows the opportunity to maintain peace if the kings do not choose to contest the sacrificial horse.
  • Rajasuya: Considered the ultimate sacrifice, the king performing the sacrifice must openly challenge every king in the world to accept his supremacy or defeat him in battle. If and when the king returns successfully, having beaten all other known rulers, the performance of the sacrifice will send him to the abode of Indra after death.
  • Vishvajit Yagna: a sacrifice performed by Brahmins after a king had won a war.

    In Puranic literature

The Devasura War

The perennial battle between the devas and asuras is undertaken over the dominion of the three worlds: Svarga, Bhumi, and Patala,. Both races are technically equal, possessors of great religious and martial powers, but the devas are committed to the worship of the Supreme Being and the practice of virtue. The asuras have atheistic and devious tendencies that grow over time. The divide is the greatest in the Kali Yuga, the final age.

Twelve Battles

In the Varaha kalpa, twelve battles between the devas and the asuras are described in the Brahmanda Purana:
  1. Narasimha and Hiranyakashipu
  2. Vamana and Mahabali
  3. Varaha and Hiranyaksha
  4. Samudra Manthana: The churning of the ocean
  5. Tarakamaya War: Soma and Brihaspati
  6. Adibaka: According to the Devi Bhagavata Purana, the king Harishchandra promised before to Varuna that he would celebrate for his propitiation the great Naramedha sacrifice, when he would offer his own son as a victim to be immolated to cure himself of his disease. When he had second thoughts, the guru Vashishta suggested that he sacrifice a Brahmin boy instead, and the king acquired a boy called Sunasepha for the deed. Vishvamitra urged him to release the innocent child, and when the king refused, taught him a mantram of Varuna, which often invoked, freed him. Vashishta cursed Vishvamitra to be born in his next birth as a baka, and the latter cursed the former to take birth as an adi. The crane Visvamitra built its nest on the top of a tree on the Manasarovara lake and began to live there. Vashistha, too, assumed the form of an adi bird, and built his nest on the top of another tree and lived there. Thus the two rishis spent their days in full enmity towards each other. These two birds used to shriek so terribly loud that they became a nuisance to all, and they fought daily with each other. Brahma then freed them from these curses, and the gurus returned to their ashrams.
  7. Traipura: Tripurasura and Shiva
  8. Andhakara: Andhaka and Shiva
  9. Dhvaja: In the battle called Dhvaja, the danava Vipracitti, described as the "terror of the celestials", adept in the art of maya and a being who threatened the three worlds, was killed by Indra after penetrating a hundred thousand dhvajas.
  10. Varta: The asura Vritra and Indra
  11. Halahala: According to the Devi Bhagavata Purana, the Halahalas were a sect of asuras who were the first creation of the Trimurtis, when they also possessed the power of creation. The Halahalas, who became very powerful within a short period of time, earned from Brahma all the boons they wanted, and they then conquered the three worlds. At last, they barricaded Kailasa and Vaikuntha as well, so Vishnu and Shiva defeated them after a fierce fight lasting for a thousand years. The deities returned to their abodes and spoke about their achievements. Their wives laughed at the bravado of their husbands. At this Vishnu got angry with Lakshmi and Shiva with Parvati, and in protest the Devis left their husbands. From that day onwards, Vishnu and Shiva began losing their power. Brahma, who divined the reason for the growing weakness of Vishnu and Shiva persuaded Lakshmi and Parvati to return to their rightful places and support their husbands. Yet, Brahma told them that in future he alone would handle the work of creation. Thus were Vishnu and Shiva divested of their right to creation.
  12. Kolahala: According to the Padma Purana, Kolahala was a famous asura. In the battle between the devas and the asuras carried on by Subrahmanya, this asura confronted Malyavan and was killed.

    War sacrifices conducted

  • Ashvamedha: King Sagara performed it for 99 times successfully. If a King performs it 100 times, he becomes eligible to obtain throne of King of Heaven. Sagara also performed this 100th time but it failed because of Indra's evil plot.

    Vyuha: Cohorts of battle

  • Chakra Vyuha or the "Wheel Formation": A winding, ever-rotating circular formation; considered impenetrable in the Mahabharata by all warriors except for Krishna, Arjuna, Drona, Parashurama, Pradyumna, and Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu had learnt how to break into the formation but not how to break out of it and is trapped inside during the Mahabharata war.
  • Padma Vyuha or the "lotus formation" : A tricky formation in which the army is arranged in the form of lotus petals. Once a warrior enters it, it is very difficult to escape.
  • Krauncha Vyuha: The crane-shaped formation of an army; forces are distributed to form spanning wing-sides, with a formidable penetrating centre, depicting the crane's head and beak.
  • Sarpa Vyuha: Winding Snake Formation
  • Makara Vyuha: Crocodile Formation
  • Sakata Vyuha: Cart Formation
  • Shukar Vyuha: Pig Formation
  • Vajra Vyuha: Diamond formation, the toughest and most difficult after Chakravyuha.
  • Kurma Vyuha: Turtle formation
  • Garuda Vyuha: Eagle formation
  • Suchi Vyuha: Needle formation
  • Simha Vyuha: Lion formation

    Pralaya: The end of the world

  • The end of the world is prophesied to happen at the end of the Kali Yuga - the final stage of the world, and the last of the four stages. Kalki, the final Avatar of Vishnu is also prophesied to appear the end of the Kali Yuga, to wage the final battle between good and evil bringing end of the world and start of new world.
  • Shiva Nataraja, the Destroyer, kills the paramount demon of Ego and performs the Tandava Nritya on his back, ending with the destruction of the universe performing Rudra Tandava.
  • In Shaktism, the mystical dance by Goddess Kali, that is, dark energy for destroying all forms of matter, materials, beings, and illusions, which are absorbed within herself i.e. the Supreme Brahman.

    The Ramayana

  • Vishvamitra: He was the preceptor of Rama and Lakshmana, a powerful tapasvi and Brahmarishi. He bestows the knowledge of all divine weaponry to Rama and Lakshmana, leads them to kill powerful demons, and instructs them in religion and military arts.
  • Rama: He was 7th Avatar of Lord Vishnu. Rama was an extremely powerful warrior and had knowledge of usage of many celestial astras. Rama single-handedly slayed the 14,000 demon hordes of Khara, the demons Maricha and Subahu, Ravana's chief commander Prahasta and is responsible for the ultimate killing of Ravana himself.
  • Lakshmana: He was also very powerful like his brother. He was incarnation of Anantha-Seshanag. He slayed extremely powerful demons including Atikaya and Indrajit.
  • Hanuman: He was son of Kesari and Anjana. He was one of the Rudras of Shiva. He was first trained by Sun god Surya and later Shiva himself mentored him. Later he became Vanara minister of Sugriva. He is the greatest devotee of Rama, famous for his unerring service, absolute loyalty and great feats of courage. Hanuman is responsible for killing many demons, as well as burning the city of Lanka. His strength is given by his father Vayu, and by virtue of the boons bestowed on him by various Gods, no astra and weapon could harm him. He can transform into any size and shape as he desired. He was also well expert in using celestial astras. He also possessed Mohini astra, Rudra astra etc.
  • Ravana: blessed by his fearsome 10,000 year tapasya to be the most powerful being on earth, invulnerable to every God, demon and living being, save man. Although an expert on the Vedas, a great king, and a great devotee of Shiva, he is the emperor of evil due to his patronage of demons, murder of kings and humiliation of the Gods headed by Indra.
  • Indrajita: He was the first-born son of mighty Ravana. Originally his name was Meghanada. He was master of illusion war techniques. He became the possessor of several supreme celestial weapons. He defeated Indra and arrested him. Then Brahma appeared and asked him to free Indra. Meghanada did as Brahma directed and was then granted boon : he would never be killed in any battle, until his Yagna of his native goddess Nikumbala was disturbed and destroyed. On the completion of the Yagna, a supreme celestial chariot would appear, boarding which, Indrajit would become unkilled in any battle. But Brahma also cautioned him that whosoever would destroy this yagna, would also kill him. He was killed by Lakshmana.
  • Kumbhakarna: the gigantic brother of Ravana was a fearsome demon who sleeps for six months at a stretch, rising for only one day and then returning to his slumber. Kumbhakarna could slay hundreds of warriors by the sweep of his hand or step of his foot. He was killed by Rama in the war.
  • Prahasta: the chief commander of Lanka's army who was killed on the 1st day of the war of Rama and Ravana.
  • Atikaya: the second son of Ravana, who had an indestructible armor given to him by Brahma that can only be pierce by the Brahmastra. Both Atikaya and his cousin Trishira were the reincarnations of Madhu and Kaitabha, who were defeated by Mahavishnu.
  • Akshayakumara: the youngest son of Ravana who died, fighting Hanuman in Ashok Vatika.
  • Shatrughna: Youngest son of King Dasharatha, youngest brother of Rama. He killed Lavana, son of Madhu and Kumbhini and became the King of Mathura.
  • Bharata: Younger brother of Rama, elder to Lakshmana and Shatrugna. He along with his maternal uncle Yudhajit, conquered Gandhara and created his kingdom of Takshasila and Pushkalavati by defeating Gandharvas and inhabiting that kingdom.
  • Vali: Son of Vanara king Vriksharaja, spiritual son of King of Gods- Indra. Vali was invincible in Treta Yuga. Vali defeated some of the greatest warriors like Ravana. Vali was blessed with the ability to obtain half the strength of his opponent before which he already had strength of 70,000 elephants. Hence, Rama killed Vali by hiding behind the trees.
Atirathis:
Maharathis:
Atimaharathis: