The enormous celestial squid

 The giant squid is one of the most fascinating and mysterious animals on Earth. It lives in the depths of the oceans, making it very difficult to photograph, but specimens up to 18 meters long have been found. Probably known since ancient times, its figure has given rise to various legends, including that of the Kraken, an enormous sea monster capable of destroying entire ships. However, both the giant squid and the Kraken are nothing compared to the Celestial Squid, whose dimensions are instead 50 light-years!

The Celestial Squid is obviously not an animal but a nebula whose shape resembles that of the ocean giant. More specifically, the Squid Nebula, also known by the less fanciful name Ou4, is a faint bipolar emission nebula located within another larger nebula, in the direction of the constellation Cepheus. The outer nebula also takes the name of an animal, the Flying Bat.

Both nebulae are very faint and can only be captured through long-exposure photography and in specific wavelengths, so much so that the Squid Nebula was discovered very recently, in 2011. The Squid Nebula appears blue due to the emission of doubly ionized oxygen atoms, while the background nebula appears red due to the emission of ionized hydrogen.

Due to their very low luminosity, it is very difficult to determine their physical properties. According to the most recent studies, the system should be located 2300 light-years from Earth, and the structure of the Squid Nebula should be due to a complex interaction between a system of three stars expelling material into space.

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Image Credit: Alex Linde.

Who were the warriors who had the most number of celestial weapons in the Mahabharata?

 In terms of possession of celestial weapons, here’s the list:

1] Arjuna:

Of course he has the most number of celestial weapons.

tadastramaptam parthena rudradapratimam mahat |

yattadbrahmashiro nama tapasa rudramagatam ||10||

amrritadutthitam raudram tallabdham savyasachina |

tatsamantram sasamharam saprayashchittamangalam ||11||

vajram chanyani chastrani dandadini yudhishthira |

yamatkuberadvarunadindrachcha kurunandana ||12||

astranyadhitavanpartho divyanyamitavikramah ||12||

On your words, the mighty-armed one went out for weapons. Partha has obtained from Rudra a great and unrivalled weapon. It is known as Brahmashira and Rudra obtained it after great austerities. That terrible weapon arose with the ambrosia and Savyasachi has now obtained it, together with the mantras for withdrawing, repulsing and releasing it. O Yudhishthira! O descendant of the Kuru lineage! The infinitely powerful Partha has obtained other divine weapons too—like vajra and danda—from Yama, Kubera, Varuna and Indra.

Arjuna had the following weapons

1. Pashupatastra/Roudrastra.
2. Vajrastra.
3. Yama Danda and mace.
4. Yama paasha.
5. Samoohanastra, Praswapastra.
6. Brahmasira
7. Vaishnavastra.
8. Aindrastra.
9. Gandiva.
10. Adityastra, Kiranastra, Lomakesha.
11. Agneyastra, Varunastra, Vayavyastra.
12. Brahmastra.
13. Gandharvastra.
14. Indrajala, Sthunakarna, Prajapatastra.
15. Anjalikastra, Anjali astra.
16. Nagastra, Garudastra, Anthardhana.

and many more…..

Arjuna was a power house of celestial weapons and he was almost invincible when combined with his immense skill.

2]Karna:

Lord Parashurama had given Karna every celestial weapon known to him(including the Vijaya bow which Lord Parashurama had used to route kshatriyas 21 times).

tatoastrani samastani varanshcha manasepsitan |

labdhva bahuvidhanramah pranamya shirasa shivam ||155||

anujnam prapya deveshajjagama sa mahatapah |

evametatpuravrrittam tada kathitavanrrishih ||156||

bhargavo apyadadatsarvam dhanurvedam mahatmane |

karnaya purushavyaghra supritenantaratmana ||157||

He obtained the weapons and all the boons that he wished for. Having obtained these diverse objects, Rama lowered his head before Shiva. The immensely ascetic one took the permission of the lord of the gods and departed. This is the ancient account that was told by the rishi.

‘ “‘Bhargava imparted all his knowledge of dhanurveda to the great-souled Karna, tiger among men, having been extremely pleased with him. O king! Had Karna not been a deserving person, the descendant of the Bhrigu lineage would not have given him those celestial weapons.

Lord Parashurama was a student of Lord Shiva himself. Therefore, Karna had all celestial weapons of Lord Parashurama.

Therefore, Karna had the following weapons:

1. Nagpash, Garudastra.
2. Bhargavastra.
3. Shakti spear.
4. Pashupataastra(SriKrishna also mentions this).
5. Brahmastra, Brahmasira.
6. Nalika, Krounchastra, Souparnika.
7. Aardrastra, Mohanastra.
8. kaala paasha, Antardhana, kubera weapon.
9. Aditya weapon, Indrajala, Sthunakarna, Tej-prabha
10. Agneya, Varuna, Vayavya, Parjanya.
11. Sushkastra.
12. Taamasa, Soumanastra.

And many more..

I have listed weapons that Lord Parashurama according to the Puranas.

Also, it is again mentioned in Shanti Parva that Karna had obtained all weapons from Lord Parashurama.

3]Drona:

He had many weapons in his arsenal. The most noticable weapon is the “Narayanastra” which he had obtained by doing severe penance of Lord Vishnu.

He also had many weapons but the epic does not specifically mention the weapons he had.

My guess is he had many astras, like Agneyastra, Varuna, Parjanya, Vayavya.

And also Drona was the disciple of Sage Bharadwaj. Bharadwaj Muni is one of the Sapta Rishis with unlimited/infinite power.

Source: Bori Ce, Vishnu Purana

How tiny is the earth compared to other celestial objects in space?

 Solar system planets:

Now, if you add Sun:

And compare it to bigger stars:

And compare those stars to even bigger stars:

This would give you perspective and show how tiny the earth is in comparison to everything else.

The Celestial Weapons Arjuna Learned in Heaven and Their Powers: A Detailed Analysis

Introduction

Arjuna, the third Pandava and one of the greatest warriors in the Mahabharata, was not only a master of earthly weaponry but also learned to wield celestial weapons (Divyastras). During his visit to Indra’s heavenly realm, he received powerful astras (divine missiles) that played a crucial role in the Kurukshetra War. This analysis explores these celestial weapons, their origins, powers, and significance.

Arjuna’s Journey to Heaven

After proving his prowess on Earth, Arjuna was taken to Indraloka (the abode of the king of gods, Indra) to train under celestial beings. There, he learned the use of divine weapons from Indra, the Ashvins, and other gods.

Major Celestial Weapons and Their Powers

1. Pashupatastra

• Source: Lord Shiva
• Power: Considered the most destructive weapon in existence, capable of annihilating entire worlds.
• Usage: Could only be used against powerful divine enemies; not to be used against ordinary mortals.
• Significance: Arjuna was granted this weapon by Shiva after proving his devotion and martial skill through penance.

2. Vajra (Thunderbolt of Indra)

• Source: Indra, the king of gods
• Power: Could destroy any target instantly, capable of cutting through anything.
• Usage: Primarily used against demons (asuras) and powerful warriors.
• Significance: Indra, Arjuna’s divine father, gifted this weapon to him, symbolizing his divine heritage.

3. Brahmastra

• Source: Lord Brahma
• Power: An immensely powerful weapon that could annihilate large portions of land and armies.
• Usage: Needed great knowledge to use and could not be withdrawn once invoked.
• Significance: Arjuna possessed the knowledge to use it but refrained due to its devastating effects.

4. Brahmashirsha Astra

• Source: Lord Brahma
• Power: Four times stronger than Brahmastra, capable of reducing the entire world to ashes.
• Usage: Used only against opponents wielding equally powerful weapons.
• Significance: Arjuna learned to invoke and withdraw this weapon, unlike Ashwatthama, who misused it.

5. Narayanastra

• Source: Lord Vishnu
• Power: Released a storm of arrows, fire, and divine energy upon enemies.
• Usage: Could not be countered, but it would stop if the enemy surrendered.
• Significance: Arjuna learned about this weapon but did not use it in battle.

6. Varunastra

• Source: Varuna, the god of water
• Power: Created massive floods, extinguishing fire and opposing weapons.
• Usage: Effective against enemies wielding Agneyastra (fire weapons).
• Significance: Used to counteract destructive fire-based attacks.

7. Agneyastra

• Source: Agni, the god of fire
• Power: Unleashed a firestorm capable of incinerating armies.
• Usage: Best used against ice and water-based weapons.
• Significance: Used tactically in battles to overpower enemies.

8. Vayavyastra

• Source: Vayu, the god of wind
• Power: Created devastating cyclones and wind storms.
• Usage: Effective against aerial and heavily armored enemies.
• Significance: Could disrupt formations and battlefield strategies.

9. Twashtastra

• Source: Twashta, the celestial architect
• Power: Created weapons or destroyed enemy weapons.
• Usage: Used for precision strikes and disabling enemy defenses.
• Significance: Highlighted Arjuna’s versatility in warfare.

Conclusion

The celestial weapons Arjuna learned in heaven granted him unparalleled power, but his wisdom in their usage was equally important. These divine gifts played a crucial role in his victories while emphasizing the responsibility that comes with immense power. Arjuna’s mastery of these astras symbolized his divine favor and his rightful claim to uphold dharma in the great war of Kurukshetra.