Astras To Vimanas… (Missiles to Spaceships)

Hindu Puranas were/are full of flying machines. Gods and Goddesses flying in the space. In fact, Ravana is supposed to have abducted Sita when She was in Vanvaas with Rama in a Pushapaka Vimana (a golden flying chariot) only from Dandakaranya, a region in today’s state of Chattisgarh in central India to Sri Lanka, few hundred miles/kms. Missile descriptions are in Mahabharatha – used in the Kurushetra war. All this is recorded in Hindu scriptures dating back by millennia when neither there was any notion of an aircraft nor an inkling on dynamite/missile technology.

‘Astra’ means a missile in Sanskrit. Brahmaastra, for instance, was supposed to have been most powerful.  It could burn out the opponent to ashes. It could hit a flying/moving target. Like air-to-air missile. Which is why India named our air-to-air missile as ‘Brahmos.’ Pioneer in the field but having had lost everything and the link to our glorious past, we are here rediscovering them yet again. Nagaastra was another super missile. Whether it is Ramayan or Mahabharat or any other branch tale of Hindu history (or mythology as some say although most Hindus believe this all existed in another plane of time), you see vivid descriptions of these astras and how battles were fought using/mastering these astras. Unimaginable that Valmiki knew about missiles 2000 years back or Ved Vyas did when they penned the Ramayana and Mahabharath respectively. Sri Lanka went by the same name. Gandhar kingdom of the Kauravs is now Kandhahar in Afghanistan, almost the same name. Geographical accuracy is astonishing. Ram Sethu, the man made bridge between south Indian coast in Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka has been found to be in tact and it was very much navigable until a few centuries back. NASA has reconfirmed this is no natural geological formation but is oldest man made structure. Lying under the straits today in the ocean waters, Ram Sethu was rechristined as Adam’s bridge by the British (one more attempt to deny Hindu history and authenticity).

Hindus used to be ridiculed for believing in these things for thousands of years, before mankind in modern times even imagined the concept and thought of turning it into reality. The Kailasa temple in Ajantha had clear ‘helicoptor’ landing markings (as if) at an elevated level and the age of the ancient temple complex is yet to be exactly calculated. How do you explain these ‘amaanushya’ sightings.

‘Your Gods fly in sky?’ ‘Your Gods use missiles???’ are some of typical ridiculing questions others always ask Hindus. Barbs regularly used to put down world’s oldest religion (although Hinduism is not a religion. Sanathana Dharma is way of life that was invented by no private individual in his dizziness/dilemma/delirium seconded by a handful of sychophants).

Once upon a time, even I have felt vague about our extraordinary Vimanas and Astras and Gods and Goddesses. Overwhelmed may be. A treasure trove of knowledge based belief passed over generations that is unshakable. A scientific world that seeks more evidence. Caught between the two, an average Hindu cannot supply proofs but at the same time cannot discard the age old belief system ingrained in him/her that is so profound and deep-rooted. Some things in life you just believe in. Unquestioningly.  Like yesterday I was listening to Sadhguru’s lecture on You Tube. As per science, our physical body is reality. Life itself is not realizable. Intangible. So to non believers who question Hindu Dharam, this is what I can say. You can only touch and feel the body and therefore believe the body. But we are the people who can magically feel the life, the soul. A million/billion years of scientific research in more sophisticated tech lab will not let you separate the life from the body other than by way of death when the life will be lost to you. Your evidence stops with the material body. A Hindu sees beyond the body, a Hindu sees the spirit. Science can explain with evidence only the body. How will even science explain the intangible Life.

Which is why intuitively we Hindus believed in what our forefathers told us. We have believed always, we believe in our Pushpaka Vimanas, our Astras and in our Flying Gods with their Animal/Bird vehicles.

When reciting Ramayana (Sundara Kanda), i no more flinch reading about flying mountains that finally are made to drop to their present positions. Ramayana talks about mountains under the sea. Imagine Valmiki writing this 2000 years back. One such a mountain springs up to surface when Hanuman tries to fly over the sea to Lanka (Sri Lanka). By the way, Hanuman Chalisa states the speed of light almost accurately and it has been around long time from before the speed of light was estimated by the western world. As a teenager, I had my doubts and misgivings, not denying that. But over years, as science grows more advanced, the more strongly I believe in my Hindu dharma and in our ancient Hindu history that is too very ancient and ageless to be documented.

Who founded Hinduism. Why do we have no prophets or angels. Why no Vatican/Mecca like center. Why no Bible/Koran like code book. Who is our religious chief (like the pope). Why do we have no set of rules. There can be only one answer. Because we know who we are. We do not have to substantiate our existence or creation. We have come straight from our Creator. Why cannot Hindu origin be traced back to roots.

Most Hindu scriptures like the Vedas and Upanishads were not written down. They were passed over thousands of years by word of mouth only – through learning.

What really kept us Hindus believing in our ancestors was that, how could someone have had such a vivid imagination unless it was true.  How could someone sculpt missiles and ‘vimanas’ (spacecrafts) in stones and write about them in scriptures when the rest of the world was at least two or three millennia away from evening conceiving in their minds in what we believed in from the start of human civilization.

Thank God, there is a lot of rethinking these days and many around the world now come to agree/accept that perhaps in another plane of time, Hindu civilization did exist at a far superior level when Gods flew up the skies in chariots and fought battles with demons (bad elements) with their astras. Each Hindu god had a pet animal/bird vehicle (exactly as in the picture Avatar). Somewhere and somehow a very advanced civilization was lost perhaps due to what we may describe today as ‘apocalypses’ (catastrophes) and the secrets have since remain buried.

Where we go from here we do not know. At least there is now a rethink and  reevaluation of opinion on Hindu dharma and origin of life itself.  No more one dismisses ancient Hindu beliefs as ‘tall claims’ and no more ridicule. Somehow we have come to a starting point to begin with. Debates are on. Which is a big change of scene.

I don’t have to turn to others way of life because I am the follower/descendant of Shiva Himself. Everyone is. Whether European or American or African or Asian. I may say, I have not strayed and have remained His follower for over two millennia (as my family has always been Hindu like most Indians).

Kailash is too ambitious otherwise I wouldn’t rule it out in future. However, if Lord wants me to set my foot in His abode on earth, He knows when and how to call me.