19(5 



ON THE WEAPONS USED 



mere creations of a fervid imagination. On the oilier hand 

 the Indians do not stand alone in this belief in supernatural 

 weapons, though it has been reserved to them only to define 

 and to classify them methodically. 



The last and most potent division, or the Mantramukta, is 

 only represented by six weapons, but then they are so power- 

 fid that nothing can frustrate or subdue them. Their 

 names are — 



1 . Vimucalcra (the discus of Visnu). 



2. Vqjrastra (the thunderbolt). 



3. Brahmastra (the missile of Brahma). 



4. Kalapaiiaka (the noose of death). 



5. Narayanastra (the missile of Narayana). 



6. Pcuupatastra (the missile of Pasupati). 



These six weapons, which are projected by spells, reside in 

 his fourth foot. 57 



When Vaisampayana has finished in his second chapter 

 the enumeration of the weapons, which he assigns to the four 

 different classes, and has given in the following three chapters 

 an accurate description of the sword and all the thirty-two 

 arms belonging to the two first divisions, he remarks that the 

 efficiency of the weapons varies and is subject to great 

 changes. In different ages and at different places the 

 quality of a weapon is not the same, for the mode of con- 

 struction and the material out of which it is made is of a 

 different kind. Moreover much depends on the strength and 

 the ability of the person who uses such arms in increasing, 

 preserving or diminishing their efficiency. 58 



In addition to these weapons others were in actual use, 

 but they are said to be specially peculiar to the lowest or 



57 See Nitiprakasika, II. 40. 



40. Visnucakram vajram astram brahmastram kalapasakam 

 narayanarn pasupatam nasamyam itarastrakaih. 



58 See Nitiprakasika, V. 51: 



51. Etani vikrtim yanti yugaparyayato nrpa 



dehadardh yanusarena tatha Luddhyanusaratah. 



