HOW THE GODS KILL: THE "NĀRĀYAṆA ASTRA" EPISODE, THE DEATH OF RĀVAṆA, AND THE PRINCIPLES OF "TEJAS" IN THE INDIAN EPICS

According to the CriticalEdition, the Nar ayan. a astra, called the ultimate weapon (paramam astram. : MBh.7.166.44), was passed down from the deity Narayan.a to Dron. a and Asvatthaman.5 The N ar ayan. a astra gives the wielder the ability to produce showers of divine weapons (divy ani sastravars. an. i), and due to its very nature the wielder blazes with tejas in battle.6 An alternate account of the Nar ayan. a astras history (which appears in several variant texts) reads: Kr.s.n.a confirms that the divine weapon is not going to obey ks. atradharma. Since the N ar ayan. a astra is notsubject to ks. atradharma, then Kr.s.n.a must be dealing with the divine weapon in a different way.43 It is only by following Kr.n.as method that the tejas is neutralized, which suggests that instead of subjecting the astra to some kind of moral code, Kr.s.n.a is deliberately dealing with its energy source..sTHE PRESCRIBED METHOD IN LIGHT OF THE PRINCIPLES OF TEJASAn ulterior motive is revealed when the prescribed method is examined in light of the principles of tejas. [...]at dusk (neither day nor night) Indra found Vr.tra by the seashore, and while thinking of Vis.n.u,Indra saw a pile of foam (phena), which is neither dry, nor wet, nor a weapon.77 Indra immediately threw it at Vr.tra and that foam blended with the Vajra, and Vis.n.u having entered the foam, destroyed Vr.tra.78 Once again the suggestion is that Vis.n.us tejas enters and energizes the Vajra astra (Thunderbolt-weapon), so the king of the gods can slay the demon.79 Thus, an alternate version of this myth reads: [...]the Mah abh arata states with regard to divine weapon combat; Humans would not believe this, for it does not occur among them.83 This is especially true for the Brahma astra, as the same text explicitly states that humans are unable to possess it.84 To return to Ramas own nature, he is consistently said to possess very great tejas and unlimited tejas (sumah atejas-, amitatejas-),85 and during a fit of rage Ramas tejas is said to be able to consume the universe.86 In an encounter with the mythic warrior Parasu-Rama, who was the sole destroyer of all the warriors in a previous age, Rama displays his tejas, defeats him, and further stuns all the celestial beings who were watching the proceedings.87 Rama then seizes Parasu-Ramas divine bow andHOW THE GODS KILL 421arrows and proves he can wield them.