It would be so comforting if we could dismiss all these accounts as fable, but the farther we go into the ancient works, the more accounts we come across of aeroforms, power-sources, and super weapons, which meant little to the Sanskrit translators of the nineteenth century, but which have a very ominous and significant meaning to us today.
I am not trying to prove that the pre-Deluvians had atom bombs or something similar; I shall be quite content if I can show that they knew how to build a type of flying saucer. But I would like to quote a few passages from the Mahabharata, written over 3,000 years ago, which shows conclusively that certain tremendous cosmic forces and their manipulation were not unknown to them. I quote these not as an interesting digression, but merely to show that if a perished civilisation once understood the workings of nuclear energy as well as a type of radiant energy still unknown to us, then there is all the more reason to believe their reports that they also had flying machines of amazing power and ability.
The first excerpt is an eye-witness account of the weapon called the Agneya upon an unfortunate army below. Generals might do well to study it.
‘A blazing missile possessed of the radiance of smokeless fire was discharged. A thick gloom suddenly encompassed the hosts. All points of the compass were suddenly enveloped in darkness. Evil-bearing winds began to blow. Clouds roared into the higher air, showering blood. The very elements seemed confused. The sun appeared to spin round. The world, scorched by the heat of that weapon, seemed to be in a fever. Elephants, scorched by the energy of that weapon, ran in terror, seeking protection from its terrible force. The very water being heated, the creatures who live in the water seemed to burn. The enemy fell like trees that are burned down in a raging fire. Huge elephants, burned by that weapon, fell all around. Others, scorched, ran hither and thither, and roared around fearfully in the midst of the blazing forest. The steeds and the chariots, burned by the energy of that weapon, resembles the stumps of trees that have been consumed in a forest conflagration. Thousands of chariots fell down on all sides Darkness then hid the entire army....’ 37
‘Cool winds began to blow. All points of the compass became clear and bright. Then we beheld a wonderful sight. Burned up by the terrible power of that weapon, the forms of the slain could not even be distinguished. We have never before heard of, nor seen, the like of that weapon.’35
37/ P. Chandra Roy, 1889, Drona Parva.
This terrible description of chariots charred to stumps like burned trees, and thousands of men so burned that not even their shapes could be distinguished, was possibly first written 10,000 years before Nagasaki. In the Mausala Parva there is a weapon likened to an ‘iron bolt’, through which all members of the race of Vrishnis and the Adhakas became consumed into ashes. Indeed, for their destruction. Canra produced a fierce iron thunderbolt that looked like a gigantic messenger of death.’
So dreadful was this weapon that: "in great distress of mind the king caused the bolt to be reduced to a fine powder’. Even then it still possessed some dreadful virulent power for: ‘he employed men to cast that powder into the sea.’ 37
37/ P. Chandra Roy, 1889, Drona Parva.
But with all these precautions, a great deal of damage was done by some invisible, or radio-active, means. People’s hair and finger nails fell out overnight. Gales blew all day. Pottery cracked for no apparent cause. Birds turned white, and their legs became scarlet and blistered. And food went bad within a few hours.
Besides the Agneya Weapon there is the Brahma Weapon which was said to contain the powers of the God Himself, that not even the immortals could withstand. This weapon is interesting for it is like nothing known today. Also referred to as lndra’s Dart, it is operated by a circular reflecting mechanism. It is not fired, but turned on like a searchlight. Immediately a glow comes out from the mechanism: a shaft of light, growing steadily stronger until the target has been completely consumed. Its power is considerable, for on a perfectly fine day, it immediately causes a great disturbance in nature. Winds blow, water boils, animals run amok. The only thing that can counteract it is another Brahma Weapon. Two of these, operating in opposition, completely neutralise one another, which strongly suggests that they worked on a vibrationary principle, which could be neutralised by carefully turning opposing waves.
The restrictions given against the indiscriminate use of these weapons are many. They may never be employed except in dire emergency, when all other weapons have been tried and failed. They may not be used against civilians nor against soldiers in retreat.
Drona is roundly admonished for breaking these rules and told that he will have his power withdrawn if he ever does it again: "Thou hast with the Brahma Weapon burnt the men of Earth who are unacquainted with arms (civilians). This act is not righteous. Do thou not again perpetrate such a sinful act.’ 37
37/ P. Chandra Roy, 1889, Drona Parva.
Before using the Brahma Weapons, the operator invariably ‘touches water’, which to us would imply the making of an electrical contact, or a good ‘earthing’. The effects are described in many places.
‘Drona’s son touched water and discharged the ‘Narayana’. Violent winds began to blow, showers of rain fell. Peals of thunder were heard, although the sky was cloudless. Earth shook. The seas swelled up in their confusion. Mountain summits split. Darkness set in. 37
‘The Brahma Weapon afflicted Partha and all beings. Earth with all her mountains trembled Terrible winds began to blow. The seas swelled in agitation.’ 37
37/ P. Chandra Roy, 1889, Drona Parva.
In the rout following this desolation a curious thing happens. Among the stampeding, screaming elephants, runaway chariots and blazing desolation, the fleeing soldiers rush off to the nearest water where they strip and wash themselves and their arms while the rout is still in progress.
Now why should they stop to have a bath and wash their armour in water (never very good for it at the best of times) at a moment like this, unless they were frightened of being contaminated by something—unless some peculiar quality had been imparted to their armour by the blast that they knew would be fatal unless swiftly counteracted ?
We are told that only those wearing metal or grasping metal objects will be hurt by the Brahma Weapon. Those who throw down their arms and leave their chariots will not be slain by it. But those who even think to contend against it shall be slain even though they hide deep in the earth.’ 37
37/ P. Chandra Roy, 1889, Drona Parva.
The importance of avoiding metal when the weapon is active is frequently stressed. In one battle Bhimasena is narrowly rescued from certain death by being dragged from his chariot at the last moment.
‘Enveloped by the weapon of Drona’s Son, Bhima, with his steeds, driver and chariot, became incapable of being gazed upon. Like a fire of blazing flames, in the midst of another fire, all the fierce rays began to proceed towards Bhima’s chariot. As the Yuga Fire consuming the Universe comes at last and enters the mouth of the Creator, so that weapon began to enter the body of Bhima.’ 38
38/ The blast of the super-weapons was many times brighter than the sun. To describe it adequately the ancient writers frequently make comparison to ultimate dissolution of our solar system when the sun suddenly flares up into a Supernova, expands and devours the planets one by one; a tenet recently evolved by modern science, but frequently mentioned in the ancient books, i.e.: ‘Arjuna burned all the Kurus by the heat of his weapons like the sun that appears at the end of the Yuga (age) consuming all creatures’. (Drona Parva.)
Seeing this, Krishna and Arjuna shout to him to throw down his arms and get away from his chariot as quick as he can. Bhima, overwhelmed by the blazing electrical fire, stands in a daze muttering abuse at the enemy. Whereupon his two friends, who have already taken protective measures, jump down from their own cars and run across to him, shading their eyes from the glare while ‘That weapon of Drona’s Son, directed against Bhima, increased in energy and power.’
Grabbing him by the arms, they drag him from the platform, throw him to the ground, and quickly disarm him. Whereupon the weapon is ‘quieted’, the winds cease, and the blue sky is seen again. But Bhima is furious and feels he has suffered an ignominious defeat in the eyes of the enemy.
At the next encounter the two sides are more evenly matched. Bhima, on his chariot, rushes to attack, and once again becomes the target for the blinding rays of the super-weapon. This time it is neutralised.
‘Beholding Bhima overwhelmed by that weapon, Dhahajaya neutralised its energy by covering it with the "Varuna Weapon ". None could see that he had thus been covered by the "Varuna Weapon " owing to the fiery force that enveloped him.
‘The weapon of Drona’s Son began to enter the body of Bhima. As one cannot perceive a fire if it penetrates into the sun, nor the sun if it penetrates into a fire, even so, none could perceive the energy that penetrated into Bhima’s body.’ 37 As in an earlier combat, when Partha counteracted Drona with his Brahma Weapon, so now: ‘all agitation in Nature was speedily pacified.’
37/ P. Chandra Roy, 1889, Drona Parva.
So far the flying saucers have been singularly peaceful. In all the centuries they have been in our skies, I have been unable to find a single case of hostile action. The prehistoric earth-made saucer, or vimana, was, however, a formidable weapon in war. Let me give you a few instances of how they were used to attack cities and armies, and of the appalling destruction that resulted. ‘Cukra, riding in that excellent vimana—which was powered by Celestial Forces, proceeded for the destruction of the Triple City.’ For this particular operation it had been decided previously: ‘to build a vimana of great power.’
The city is so strong that only a weapon that can destroy its three sections at once is deemed practicable: ‘These three parts are to be pierced by ane missile, by no other means can their destruction be effected.’
First of all a general bombardment takes place: ‘Cukra, surrounded by the Maruts, began hurling his thunder upon the Triple City from all sides.’
Then the terrible ‘one missile’ is used: ‘He flings a missile which contained the Power of the Universe, at the Triple City... the city began to burn.... Smoke, looking like ten thousand suns, blazed up in splendour.’
So terrible is this weapon that even the gods are afraid: ‘Seeing the Powers of the Universe united in one place, the gods became filled with wonder.’ In fact they have to intervene and extinguish the fire, saying: ‘Do not burn the whole world to ashes.’
I do not wish to confuse the issue at this point for we are trying to confine the subject, more or less, to vimanas. But in 1945 did not the American Government succeed in producing a weapon that also contained the basic Power of the Universe ?
Vimanas were also used against armies:
‘A huge and terrible vimana made of black iron, it was 400 yojanas high and as many wide, equipped with engines set in their proper places. No steeds nor elephants propelled it. Instead it was driven by machines that looked like [the size of] elephants.’ 39
39/ Ghatotrachabadma.
An eye witness on the ground tells of the air bombardment of his army, by the Rakshasas:
‘We beheld in the sky what appeared to us to be a mass of scarlet cloud resembling the fierce flames of a blazing fire. From this mass many blazing missiles flashed, and tremendous roars, like the noise of a thousand drums beaten at once. And from it fell many weapons winged with gold and thousands of thunderbolts, with loud explosions, and many hundreds of fiery wheels. Loud became the uproar of falling horses, slain by these missiles, and of mighty elephants struck by the explosions. With cries of " Oh " and " Alas ", the wandering army seemed on the point of being annihilated. Those terrible Rakshasas had the shape of large mounds stationed in the sky. 40
40/ Karan Parva.
All would have been lost, had not Kama produced a secret weapon which knocked the Rakshasa bombing fleet out of the sky:
‘Karna took up that terrible weapon, the tongue of the Destroyer, the Sister of Death, a terrible and effulgent weapon. When the Rakshasas saw that excellent and blazing weapon pointed up at them they were afraid.... The resplendent missile soared aloft into the night sky and entered the starlike formation... and reduced to ashes the Rakshasa’s vimana. The enemy craft fell from the sky with a terrible noise.’
Even while falling to Earth out of control one of the vengeful Rakshasas was determined to do as much damage as possible, so he adopted the recent Japanese technique of ‘Kamakasi’ and crashed his monstrous machine on to the troops below so that ‘a part of the army were crushed and pressed into the earth.’
Recall—
‘The shape of large mounds stationed in the sky.’
‘Like a mass of azure cloud in the sky, surrounded by a rainbow.
‘Vimanas decked and equipped according to rule, looked like heavenly structures in the sky... borne away they looked like highly beautiful flights of birds.’ 41
41/ They were not all built in the original, more efficient circular shape. The ‘Ramayana’ describes aerial cars of changing whim and fashion; shaped like horses, eagles and elephants. But again it is possible that these were merely the names given to different sizes or classes of vimanas, just as we give our own ‘aerial cars’ names like Hornet, Moth, Dragon-fly, Albatross, Gull, etc., after whatever bird or animal that takes the maker’s fancy.
The ‘Puspaka Vimana’ was possibly of the ‘Elephant’ class with its furnishings, windows, many apartments and ability to carry ‘all the vanaras as well as Rama, Sita and Laksmana’.
We get occasionally stories of giant Vimanas, which seem to savour of ‘daiva’, in the ‘Mahabharata’ when the Asura Maya sets out in a huge gorgeous golden circular construction with four power plants and a circumference of twelve thousand cubits—about four times the size of the monster that destroyed Captain Mantell’s fighter plane over Godman Field.
Couldn’t the same be said for flying saucers ?
The Ghatotrachabadma makes a statement that is even more startling: ‘Gifted with great energy the Rakshasa once more came down to Earth in his golden vimana .. when it had landed it looked like a beautifully shaped mound of antimony on the surface of the ground.’
In the recent film The Day the Earth Stood Still, a clever representation was given of a flying saucer landing in a Washington public park.
It sat there on the grass, a shapely silvery mound of gleaming metal; for which I can think of no better description than: ‘a beautifully shaped mound of antimony on the surface of the ground.’
