Who knew sonic archery?

[Avinash]

I posted it in Hinduism forum. Hope to get more responses here.

It is written in Ramayan that Dashrath knew shabd bhedi baan i.e. he could shoot an arrow by hearing the sound of the target. Mahabharat says that Eklavya also had the knowledge of this art.

 

Are there examples of any of the following having this knowledge? :-

Bhisma, Pandu, Karna, Arjuna, Rama, Laxmana, Parashurama, Valmiki, Luv, Kush

 

I understand that they were great archers and therefore, they must be knowing shabd bhedi baan. But I want to know the stories in which this knowledge of theirs is depicted. Could you please post those stories?

 

One more question:- In Rama-Ravana war, Indrajit became invisible using his illusory power. Why did Rama not shoot at him based on his voice?

Thanks.

[Kulapavana]

As the example of Maharaja Dasaratha shows, this techinique of aiming weapons by sound alone has serious drawbacks. It was used mostly in hunting. Sometimes an archer would make an animal-call (sound imitating a particular type of animal) and listen for an answer. When the answer came, the archer would shoot the target based on sound alone. This training made their hearing very acute, and that was useful in the battle as well, as sometimes the vision is obscured by sweat, blood, or dust, or people try to sneak up on you from behind.

[Avinash]

Thanks. In Ramayan, Mahabharat and Puranas I am aware of only two stories in which somebody displays his knowledge of "shabd bhedi baan" - one of Dashrath and another of Eklavya. I am interested in knowing other stories in which somebody displays this knowledge.

[mahak]

In the stories of ramayana and mahabharata, we see all the great archers proficient in what is called today, but still quite rudimentary and in the prototype stage, Tesla Technology. All was lost at the advent of this age of Kali Yuga.

 

Both sides in kuruksetra dhama was expert in this weaponry. Only Aswattama used weapons he could not control by sound vibration, because his father, Dronacarya gave that particular weapon to Arjuna alone. But Karna, Bhisma, Krpacarya, Dronaqcarya, all were experts.

 

The monkey kingdoms used mantras for their weapons as well. So did Ravanna, and his brother, Indrajit, was perhaps the very best in all history. Sri Sri Rama and Laksmana, were invincible. Even great queens knew these sciences, like Sita, Kunthi, and Draupadi. Queen of Hastinapura, the chaste and wonderful wife of Dhritarasta whose name escapes me now in my old age was so adept that she burned the ground to glass with here eyes when she saw Bhimasena after the war. Fortunately for him, she took a vow of voluntary blindness and did not directly see any of the pandavas.

 

Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

 

PS All weapons from space in todays world are sound weapons. Tesla

[Ganeshprasad]

 

Thanks. In Ramayan, Mahabharat and Puranas I am aware of only two stories in which somebody displays his knowledge of "shabd bhedi baan" - one of Dashrath and another of Eklavya. I am interested in knowing other stories in which somebody displays this knowledge.

 

Pranam

here is another from Valmiki Ramayan

 

vadhyataam taavat eva eSaa puraa sa.ndhyaa prava.rtate || 1-26-22

raxaa.msi sa.ndhyaa kaale tu du.rdharSaaNi bhavanti hi |

 

22b, 23a. sandhyaa puraa pravartate= sunset, in short time, sets in; taavat eva= before that, alone; eSaa vadhyataam= she, be destroyed; sandhyaa kaale= at sunset, time; rakshaamsi dur dharshaaNi bhavanti vai= demons, unassailable, they become, indeed.

 

"Sun is going to set in a short time, and only before that time she shall be destroyed, for demons at dusk and afterwards become unassailable, indeed." So said sage Viswamitra to Rama. [1-26-22b, 23a]

 

iti uk{}taH sa tu taam yaxiim ashma vR^iSTyaa abhivarSaNiim || 1-26-23

darshayan shabda vedhitvam taam rurodha sa saayakaiH |

 

23b, 24a. iti uktaH saH= thus, spoken, he that Rama; taam yakshiim= her, that yakshii; shabda vedhitvam darshayan= sonic, archery, displaying [his capacity]; ashma vR^iSTyaa abhi varSaNiim= with stones, storms, storming; saH= he; taam rurodha saayakaiH= her, forestalled, with arrows.

 

When Vishvamitra addressed him thus, Rama displaying his capacity in sonic archery forestalled that yakshii who has gone into invisibility and storming stone-storms, with his arrows. [1-26-23b, 24a]

 

for mahak, the name of that noble lady is Gandhari.

 

Jai Shree Krishna

[mahak]

Haribol, Thanks much (again), sri Ganeshprasad. You are a nice source for such nice things, yer surf ant, mahaksadasa.

 

Srimati Gandhari, and Srimati Manohari, the wife of Ravanasura, are prime examples of fine attributes in humankind. All glories to Ramayana and Mahabharata.

[Avinash]

 

Queen of Hastinapura, the chaste and wonderful wife of Dhritarasta whose name escapes me now in my old age...

 

Her name was Gandhari.

[Avinash]

Oops sorry. After making the above post, I noticed that Ganesh Prasad already gave the answer.

[Avinash]

If Rama knew sonic archery, then why did he not attack Indrajit when Indrajit became invisible?

[indulekhadasi]

 

If Rama knew sonic archery, then why did he not attack Indrajit when Indrajit became invisible?

 

Sometimes when the Lord fights with the demons he lets the demons gain the upper hand for a while to show that even if the demon is very powerful he will lose the war due to his false pride. Eg. (Krishna and Jarasandha)

 

Sorry, that is the only explaination I can give. I have a very limited intelligence.

[suchandra]

Lord Ramachandra shooting an arrow through seven tree trunks.

[mahak]

Indrajit is pastime. Without question, as Krsna gave Arjuna the bhakti yoga of Kuruksetra, Lord Rama gives the service of Indrajit (a very tenuous service, not to be taken for granted) to the brother of Ravanasura. As Raksasa, this devotee of Lord Rama (ganeshprasad, indulekha, avinash, they have this devotees name) could not be fooled by the mysticism of Indrajit, and Ramachandra, posing as human, accepted this illusion as lila.

 

Ramayana, the mahaprasada of Sri Valmiki, all glories to kusa and lava.

 

hare krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

[Avinash]

Thanks. But I was talking about the Ram-Ravan war in which Indrajit goes into hiding and showers various lethal weapons on Ram and Laxman. The arrows shot by him turn into snakes and these snakes cover the bodies of Ram and Laxman completely.

[mahak]

They then said, "well done", while the tiger chariot sped off thru the etherical space where the raksasas reside sometimes. Them damn cheatin raksasas. So Indrajits brother can be recruited at once.

 

Storytelling, the greatest yoga.

[indulekhadasi]

 

Thanks. But I was talking about the Ram-Ravan war in which Indrajit goes into hiding and showers various lethal weapons on Ram and Laxman. The arrows shot by him turn into snakes and these snakes cover the bodies of Ram and Laxman completely.

 

He wanted to show the greatness of his devotee Garuda who then came to the rescue!

[Ganeshprasad]

 

Thanks. But I was talking about the Ram-Ravan war in which Indrajit goes into hiding and showers various lethal weapons on Ram and Laxman. The arrows shot by him turn into snakes and these snakes cover the bodies of Ram and Laxman completely.

 

Pranam

 

Prabhu ki lila Prabhu hi jane

 

of course Lord Ram could have shot sonic arrow just as he killed Tadka, that would have gone against

the boon lord Brahma gave to Indrajit (Meghnath) the Son of Ravan

 

In the Adhy.tmar.m.yaÄa Vibh¶¦aÄa tells Ýr¶ R.ma:. (Yuddhak.ÄÎa VIII. 64.67)

.Brahm. (the Creator) has ordained the death of this wicked soul (Meghan.da) at the hands of one who has neither slept nor taken any food for full twelve years. Given over to your service, Lak¦maÄa, O Chief of the Raghus, has known neither sleep nor food etc., ever since he came away from Ayodhy.: I have come to know all this, O King of kings. Therefore, O Ruler of gods, command Lak¦maÄa to accompany me with allspeed; for he is no other than Ýe¦a, the supporter of the earth, and will doubtless slay this demon.

As indulekhadasi points out Garud had a role to play, who in turn was humbled as Tulsidas Goswami writes, having become proud of his saving the Lord, was asked to approach Kakbhusundi a mere crow, to listen to the glories of Lord Ram.

Jai Shree Krishna

[mahak]

Sri Vibhishana is the one who is the only one capable of defeating indrajits magic.

 

haribol, ys, mahaksadasa

 

haribol

[Avinash]

Did Laxman really live without food for 12 years? Did he not eat anything in these 12 years?

He must have eaten roots and fruits in the jingle.

[Avinash]

Did Arjun ever use the art of taking aim on the basis of sound?