Very interesting excerpt from an Indian legend.

Gurkha,
flying a swift and powerful vimana
hurled a single projectile
Charged with all the power of the Universe.
An incandescent column of smoke and flame
As bright as the thousand suns
Rose in all its splendour...
a perpendicular explosion
with its billowing smoke clouds...
...the cloud of smoke
rising after its first explosion
formed into expanding round circles
like the opening of giant parasols...
..it was an unknown weapon,
An iron thunderbolt,
A gigantic messenger of death,
Which reduced to ashes
The entire race of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas.
...The corpses were so burned
As to be unrecognizable.
The hair and nails fell out;
Pottery broke without apparent cause,
And the birds turned white.
After a few hours
All foodstuffs were infected...
...to escape from this fire
The soldiers threw themselves in streams
To wash themselves and their equipment.

Ancient verses from the Mahabharata: (6500 B.C.?)

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Ancient alien encounters are what I like to research most. One of my favorite pass times is looking at ancient mythology and seeing if what they describe as old gods and signs in the sky could be ET in nature. This excerpt is from the mahabharata a very old legend in Indian culture. It's a very long epic about a struggle between good and evil. In it are mentioned "vimanas"

There are many definitions for vimana, but they all branch from "a vehicle or chariot capable of flight". Keep in mind these are descriptions from ancient times when, as far as we know, man didnt have any flying machines.

The creepiest part about this excerpt is the weapon it describes. It sounds very very similar to an atomic bomb of sorts. At first glance I wouldu say th description was that of a meteor, but take note that it mentions the projectile was fired from a vimana and towards teh end it mentions the infection of food stuffs which coincides with a radioactive fallout. The description of the smoke is also very peculisar and sounds very much like that of a mushroom cloud.

Time travelers? Alien war? Perhaps both and/or more?
Comments anyone?

I don't know much about these things but I do find them very intriguing. However, I think the translations made are not always accurate in the sense that the translation made is one that uses modern words for things written ages ago. Also, when interpreting ancient writings, aren't you liable to use modern thinking in that interpretation. For example, the ancient text (I'm making this up) was written to read "the fire in the sky fell into the sea" and the author was describing the sunset.

taken in the context of a larger document, one could also say that some flying object was on fire and fell into the water, thus implying a crashed aircraft.

Now, as I said, I don't have much knowledge in the writings but I've read that the translations can be the issue at hand. Thus the discrepancies in things like Nostradamous' prophecies. Another way to show the issue in translations and interpretations is the constant reworkings of ancient texts. How many translations of Beowulf are there? more than one. this means the text can be interpreted in more than one way.

Well that's what I would like to do with this thread. Let's try to break it down and see if we can come up with some ideas of what they were describing.

If the vimana and projectile were not an airplane/ufo dropping a bomb or otherworldly weapon, what were they?

I think this is pretty straight forward and self explanatory... I think what was said/written is exactly what was meant. There are no hidden meanings to it, and as far as translations, usually when things are misstranslated it causes them to make no sense at all, its not just substituted for a word that also works in that context...

Originally posted by dez
Ancient verses from the Mahabharata: (6500 B.C.?)

The Vaimanika Sastra refers to 97 past works and authorities, of which at least 20 works deal with the mechanism of aerial Flying Machines, but none of these works are now traceable. Says Sanskrit literature professor Dileep Kumar Kanjilal, Ph.D. of the West Bengal Senior Educational Service, Since the transcripts of the work date from early 20th century the authenticity of the Vail Sastra may be pertinently questioned.

I challenge you to find research about the origins of this "vimana."

According to a few old beliefs, like the Mayans for example, they believe we are at the end of our 3rd cycle. It seems man has populated the earth a couple of times before our current history. If prophesy holds true, man will almost destroy himself again soon, and a forth cycle of man will begin.

I have read these writings and it makes sense if you place these flying machines at the end of the last cycle.

Man is man's greatest enemy. We will keep destroying ourselves.

usually when things are misstranslated it causes them to make no sense at all

I do not think that is the case. Much more common would be to use experiences from one's own culture to substitue for the unknown. This would make sense, but still be quite wrong.

transcripts of the work date from early 20th century

How early exactly, anyone know? Just curious because if it pre-dates the atomic bomb it would still be of interest to me.

We will keep destroying ourselves

Or taking giant leaps forward. Even if in the past it has been violent or otherwise unpleasant it does not have to be the next time.


A.T
(-)

[edit on 6/24/05 by Alexander Tau]

What is the source for that translation? THere is a translation of some of the sanskrit texts that actually has stuff like that inserted into it, and lots of others that are very poor translations.

I don't believe that this is from the Mahabharata. Most of the Mahabharata can be found on-line. However, it is very long, and notice that no citatation is given for its location in the Mahabharata. This is like somebody claiming they read something in the Bible, when it was actually told to them by a preacher with an alternate agenda.

I say the whole passage is just made up by somebody in the 20th century, as a hoax.

Not the best verification but this excerpt is also recited on a history channel documentary called "ancient aliens". I would hope they check the authenticity of things before reading them on air, although it wouldnt surprise me and dont worry, i dont beleive everything I hear or see on TV.

I have also heard about the theories in which man has peaked and destoryed itself already on the planet. Interesting stuff. Makes this tend to poiont more toward time travelers than ETs.

You can buy the "Ancient Aliens" program on DVD or VHS. However, I bet you that they don't tell you where in the Mahabharata this is found.

Here is a link to the only complete unabridged public domain English translation of the Mahabhata:
www.sacred-texts.com...
They even let you download a zipped file of text files of the whole thing.

If you find this nuclear-weapons passage in the real Mahabhata, send us a link. Otherwise, I must assume that you've been duped.