THE LIVING ARCHIVE
About Antardhanastra
Arjuna’s public demonstration and Kubera’s gift describe Antardhana in different ways. In the arena, the audience sees earlier manifestations disappear. Kubera describes his weapon as capable of putting enemies to sleep. Both episodes concern a named extraordinary power, but neither requires its effect to be limited to personal invisibility.
The world-guardian episode presents the gift as entrusted knowledge. Arjuna has pleased Shiva and is recognized by the visiting deities as connected with their purposes. Receiving an Astra is part of that relationship of fitness, instruction and anticipated responsibility.
AT A GLANCE
Identity & Context
- Identity
- Astra
- Form
- Invoked divine weapon
- Tradition
- Epic / Puranic traditions
THE STORY
Origins & Stories
ROLE & ESSENCE
Attributes & Significance
The two episodes explain why Antardhana cannot be described only as a power that makes its user invisible. The public display concerns the disappearance of visible manifestations; Kubera’s gift is described through a disabling effect upon enemies. A clear account preserves the action specified in each scene.
Astra Class
Invoked celestial weapon
Associated Deity
Invocation & Withdrawal
Epic accounts describe instruction, invocation and withdrawal. This entry does not supply a reconstructed mantra.
Effects & Destructive Capability
Kubera gives Arjuna the Antardhana weapon in the gifts of the world guardians.
Special Properties
The cited translation describes a sleep-inducing weapon; do not reduce it to modern invisibility.
Recorded Uses & Battles
Tradition Notes
Names and accounts can vary by recension, region and commentary. This entry distinguishes attested details from identifications still requiring a passage-level source.
Archive Classification Notes
Original archive annotations are retained here. The current playable classification is shown in the side panel.
- Tradition Dependence
- High; distinguish individual epic accounts.
- Restrictions
- Not established in the passage; no additional claim is made here.
- Counters & Defenses
- Not established in the passage; no additional claim is made here.
- Affected Characters
- Not established in the passage; no additional claim is made here.
- Editorial Power Tier
- Unassigned — no verified comparative scale
- Editorial Rarity
- Archive classification
TRADITION & MEANING
Traditions & Interpretations
The profile preserves the different descriptions without claiming that they are necessarily different objects or forcing them into one uniform effect. Neither the sleep account nor the disappearance display should be silently erased.
In the exhibition, Arjuna first produces fire, water, wind and other wonders, then makes them disappear. Antardhana completes the display by clearing away what he has summoned. This is a practical demonstration of ending an effect as well as creating one.
Names and accounts can vary by recension, region and commentary. This entry distinguishes attested details from identifications still requiring a passage-level source.
From the Sacred Texts
Explore the sacred texts behind these stories in the Suvarnaveda library.
FOLLOW THE THREADS
Connected Cards
6 connected profiles. Every path leads to an original record.
Characters & Cosmic Entities2
Kubera grants Arjuna the Antardhana weapon.
Arjuna receives the gift and uses the name in his exhibition.
