THE LIVING ARCHIVE
About Sammohanastra
The weapon appears during the recovery of the Matsya cattle, when Arjuna and Uttara Kumar face an assembled Kuru force. It belongs within a sequence of combat, sound and extraordinary archery. The account does not require identifying it as an ordinary physical object with a separate visible body.
Its effect is not presented as a permanent condition. Warriors drop their bows and stand insensible, but later recover. Bhishma’s knowledge of how to counter it is also explicitly noticed, qualifying any assumption that the same result must apply equally to every opponent.
More About Sammohanastra
An Astra associated with bewilderment or loss of awareness in epic combat.
AT A GLANCE
Identity & Context
- Identity
- Astra
- Form
- Invoked divine weapon
- Tradition
- Epic / Puranic traditions
- Also Known As
- Sanmohana Astra
THE STORY
Origins & Stories
ROLE & ESSENCE
Attributes & Significance
The weapon helps Arjuna complete the immediate aim of the campaign: recovering Matsya’s cattle. Once the Kuru warriors are incapacitated, he chooses not to kill them. Bhishma later points out this restraint when Duryodhana demands that the fighting continue.
Astra Class
Invoked celestial weapon
Invocation & Withdrawal
Epic accounts describe instruction, invocation and withdrawal. This entry does not supply a reconstructed mantra.
Effects & Destructive Capability
An Astra associated with bewilderment or loss of awareness in epic combat.
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.
- Associated Deity
- Not established in the passage; no additional claim is made here.
- Origin & Transmission
- Not established in the passage; no additional claim is made here.
- Known Wielders
- Not established in the passage; no additional claim is made here.
- Special Properties
- Not established in the passage; no additional claim is made here.
- 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.
- Recorded Uses & Battles
- 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
Names and spellings vary in translation. This episode should not be conflated automatically with Prasvapa or every weapon called Mohana, nor should its sound imagery be turned into a modern technical mechanism unsupported by the narrative.
The recovery of the defeated warriors is part of the episode. Their loss of awareness is temporary, and Bhishma is specifically recognized as knowing a counter. These details explain the limits of the described effect and the care needed while approaching the apparently helpless force.
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
5 connected profiles. Every path leads to an original record.
The Sacred Library2
Characters & Cosmic Entities3
Arjuna invokes the weapon against the encircling Kurus.
Uttara Kumar collects the garments at Arjuna’s instruction.
Bhishma is recognized as knowing its counter.