Astra (weapon)
In Hinduism, an ' (; also Romanized as asthra""') is a supernatural weapon invoked by mantras to summon the energy of a specific deity. This energy can be channeled into any object, which can then be used as a weapon. These weapons are imbued with spiritual and occult powers. The word "astra" later became used to describe any ranged weapon that is handheld, such as a bow and arrow. Section::::"Astradhari". The bearer of an "astra" is called an "Astradhari" (). In the "Ramayana" and "Mahabharata", Shri Ram had more "astras" than any other warrior, and in various texts Parashurama is stated  to have possessed numerous "astras" as well. Summoning. Summoning an "astra" requires saying a specific incantation or invocation. Whichever deity was invoked would then give a weapon supernatural powers, which made it superior to regular weapons. "Astras" were only to be used in certain circumstances, and summoning one irresponsibly would be punished, possibly by death. The ability to summon an "astra" would be passed down by word of mouth through the system of "Guru–shishya," in which a teacher ("Guru") would give knowledge of the incantation to a pupil ("Shishya"). However, some "astras" are only given by deities directly, and  simply saying an incantation would be insufficient. List of "Astras". "Astras" are most common in the "Ramayana" and "Mahabharata", and feature in the battles described in each epic. While they typically take the form of arrows, "astras" could take the form of any object. For example, Ashwatthama invoked the Brahmashirsha astra into a blade of grass to use as his weapon.