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<div>{{Short description|Celestial weapon in Hindu mythology}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}<br />
{{More citations needed|date=November 2021}}<br />
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'''''Anjalikastra''''' is a celestial weapon in [[Hindu mythology]]. Anjalikastra was a personal [[Astra (weapon)|astra]] (celestial weapon) of the king of the [[Deva (Hinduism)|devas]], [[Indra]]. According to [[Hindu texts|Hindu literature]], using this weapon on an opponent decapitates them. In some stories, it is also said that [[Lakshmana]] - the brother of [[Rama]] - used same Anjalikastra to kill [[Indrajit|Indrajita]]. This astra is mentioned when [[Mahabharata|Mahabharata's]] [[Arjuna]] used it to kill [[Karna]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=BOOK VI: Canto XLVI.: Indrajit's Triumph.|url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rama/ry445.htm|access-date=2021-11-16|website=www.sacred-texts.com}}</ref><br />
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[[File:Arjuna kills Karna.jpg|thumb|Arjuna kills Karna using Anjalikastra]]<br />
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== Ramayana ==<br />
In some versions of [[Ramayana]], it is said that [[Meghanada]] ([[Indrajit|Indrajita]]) was killed by the usage of Anjalikastra. Meghanada was granted a boon from Brahma that after the completion of the Yagna (fire-worship) of his native goddess [[Prathyangira]] -"Nikumbhila yagna", he will get a celestial chariot, mounting on which, he will win over any enemy in war and become invulnerable. But Brahma also cautioned him that whosoever would destroy this yagna would also kill him. Indrajita through severe penance convinced Brahma to give him a boon in which it was promised to him that [[Indrajit|Indrajita]] would only be killed by such a man who hadn't had sleep for Fourteen years continuously. Thus [[Lakshmana]] was only the person at that time whose life satisfied those conditions and thus he was the only person eligible to kill [[Indrajit|Indrajita]]. Knowing this [[Vibhishana]] requested [[Lakshmana]] to destroy Indrajit's yagna. Lakshmana was very successful in spoiling [[Indrajit]]'s Nikumbhila Yagna and finally killed [[Meghanada]] using Anjalikastra.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Buck|first=William|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/10247531|title=Ramayana : [King Rama's way]|date=1981|publisher=University of California Press|others=Vālmīki|isbn=0-520-04394-4|edition=1st California pbk. print|location=Berkeley|oclc=10247531}}</ref><br />
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== Mahabharata ==<br />
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On the 17th day of the Kurukshetra war, Karna and Arjuna faced each other and started fighting. As the battle intensified, Karna had an arrow on his neck by Arjuna by the Anjalikastra. {{Cn|date=September 2022}}<br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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[[Category:Weapons in Hindu mythology]]</div>182.64.199.143