Vimānas in the Mahābhārata

Record summary

The Mahābhārata contains descriptions of divine chariots, aerial movement and celestial weapons that have sometimes been grouped under the modern label “vimāna.” These episodes are valuable comparison material because they show how mythological imagery can be recast as reports of advanced machines. The poem developed through a long period of composition and transmission, and individual passages differ across recensions. A researcher should identify the exact Sanskrit verse and translation being cited rather than treating the modern English category “UFO” as equivalent to the epic’s religious or poetic vocabulary.