astra

Brahmastra

It was the most common devine weapon used in the war.

Only in last battle of Karn-Arjun, this weapon was used 4 times.

Guru Drona also used this weapon multiple times, and so do Yudhhisthir (once).

Arjun and Karn also used it against other opponents.

Vayavyastra

Karn used this weapon against Ghatotkachha.

Arjun used it clear clouds against Karn.

Guru Drona used it against Arjun.

Aswatthama also used it against Ghatotkach.

Agneyastra

Arjun used it against Karn.

Aswathhama used it against Arjun.

Karn used against Arjun.

Varunastra

Karn used it against Arjun, to counter Agneyastra.

Guru Drona used it against Arjun.

Narayanastra

Aswathhama used it against Pandava warriors.

Brahmashirastra

Aswathhama used it on Uttara’s womb.

Arjun invoked and withdrew it twice.

Rudrastra

Aswathhama used it on Panchal soldiers.

Arjun invoked it to kill Karn, but his chariot stuck into the ground and Arjun withdrew it.

Aindrastra

Arjun used it to counter Karn’s brahmastra.

He also used it against many Kuru Warriors including Pitamah and defeated them on 3rd day.

Vajrastra

Arjun used it against Samsaptakas.

Vaishnavastra

Bhagadatta used it to kill Arjun, but Lord Krishna took his weapon back.

Bhargavastra

Karn used it against Panchala and Pandava army.

Only Karn possessed this weapon.

Pashupata (Some unknown weapon of Lord Shiva) and Tvashtra

Guru Drona used it on Arjun.

Arjun nullified it.

Note, it is not the Pashupatastra Arjun got, Pashupata also means weapon of Pashupati.

Vajra (another unknown weapon, possibly it is Vajra of Indradev, but controversial since there were many Vajras)

Lord Shiva’s Vajra was used by Ghatotkachha on Aswathhama and Karn.

Aswathhama used Vajra too.

Anjalika Astra

Used by Ghatotkachha on Karn perhaps.

Arjun used it against Karn to kill him.

Gandharvastra

Abhimanyu used it inside chakravyuh.

Bhaskara

Abhimanyu used it against demon Alambush to destroy his illusions.

Nagastra

Arjun used on Samsaptaka warriors.

Garunastra

Susharma used to counter Arjun’s Nagastra.

Vasawi Shakti

Karn used it to kill Ghatotkachha

Pramohanastra

Dristadyumna invoked it.

Prajnastra

Aswathhama used it to neutralise Pramohanastra.

Parjanyastra

Arjun used to quench Pitamah’s thirst.

Jyotikshastra

Arjun used it against Shakuni’s illusion.

Adityastra

Arjun used it against Shakuni to dry up water.

https://www.google.com/search?q=mahabharata+astra 

Advanced Vyuhas (military formations) used in war:

1. Chakra vyuha – formation of concentric circles in layers.

2. Shakata vyuha – formation of a cart wheel

3. Mandala vyuha – circular formation ( dont know how this is different from the above)

4. Urmi vuyha – formation resembling ocean’s waves

5. Sarvatobhadra vyuha – meaning “safe on all sides” – seems to have been a kind of square array in which the troops faced all the points of the compass (as per KMG interpretation)

6. Garuda vyuha (Garuda – The Mighty Bird).

7. Krauncha vyuha ( Krauncha is bird with a sharp pointed beak)

8. Vajra vyuha ( in the shape of the thunderbolt)

9. Suchimukha vyuha ( formation in the shape of a needle)

10.Padma vyuha (formation of a blooming lotus)

11. Sura & Asura vyuha hv been mentioned as well (cant interpret how they were)

12. ArdhaChandraakara vyuha (crescent shpe)

13. Makara vyuha ( crocodile-shaped)

Each formation was met by a counter formation by the other side.  For instance, the Sarpa Vyuha was met with Garuda Vyuha(Serpent formation against Eagle.  The Heron Formation was usually met with Garuda or eagle Formation’Eagle is a Natural Enemy of Heron.

There were also courses to get into and out of each formation.  These were fought while being taught the Dhanur Vidya.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Dhanur+Vidya

21 Battle Formations

 Here is a quick and dirty list of all battle formations used in the Mahabharata war: 

1. Sarvatomukhi Danda Vyuha or the ‘Outward Facing’ Formation – used by the Kauravas on Day 1
2. Krauncharuma Vyuha or the Crane Formation – used by the Pandavas on Day 2, and by the Kauravas on Day 6.
3. Garuda Vyuha or the Eagle Formation – used by the Kauravas on Days 3 and 12.
4. Ardhachandra Vyuha or the Semicircle / Crescent Formation – used by the Pandavas on Days 3, 12 and 16.
5. Makara Vyuha or the Alligator Formation – used by the Kauravas on Days 5 and 16, and by the Pandavas on Day 6.
6. Syena Vyuha or the Hawk Formation – used by the Pandavas on Day 5.
7. Mandala Vyuha or the Circle Formation – used by the Kauravas on Day 7, and by the Pandavas on Day 9
8. Vajra Vyuha or the Diamond Formation – used by the Pandavas on Days 1 and 7.
9. Oormi Vyuha or the Ocean Wave Formation – used by the Kauravas on Day 8
10. Sringataka Vyuha or the Horn Formation – used by the Pandavas on Day 8
11. Sarvatobhadra Vyuha or the ‘Safe from all Sides’ Formation – used by the Kauravas on Day 9
12. Asura Vyuha – used by the Kauravas on Day 10
13. Daiva Vyuha – used by the Pandavas on Day 10
14. Chakra Vyuha or the Chariot Wheel Formation – used by the Kauravas on Day 13
15. Sakata Vyuha (Box Formation), Padma Vyuha (Lotus Formation) and the Soochimukha Vyuha (Needle Face Formation) – used by the Kauravas on Day 14

https://www.google.com/search?q=21+Battle+Formations

stupor

 Dhrishtadyumna had a secret weapon, which he had obtained from Dronacharya and, discharging it, threw the enemy forces into a stupor. But Duryodhana then joined the fray and discharged weapons to counter the stupor weapons of Dhrishtadyumna. 

https://blessingsonthenet.com/indianculture/section/articles/218/mahabharata-chapter-sixty-nine

grief

Shantanu->Lost 9 children.

Satyavati -> Though she had got wat she wanted, she had to endure the death of her two sons….

Amba -> Abandoned in love. Had to jump in fire out of despair.

Ambika, Ambalika -> Lost husband at a tender age. Had to sleep with a stranger to get children.

Dhritarashtra -> Was denied kingship bcoz of his blindness. Son got denied too.

Gandhari -> Married to a blind man. Lost all her sons in the war.

Pandu -> Impotent/Cursed to not father a child. Not a very easy thing for a man, especially when he is a King.

Kunti -> Went through exile at a young age. Had to sleep with strangers to get children at the order of her husband. Lost her husband. Had the guilt of abandaning her firstborn. Lost her first son.

Madri -> Died with the guilt of having caused her husband’s death.

Vidur -> Berrated all his life as a Kshatta. Nobody gave him the due he deserved.

Pandavas -> Fatherless. Uncertain future. Exiled. Survived murder conspiracies. Lost all children in war.

Duryodhan n Kauravas -> Father denied throne. He too almost denied throne. Lived a life of insecurity. Lost sons n everyone. Died a brutal death.

Karna -> Abandoned at childhood. Had a huge moral dilemma of fighting against own brothers. Lost his sons before dying.

Draupadi -> Gambled Away by husband. Assaulted. Disrobed. Exiled. Almost kidnapped. Molested again. Lost father, brother, children in war.

Hidimba -> Lived alone in woods. Lost her son.

Abhimanyu -> Died a brutal death.

Subhadra n other Kuru wives -> Lost their sons.

Iravan -> Remained without father. Died for father, but never got his due.

Uttara -> Lost father, brother n husband at a tender age.

Shakuni -> Lived supporting his ill-fated sister. Lost family in the war. Probably the least unfortunate of the lot.

Lord Krishna -> Almost survived infanticide. Saw his entire family getting destroyed.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Mahabharata+grief

Vidura remembered

1. by Dhritarashtra frequently
2. by arjuna while seeing carnage on Mahabharata war
3. by shakuni after his son was killed
4. by duryodana after defeat in  Mahabharata war
5. by krishna while leaving earth

https://www.google.com/search?q=remembered+vidura

mallet

https://www.google.com/search?q=mallet

Soon, however, the mighty car-warrior Savyasaci (Arjuna) made his adversary steedless and driverless and carless, and without putting forth much strength pierced him with three arrows. Staying on that steedless car, Drona's son, smiling the while, hurled at the son of Pandu a heavy mallet that looked like a dreadful mace with iron-spikes. Beholding that weapon, which was decked with cloth of gold, coursing towards him, the heroic Partha, that slayer of foes, cut it off into seven fragments. Seeing his mallet cut off, Drona's son of great wrath took up a terrible mace equipped with iron spikes and looking like a mountain summit. Accomplished in battle, the son of Drona hurled it then at Partha. Beholding that spiked mace coursing towards him like the Destroyer himself in rage, Pandu's son Arjuna quickly cut it off with five excellent shafts. Cut off with Partha's shafts in that great battle, that weapon fell down on the Earth, riving the hearts, as it were, O Bharata, of the (hostile) kings. 

https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m09/m09014.htm

murder

 https://www.google.com/search?q=mahabharat+murder

Pradakshina

 Arjuna got down from his chariot and went around the fallen Bhagadatta through Pradakshina to pay his last respects to his father's friend, one of the greatest warriors since he was too a Indra's son.

https://longestepic.blogspot.com/search/label/FormostofAllElephantWarriors

peter

 https://www.google.com/search?q=peter+brook

rest

 https://www.google.com/search?q=mahabharata+rest