Vimana Shastra and Vimana Technology
As per ancient Hindu vedic texts and Vimana recently found in Afghanistan, it has been now proved that there was an existence of Vimanas in Ancient India and its subcontinents. Volume 10 and chapter 76 of Bhagavata purana describes the war between the king Salva and Vrishnis. It describes how Salva received Saubha vimana through lord Shiva by performing a deep penace and how he used the same in the war against Vrishnis. Rukmini's wedding with lord Krishna was through a "Swayamvara‟, and king Salva was the one who had participated in the swayamvara but could not marry her. It was during that time when Salva made an affirmation to destroy all the Yadhavas in the earth and performed a yearlong strong penace to please lord Shiva by consuming nothing else other than a handful of mud. When lord Shiva appeared before him, Salva asked for a Vimana as a boon through which he could travel wherever he wished, and the sight of the vimana would create a terror in the minds of Devas, Danavas, Gandharvas and the entire reptile family. Lord Shiva fulfilled his wish by asking Mayaasura the architect of that era to create a metallic flying city called Saubha. Saubha vimana is described as follows:
“Sa labdvaa kaamagam yaanam Tamoo dhaama Duraasadam||
Yayow dwaaravateem Salvoo Vairam vrishni kritam smaran||” 
(10.76.8 - Srimadbhaagavatam 1996: 171)
This non attackable vimana was covered with darkness, and it could travel anywhere as per the wish. After acquiring this vimaana, Salva thought about his enmity with Vrishnis (Yadhavas) and travelled to Dwaaraka. The important feature which we should consider here is “Kaamagam yaanam” which means “vimana which could travel anywhere as per the will”, this reminds us of the description of Pushpaka vimana in Ramayana which states “Tat pushpakam kaama gamam vimaanam”  (6-121-30 - Valmiki 1970).
This shows that both in Tretha Yuga and Dwapara Yuga there existed vimanas which could fly based on the thought power. As described in the article “Probable technologies behind the vimanas described in Ramayana” (Shruthi 2016) this feature of Saubha Vimana can be compared with the concept of “Thought Powered Aircraft” as researched by Professor Bin He‟s team from University of Minnesota in the year 2013.(Lafleur 2013).
“Nirudya Senayaa Salvo Mahatyaa Bharatarshabha|
Pureem bhajanjoo upavanaani udhyaanani cha sarvashah||
Sa Goopuraani Dvaarani Prassaada atvaala tolikaah|
Vihaaraan sa vimaanagryaat nipeetuh Shastra vrushtayah||
Shilaa drumaha cha ashanayah sarpaa asaara sharkaraah|
Prachandah chakravaato abhuud rajasaachaaditaa dishah||” 
(10.76. (9-11) Srimadbhaagavatam 1996: 171)
Salva attacked Dwaaraka with a huge army. He destroyed all the parks and gardens and dismantled all the palaces which had beautiful towers and entrances, knocked down all the forts, walls around them and destroyed all the beautiful resorts in the city. With the help of his vimaana he started dropping huge stones, logs of wood, vajraayudhas, snakes and hailstones as a shower.
This created a violent storm and all the directions were fogged by dusty air. This makes us think about fighter / bomber aircrafts, vajraayudhas dropped out of the vimanas can be compared with missiles dropped through fighter aircrafts. Our modern B-2 Spirit Stealth bomber aircraft has two weapon bays at the center of the aircraft which has the capacity to carry upto 40000lb of weapons, including conventional and nuclear weapons, precision-guided munitions, gravity bombs and a range of maritime weapons. Its weapon bays have rotary launcher and bomb rack assemblies.
It can also carry AGM 129 advanced cruise missile and 16 satellites guided joint direct attack munition missiles. It is fitted with generic weapon interface system which allows it to carry a variety of standoff weapons and direct attack munitions which enables it to attack upto four different types of target on a single mission. It even has the capability to attack moving targets using precision guided weapons such as the small diameter bomb II. The destruction which can be caused using B-2 stealth bomber aircraft is comparable with the destruction caused using Saubha vimana.
This magical vimana created by Maya was once visible in multiple forms and next time in single form, it was sometimes visible and sometimes invisible. Because of this opponents of Salva couldn‟t trace where the vimana was. This Saubha vimana was at a moment visible towards the land and next moment in the skies over the mountain and further over the water, like revolving fire wheel it was never visible at a place confusing all the Vrishnis. Because of this wherever Yadhava chiefs saw Salva and his vimana they started triggering the showers of their arrows/astras. Salva was perplexed at the sight of attack of his flying city Saubha and his army by the enemy arrows or astras. The arrows were striking like fire and sunlight and intolerable like snakes poison.
The interesting features of the Saubha vimana which can be compared with modern fighter aircrafts are special navigation system for seeing during night, ability to become invisible and undetectable, splitting up airplanes into multiple airplanes and object detection system which can avoid collision while travelling at high speeds. These features make us think of the technological advancements during that era.
(Credits : Smt Shruthi.K.R. Int. Journal of Engineering Research and Applications)