One of the four most effective weapons found in the world.
It belonged to ālavaka. If he threw it up into the sky, no rain would fall for twelve years; if he let it fall on the earth, all plants and trees would die and nothing would grow for twelve years; if he threw it into the sea, the sea would completely dry up; it could make Sineru crumble into pieces. ālavaka hurled it at the Buddha, but it fell at the Buddha's feet and remained there as a rug.
It is also called Vatthāvudha, and was evidently made of cloth
(SNA.i.225f).