Shloka 62
द्रोणेन केकय-चेदि-वीरवधः
Droṇa’s engagements with the Kekayas and Cedis
शरवंशं शरस्थूणं शराच्छादनमद्भुतम् । शरवेश्माकरोत् पार्थस्त्वष्टेवाद्भुतकर्मकृत्
sañjaya uvāca | śaravaṁśaṁ śarasthūṇaṁ śarācchādanam adbhutam | śaraveśmākarot pārthas tvaṣṭevādbhuta-karmakṛt ||
Sanjaya said: Arjuna, performing wondrous deeds like Tvaṣṭṛ the divine craftsman, fashioned an astonishing structure entirely of arrows—its framework, its pillars, and even its covering—turning the very instruments of war into a marvel of skill amid the battlefield’s moral darkness.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary skill can transform even instruments of violence into feats of artistry; ethically, it underscores the Mahābhārata’s tension where kṣatriya duty and battlefield necessity coexist with awe at human (and quasi-divine) capability.
Sanjaya describes Arjuna constructing an astonishing arrow-built structure—its frame, pillars, and roof all made of arrows—likening his battlefield craftsmanship to Tvaṣṭṛ, the divine artisan.