Tvāshṭrāstra

The Tvāshṭrāstra is a divine weapon (astra) that calls upon the śakti (power) of Tvashṭṛ, the divine craftsman of the devas, who made their divine weapons and tools. An astra is a weapon called forth with mantra, carrying the power of the deva it is named after.

In the Droṇa Parva of the Mahābhārata, Bhīmasena calls upon this astra in battle. It also appears in the exchange of divine weapons between Arjuna and Droṇācārya on the fifteenth day of the war (Chapter 188). It is counted among the lesser divine weapons that go along with the greater astras in the store of weapons held by the most skilled warriors.

Nature

The Tvāshṭrāstra carries the power of Tvashṭṛ, the divine artisan who made the weapons of the devas. Among them was the vajra (thunderbolt) of Indra, made from the bones of the ṛshi Dadhīci. Because it calls upon this deva, the Tvāshṭrāstra carries the quality of divine skill and precision. In the Mahābhārata it is named together with other astras linked to the powers of nature and the devas: the Aindra (Indra’s), the Pāśupata (Paśupati’s), the Vāyavya (Vāyu’s) and the Vāruṇa (Varuṇa’s). Together these make up the weapon store of the greatest warriors.

In the Droṇa Parva

The Tvāshṭrāstra is mentioned in Chapter 188, during the long fight between Arjuna and Droṇācārya on the fifteenth day. In that fight both warriors used their full range of astras against each other. Bhīmasena also calls upon it in battles where a force of nature is needed beyond the power of ordinary weapons.

Sources

• Mahābhārata, Droṇa Parva, Chapter 188