Drona
Encyclopedia
In the epic Mahābhārata
, Drona or Dronacharya was the royal guru
to Kauravas and Pandavas. He was a master of advanced military arts, including the Devastras. Arjuna
was his favorite student. Drona's love for Arjuna was second only to his love for his son Ashwatthama
. He was considered to be a partial incarnation of Brihaspathi.
brahmin
, in a place considered to be modern day Dehradun
. Drona implies that he was not gestated in a womb, but outside the human body in a droon (vessel).
The story of Drona's birth is recounted dramatically in Mahābhārata, Book I: Adi Parva, Sambhava Parva, Section CXXXI. Bharadwaja
went with his companions to the Ganga to perform his ablutions. There he beheld a beautiful apsara
named Ghritachi who had come to bathe. The sage was overcome by desire, causing him to produce a reproductive fluid. Bharadwaja captured the fluid in a vessel called a drona, and Drona/Dronacharya himself sprang from the fluid thus preserved. Drona would later boast that he had sprung from Bharadwaja without ever having been in a womb.
Drona spent his youth in poverty, but studied religion and military arts such as archery, in which he gained expertise,
together with the then prince of Panchala
, Drupada
. Drupada and Drona became close friends and Drupada, in his childish playfulness, promised to give Drona half his kingdom upon ascending the throne of Panchala.
Drona married Kripi, the sister of Kripa
, the royal teacher of the princes and other children of the kings born out of maidservants in Hastinapura
. Like Drona himself, Kripi and her brother had not been gestated in a womb, but outside the human body (see Kripa
page).
Kripi and Drona had a son, Ashwathama.
Drupada gave Drona a long and haughty explanation of why he was rejecting him. Friendship, said Drupada, is possible only between persons of equal stature in life. As a child, he said, it was possible for him to be friends with Drona, because at that time they were equals. But now Drupada had become a King, while Drona remained a luckless indigent. Under these circumstances, friendship was impossible. However, he said he would satisfy Drona if he begged for alms befitting a Brahmin
, rather than claiming his right as a friend. Drupada advised Drona to think no more of the matter, and be on his way. Drona went away silently, but in his heart he vowed revenge.
in the Mahābhārata epic.
, hope to open a school of military arts for young princes, with the help of King Dhritarashtra
. One day, he saw a number of young boys, the Kauravas and Pandavas, gathered around a well. He asked them what the matter was, and Yudhisthira
, the eldest, replied that their ball had fallen into the well and they did not know how to retrieve it.
Drona laughed, and mildly rebuked the princes for being helpless over such a plain problem. Yudhisthira replied that if he, a Brahmin, could retrieve their ball, the king of Hastinapura would provide all the basic necessities to him for life. Drona first threw in a ring of his, collected some blades of grass, and uttered mystical Vedic chant
s. He then threw the blades into the well one after another, like spears. The first blade stuck to the ball, and the second stuck to the first, and so on, forming a chain. Drona gently pulled the ball out with this rope of grass.
In a feat that was even more amazing to the boys, Drona then chanted Vedic mantras again and fired a grass blade into the well. It struck within the center of his floating ring and rose out of the well in a matter of moments, retrieving Drona's ring. Excited, the boys took Drona to the city and reported this incident to Bhishma
, their grandfather.
Bhishma instantly realized that this was Drona, and - his prowess having been exemplified - asked him to become the Guru
of the Kuru princes, training them in advanced military arts. Drona then established his gurukul
near the city, where princes from numerous kingdoms around the country came to study under him. This village came to be known as Guru-Gram ("guru" - teacher, "gram" - village), and has now developed into the city of Gurgaon
.
emerged as the most dedicated, hard-working and most naturally talented of them all, exceeding even Drona's own son Ashwathama. Arjuna assiduously served his teacher, who was greatly impressed by this devoted pupil.
Arjuna surpassed Drona's expectations in numerous challenges. When Drona tested the princes' alertness and ability by creating an illusion of a crocodile
attacking him and dragging him away, most of the princes were left dumbfounded. Arjuna, however, swiftly fired arrows to slay the illusionary animal, and Drona congratulated Arjuna for passing this test.
As a reward, Drona gave Arjuna mantras to invoke the super-powerful divine weapon of Brahma
known as Brahmastra
, but told Arjuna not to use this irresistible weapon against any ordinary warrior. The weapon had a sharp edge surrounded below by three heads of Lord Brahma.
In another challenge, Drona gave each prince a pot to fill with water and swiftly return. Whoever would return fastest would receive instruction in some extra special knowledge. He gave his son Ashwathama a wide-necked pot unlike the others' narrow-necked ones, hoping he would be the first to return. But Arjuna used his knowledge of a mystical water weapon to fill his pot swiftly and returned first.
In a great challenge, Drona set up a wooden bird upon a tree, and from across the adjacent river, asked the princes to shoot it down by striking its eye. When prince Yudhisthira
tried first, Drona asked him what he saw. Yudhisthira replied that he saw Drona, his brothers, the river, the forest, the tree and the bird. Drona replied that Yudhisthira would fail and asks another prince to step forward. The others gave the same reply, and Drona was disappointed with all. But when Arjuna stepped forth, he told Drona that he saw only the eye of the bird and nothing else. Drona asked him to shoot, and Arjuna did strike the bird down in the eye.
One day Arjuna observed that his brother Bhima
was eating food in the night in complete darkness. By practice, hands would reach one's mouth even in darkness. This struck Arjuna, and he started to practice archery in darkness. He began training by night to use his weapons in absolute darkness, and steadily achieved a great level of skill.
Drona was greatly impressed by Arjuna's concentration, determination and drive, and promised him that he would become the most powerful warrior on earth. Drona gave Arjuna special knowledge of the devastras that no other prince possessed.
and his strong bias in favor of Arjuna.
Ekalavya was the son of a Nishadha
chief (tribal), who came to Drona for instruction. Drona refused to train him along with the Kshtriya Princes, because Ekalavya did not belong to the Kshatriya varna (caste
).
Ekalavya began study and practice by himself, having fashioned a clay image of Drona and worshiping him. Solely by his determination, Ekalavya became a warrior of exceptional prowess, excelling the young Arjuna
.
One day, a dog barked while he was focused upon practice, and without looking, the prince fired arrows that sealed up the dog's mouth while not causing any harm. The Pandava
princes saw this dog running, and wondered who could have done such a feat. They saw Ekalavya, who announced himself as a pupil of Drona.
Arjuna was worried that his position as the best warrior in the world might be usurped. Drona saw his worry, and visited Ekalavya with the princes. Ekalavya promptly worshiped Drona. Drona asked Ekalavya for a dakshina
, or a deed of thanks a student must give to his teacher upon the completion of his training. Drona asks for Ekalavya's right thumb, which Ekalavya unhesitatingly cut off and handed to Drona, despite knowing that this would irreparably hamper his archery skills.
Drona similarly rejected Karna
, as he did not belong to the kshatriya
caste. Humiliated, Karna vowed to exact revenge. He obtained the knowledge of weapons and military arts from Parasurama, by appearing as a brahmin
, and challenged Arjuna in the martial exhibition. Thus, Drona inadvertently laid the foundation for Karna's great rivalry with Arjuna.
bound in chains.
Duryodhana
appointed Vikarna, the best warrior among the Kauravas, as the army commander. Then he, Dushasana
, Sudarshana, Vikarna and the remaining Kauravas attacked Panchala
with the Hastinapur army.
They failed to defeat the Panchala army, whereupon Drona sent Arjuna and his brothers for the task. The five Pandavas attacked Panchala without an army. Arjuna captured Drupada
, as ordered.
Drona took half of Drupada's kingdom, thus becoming his equal. He forgave Drupada for his misdeeds, but Drupada desired revenge. He performed a yagna to have a son who would slay Drona and a daughter who would marry Arjuna
. His wish was eventually fulfilled and thus were born Dhristadyumna
, the slayer of Drona, and Draupadi
, the consort of the Pandavas.
of most kings involved in the Kurukshetra War
, on both sides.
Drona strongly condemned and sent into exile the wicked prince Duryodhana
and his brothers for their abusive treatment of the Pandavas, and for usurping their kingdom. But being a servant of Hastinapura, Drona was duty bound to fight for the Kauravas, and thus against his favorite Pandavas.
Drona was one of the most powerful and destructive warriors in the Kurukshetra War
. He was an invincible warrior, whom no person on earth could defeat. He single-handedly slayed hundreds of thousands of Pandava soldiers, with his powerful armory of weapons and incredible skill.
After the fall of Bhishma
, he became the Chief Commander of the Kuru Army for 5 days of the war.
, Arjuna
On the 13th day of battle, the Kaurava
s challenged the Pandava
s to break a wheel shaped battle formation known as the Chakra Vyuha (see Wars of Hindu Mythology
). Drona as commander formed this strategy, knowing that only Arjuna and Krishna
would know how to penetrate it. He asked the King of the Samshaptaka army to distract Arjuna and Krishna into another part of the battlefield, allowing the main Kuru army to surge through the Pandava ranks.
Arjuna's young son Abhimanyu
was able to penetrate the formation. However, he was trapped when Jayadratha
, the king of Sindhu, held the Pandava warriors that were following him, at bay. Abhimanyu did not know how to get out of the Chakra Vyuha, but embarked upon an all-out attack on the Kuru army, killing tens of thousands of warriors single-handedly. He even held Karna
and Drona himself at bay. Amazed at his prowess and courage, he was considered by the Kurus to be his father's equal in greatness.
With his army facing decimation, Drona asked Karna, Dushasana
and others to simultaneously attack Abhimanyu, to strike down his horses and his charioteer and to disable his chariot from different angles. Left without support, Abhimanyu began fighting from the ground, whereupon all the Kuru warriors simultaneously attacked him. Exhausted after his long, prodigious feats, Abhimanyu was weakened, and grabbing one of the wheels of his chariot, blocked all the attacks, but eventually was killed by the simultaneous attack by seven kaurava warriors.
All this was an extreme violation of the rules of war, whereby a lone warrior may not be attacked by more than one, and not at all if he is disabled or without chariot. This devious murder of his son enraged Arjuna, who swore to kill Jayadratha
, whom he saw as responsible for his son's death. If he failed to do so the next day, he would step into fire and commit suicide.
Drona lined up the entire Kuru army, with an entire akshohini (over a hundred thousand soldiers) in front of Arjuna, to thwart his mission. But Arjuna exhibited his great prowess, and before the end of the day slayed more than a hundred thousand warriors single-handedly. With the help of Krishna
, he slew Jayadratha right before sunset.
On the whole, Arjuna devastated a large portion of the Kuru army dramatically in just one day of fighting.
was targeted by Drona to get captured. For this plan to be successful, Duryodhana invited King Bhagadatta
, who was a son of the asura
Narakasur, in order to fight against the Pandavas.
Bhagadatta was the King of Prajokiyatsa (in present-day Assam
or Burma). As Krishna
had killed his father Narakasur, Bhagadatta
agreed to join the Kauravas opposing Krishna. But in spite of Bhagadatta's support, Drona failed to capture Yudhistra alive. The Kuru commander and preceptor did, however, kill hundreds and thousands of Pandava warriors, thus advancing Duryodhana's cause.
On the 15th day of the Mahābhārata war, Drona got instigated by King Dhritarastra's remarks of being a traitor. He used the Brahmadanda against the Pandavas. Brahmadanda was a spiritual divine weapon that contained the powers of seven greatest sages of Hinduism (Saptarshi
s). But Drona did not impart this knowledge either to Arjuna or to Ashwathamma. Thus, he proved to be unconquerable on the 15th day of war.
Observing this, Krishna
devised a plan to bring down the invincible Drona. Krishna knew that it was not possible to defeat Drona when he had bow and arrow in his hands. Krishna also knew that Drona loved his son Ashwathama very dearly. So, Krishna suggested to Yudistra and other Pandava brothers that, if he were convinced that his son was killed on the battlefield, then Drona would get dejected to such an extent that he would lay down all his arms on the ground and it would be easier to kill him.
In order to find a way out, Krishna suggested Bhima to kill an elephant by name Ashwathama and claim to Drona that he has killed Drona's son Ashwathama. Following this plan, Bhima
located and killed an elephant named Ashwathama, i.e. the same name as Drona's son. He then loudly proclaimed that he had slain Ashwathama, so as to make Drona think that his son was dead.
Drona however, did not believe Bhima's words and approached Yudhisthira
. Drona knew of Yudhisthira's firm adherence to Dharma
and that he would never ever utter a lie. When Drona approached Yudhisthira and questions him as to whether his son was truly slain in the battle by Bhima, Yudhisthira
responded with the cryptic Sanskrit phrase "Ashwathama hathaha iti, narova kunjarova" ( meaning 'Ashwathama is dead. But, I am not certain whether it was a human or an elephant').
Krishna also knew that it was not possible for Yudhisthira to lie outright. On his instructions, the other warriors blew trumpets and conches, raising a tumultuous noise in such a way that Drona only heard that "Ashwathama is dead", but could not hear the latter part of Yudhishthira's reply.
Drona knew that if Ashwattamma was dead, then his soul must have gone to heaven. So, out of grief, and believing his son to be dead, Drona descended from his chariot, laid down his arms and sat in meditation. Closing his eyes, his soul went to Heaven in search of Ashwathamma's soul.
In the meantime, Drupada's son Dhristadyumna
took this opportunity and beheaded the unarmed Drona who was not aware of the whole proceedings on Earth. This was considered an act of cowardice on Dhristadyumna's part.
Drona's soul, which went to Heaven could not find Ashwathama's soul there and so returned to Earth in order to find the truth about Ashwathama's death. But it could not get back into its body as Drona's head was separated from his body.
In this way, Drona was killed in the Mahabharata War. His death greatly aggrieved and enraged Arjuna
, who had immense affection towards his teacher, and had hoped to capture him alive rather than killing him.
After Drona's death, Aswatthama, believed it to be his duty to seek revenge. Given that Drona was not killed in a justifiable way, Aswatthama believed his attack to justifiable. His father, Drona, was an invincible warrior as long as he wielded his weapons, and the Pandava army, as well as Krishna, knew this. Drona was the leader of the Kuru army at the time and seemed to be unstoppable. Krishna devised a plan to trick the Kauravas, in specific Drona, into believing that his son, Aswattahma, had died. Bhima had previously killed an elephant whose name ironically was Aswattahma, and Krishna was inspired by the idea of proclaiming that they had killed Aswattahma, not specifying that it was the elephant, not Drona’s son. Yudhisthra said, “ Aswatthama is slain, in an undertone ‘the elephant’”. The plan went through as planned and Drona then dropped his weapons and in the midst of this trickery was beheaded by Drishtayumna. This form of trickery some believe to be adharmic, and even though Krishna devised this scheme, it is believed to be wrong.
Lord Krishna
was critical of Drona for remaining a mute spectator and not having protested the humiliation of Draupadi
by Dushasana
and Duryodhana
following the fateful game of dice. He is also criticized for his pride and conceit, siding with evil despite knowing of and acknowledging the righteousness of the Pandava cause. However, he was compelled to side with the Kauravas because he was indebted to their royal household, which had provided him and his family with shelter, wealth and an occupation.
It may also be concluded that he was responsible for the devious murder of Abhimanyu, as it was he who had suggested simultaneously attacking and disabling the tired, outnumbered and trapped warrior. He also acted unfairly, when he demands as Guru Dakshina, payment to the master, the right thumb of Ekalavya who taught himself with Drona as his "Manaseega Guru"(Guru in mind). This point is debated as Ekalavya learnt by secretly watching the instruction of the princes. This was tantamount to stealing, and Drona contends that his Guru dakshina was not merely Ekalavya's thumb, but the knowledge that he had stolen. However, he remains a revered figure in Hindu history, and a pillar of the Indian tradition of respecting one's teacher as an equal not only of parents, but even of God.
The Government of India
annually awards the Dronacharya Award
for excellence in sports tutelage to the best sports teachers and coaches in India
.
It is believed that the city of Gurgaon
(literally - "Village of the Guru
") was founded as "Guru Gram" by Drona on land given to him by Dhritarashtra
, the king of Hastinapur in recognition of his teachings of martial arts to the princes, and the 'Dronacharya Tank', still exists within the Gurgaon city, along with a village called Gurgaon.
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, Drona or Dronacharya was the royal guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
to Kauravas and Pandavas. He was a master of advanced military arts, including the Devastras. Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
was his favorite student. Drona's love for Arjuna was second only to his love for his son Ashwatthama
Ashwatthama
A hero of the Indian epic Mahābhārata, Ashwatthama or Ashwatthaman was the son of guru Drona. He is one of the seven Chiranjeevins. Dronacharya loved him very dearly. The rumours about his death in the Kurukshetra war, led to the death of his father from the hands of Prince Dhrishtadyumna...
. He was considered to be a partial incarnation of Brihaspathi.
Birth and early life
Drona was born a BharadwajaBharadwaja
Bharadwaja was one of the greatest Hindu Arya sages descendant of rishi Angirasa, whose accomplishments are detailed in the Puranas. He was one of the Saptarshis in the present Manvantara; with others being Atri, Vashishtha, Vishvamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni, Kashyapa.Bhardwaj Rishi was father of...
brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
, in a place considered to be modern day Dehradun
Dehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
. Drona implies that he was not gestated in a womb, but outside the human body in a droon (vessel).
The story of Drona's birth is recounted dramatically in Mahābhārata, Book I: Adi Parva, Sambhava Parva, Section CXXXI. Bharadwaja
Bharadwaja
Bharadwaja was one of the greatest Hindu Arya sages descendant of rishi Angirasa, whose accomplishments are detailed in the Puranas. He was one of the Saptarshis in the present Manvantara; with others being Atri, Vashishtha, Vishvamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni, Kashyapa.Bhardwaj Rishi was father of...
went with his companions to the Ganga to perform his ablutions. There he beheld a beautiful apsara
Apsara
An Apsara , also known as Vidhya Dhari or Tep Apsar in Khmer, Accharā or A Bố Sa La Tư , Bidadari , Biradali , Widodari and Apson , is a female spirit of the clouds and waters in...
named Ghritachi who had come to bathe. The sage was overcome by desire, causing him to produce a reproductive fluid. Bharadwaja captured the fluid in a vessel called a drona, and Drona/Dronacharya himself sprang from the fluid thus preserved. Drona would later boast that he had sprung from Bharadwaja without ever having been in a womb.
Drona spent his youth in poverty, but studied religion and military arts such as archery, in which he gained expertise,
together with the then prince of Panchala
Panchala
Panchala is an ancient region of northern India, which corresponds to the geographical area around the Ganges River and Yamuna River, the upper Gangetic plain in particular. This would encompass the modern-day states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. During the ancient times, it was home to a...
, Drupada
Drupada
Drupada , also known as Yajnasena, is a character in the Mahābhārata. He is king of the land of Panchala.In his youth he studies with, and becomes a friend of Drona. Drupada makes him promise to share all his fortunes with him. Later, when Drupada becomes king of Panchaladesa, Drona reminds him...
. Drupada and Drona became close friends and Drupada, in his childish playfulness, promised to give Drona half his kingdom upon ascending the throne of Panchala.
Drona married Kripi, the sister of Kripa
Kripa
Not to be confused with "Kripa" , a female given name.Kripa , also known as Kripacharya or Krupacharya is an important character in the Mahābhārata, one of the seven Chiranjivin .He was the son of Shardwan and Janapadi, born in a particularly extraordinary manner Not to be confused with "Kripa" , a...
, the royal teacher of the princes and other children of the kings born out of maidservants in Hastinapura
Hastinapura
Hastinapur is a town and a nagar panchayat in Meerut district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-History:Hastinapur was the capital of the kingdom of the Kauravas, belonging to the Kuru dynasty of kings. The throne of this city was the prize over which the Kurukshetra War of the epic...
. Like Drona himself, Kripi and her brother had not been gestated in a womb, but outside the human body (see Kripa
Kripa
Not to be confused with "Kripa" , a female given name.Kripa , also known as Kripacharya or Krupacharya is an important character in the Mahābhārata, one of the seven Chiranjivin .He was the son of Shardwan and Janapadi, born in a particularly extraordinary manner Not to be confused with "Kripa" , a...
page).
Kripi and Drona had a son, Ashwathama.
Guru Parasurama
Learning that Parasurama was giving away his fruits of penance to brahmanas, Drona approached him. Unfortunately, by the time Drona arrived, Parasurama had given away all his belongings to other brahmanas. Taking pity upon the plight of Drona, Parasurama decided to impart to Drona his knowledge of combat.Drona and Drupada
For the sake of his wife and son, Drona desired freedom from poverty. Remembering the promise given by Drupada, he decided to approach him to ask for help. However, drunk with power, King Drupada refused to even recognize Drona and humiliated him by calling him "an inferior person".Drupada gave Drona a long and haughty explanation of why he was rejecting him. Friendship, said Drupada, is possible only between persons of equal stature in life. As a child, he said, it was possible for him to be friends with Drona, because at that time they were equals. But now Drupada had become a King, while Drona remained a luckless indigent. Under these circumstances, friendship was impossible. However, he said he would satisfy Drona if he begged for alms befitting a Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
, rather than claiming his right as a friend. Drupada advised Drona to think no more of the matter, and be on his way. Drona went away silently, but in his heart he vowed revenge.
As a Teacher
Dronacharya's legend as a great teacher and warrior is marred by notoreity from his strong moral and social views, which inspire great debates about morality and dharmaDharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
in the Mahābhārata epic.
The ball and the ring
Drona went to HastinapuraHastinapura
Hastinapur is a town and a nagar panchayat in Meerut district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-History:Hastinapur was the capital of the kingdom of the Kauravas, belonging to the Kuru dynasty of kings. The throne of this city was the prize over which the Kurukshetra War of the epic...
, hope to open a school of military arts for young princes, with the help of King Dhritarashtra
Dhritarashtra
In the Mahābhārata, Dhritarashtra was King of Hastinapur at the time of the Kurukshetra War, the epic's climactic event. He was born the son of Vichitravirya's first wife Ambika, and was fathered by Vyasa. He was blind from birth, and became father to a hundred children by his wife Gandhari...
. One day, he saw a number of young boys, the Kauravas and Pandavas, gathered around a well. He asked them what the matter was, and Yudhisthira
Yudhisthira
In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira , the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, was king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapura. He was the leader of the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War...
, the eldest, replied that their ball had fallen into the well and they did not know how to retrieve it.
Drona laughed, and mildly rebuked the princes for being helpless over such a plain problem. Yudhisthira replied that if he, a Brahmin, could retrieve their ball, the king of Hastinapura would provide all the basic necessities to him for life. Drona first threw in a ring of his, collected some blades of grass, and uttered mystical Vedic chant
Vedic chant
The oral tradition of the Vedas consists of several pathas, "recitations" or ways of chanting the Vedic mantras. Such traditions of Vedic chant are often considered the oldest unbroken oral tradition in existence, the fixation of the samhita texts as preserved dating to roughly the time of Homer...
s. He then threw the blades into the well one after another, like spears. The first blade stuck to the ball, and the second stuck to the first, and so on, forming a chain. Drona gently pulled the ball out with this rope of grass.
In a feat that was even more amazing to the boys, Drona then chanted Vedic mantras again and fired a grass blade into the well. It struck within the center of his floating ring and rose out of the well in a matter of moments, retrieving Drona's ring. Excited, the boys took Drona to the city and reported this incident to Bhishma
Bhishma
Bhishma or Bheeshma or Devavrata or 'Bhishma Pitamah' was the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu who was blessed with wish-long life and had sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king. He was one of the most prominent characters of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He was the grand uncle of both the...
, their grandfather.
Bhishma instantly realized that this was Drona, and - his prowess having been exemplified - asked him to become the Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
of the Kuru princes, training them in advanced military arts. Drona then established his gurukul
Gurukul
A gurukul is a type of school in India, residential in nature, with shishyas living in proximity to the guru, often within the same house...
near the city, where princes from numerous kingdoms around the country came to study under him. This village came to be known as Guru-Gram ("guru" - teacher, "gram" - village), and has now developed into the city of Gurgaon
Gurgaon
Gurgaon is the second largest city in the Indian state of Haryana. Gurgaon is the industrial and financial center of Haryana. It is located 30 km south of national capital New Delhi, about 10 kilometers from Dwarka Sub City and 268 km south of Chandigarh, the state capital...
.
Arjuna, the favorite pupil
Of all the Kaurava and Pandava brothers training under Drona, ArjunaArjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
emerged as the most dedicated, hard-working and most naturally talented of them all, exceeding even Drona's own son Ashwathama. Arjuna assiduously served his teacher, who was greatly impressed by this devoted pupil.
Arjuna surpassed Drona's expectations in numerous challenges. When Drona tested the princes' alertness and ability by creating an illusion of a crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
attacking him and dragging him away, most of the princes were left dumbfounded. Arjuna, however, swiftly fired arrows to slay the illusionary animal, and Drona congratulated Arjuna for passing this test.
As a reward, Drona gave Arjuna mantras to invoke the super-powerful divine weapon of Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
known as Brahmastra
Brahmastra
In ancient Sanskrit writings, the Brahmastra was a weapon created by Brahma.-Features:It is sometimes known as the Brahma Astra . As described in a number of the Puranas, it was considered the deadliest weapon...
, but told Arjuna not to use this irresistible weapon against any ordinary warrior. The weapon had a sharp edge surrounded below by three heads of Lord Brahma.
In another challenge, Drona gave each prince a pot to fill with water and swiftly return. Whoever would return fastest would receive instruction in some extra special knowledge. He gave his son Ashwathama a wide-necked pot unlike the others' narrow-necked ones, hoping he would be the first to return. But Arjuna used his knowledge of a mystical water weapon to fill his pot swiftly and returned first.
In a great challenge, Drona set up a wooden bird upon a tree, and from across the adjacent river, asked the princes to shoot it down by striking its eye. When prince Yudhisthira
Yudhisthira
In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira , the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, was king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapura. He was the leader of the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War...
tried first, Drona asked him what he saw. Yudhisthira replied that he saw Drona, his brothers, the river, the forest, the tree and the bird. Drona replied that Yudhisthira would fail and asks another prince to step forward. The others gave the same reply, and Drona was disappointed with all. But when Arjuna stepped forth, he told Drona that he saw only the eye of the bird and nothing else. Drona asked him to shoot, and Arjuna did strike the bird down in the eye.
One day Arjuna observed that his brother Bhima
Bhima
In the Mahābhārata, Bhima is one of the central characters of Mahabharata and the second of the Pandava brothers...
was eating food in the night in complete darkness. By practice, hands would reach one's mouth even in darkness. This struck Arjuna, and he started to practice archery in darkness. He began training by night to use his weapons in absolute darkness, and steadily achieved a great level of skill.
Drona was greatly impressed by Arjuna's concentration, determination and drive, and promised him that he would become the most powerful warrior on earth. Drona gave Arjuna special knowledge of the devastras that no other prince possessed.
Unfairness to Ekalavya and Karna
The strongest criticism of Drona springs from his behavior towards EkalavyaEkalavya
In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, Ekalavya is a young prince of the Nishadha tribes, and a member of a low caste, who aspires to study archery in the gurukul of Dronacharya. After being rejected by Drona due to his low caste, Eklavya embarks upon a program of self-study in the presence of a clay...
and his strong bias in favor of Arjuna.
Ekalavya was the son of a Nishadha
Nishadha
Nishadha were scattered peoples, according to sources in Hindu mythology. The Nishadha people have been described in Ramayana and Mahabharata.-Description in Ramayana:The main profession of Nishaadas was hunting birds...
chief (tribal), who came to Drona for instruction. Drona refused to train him along with the Kshtriya Princes, because Ekalavya did not belong to the Kshatriya varna (caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
).
Ekalavya began study and practice by himself, having fashioned a clay image of Drona and worshiping him. Solely by his determination, Ekalavya became a warrior of exceptional prowess, excelling the young Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
.
One day, a dog barked while he was focused upon practice, and without looking, the prince fired arrows that sealed up the dog's mouth while not causing any harm. The Pandava
Pandava
In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Although, Karna is told by Lord Krishna that according to the laws and ethics he is the first son of Kunti making...
princes saw this dog running, and wondered who could have done such a feat. They saw Ekalavya, who announced himself as a pupil of Drona.
Arjuna was worried that his position as the best warrior in the world might be usurped. Drona saw his worry, and visited Ekalavya with the princes. Ekalavya promptly worshiped Drona. Drona asked Ekalavya for a dakshina
Dakshina
Dakshina in the historical Vedic religion is the term for the recompense paid by the sacrificer for the services of a priest, originally consisting of a cow...
, or a deed of thanks a student must give to his teacher upon the completion of his training. Drona asks for Ekalavya's right thumb, which Ekalavya unhesitatingly cut off and handed to Drona, despite knowing that this would irreparably hamper his archery skills.
Drona similarly rejected Karna
Karna
Karna or Radheya is one of the central characters in the epic Mahābhārata, from ancient India. He was the King of Anga...
, as he did not belong to the kshatriya
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
caste. Humiliated, Karna vowed to exact revenge. He obtained the knowledge of weapons and military arts from Parasurama, by appearing as a brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
, and challenged Arjuna in the martial exhibition. Thus, Drona inadvertently laid the foundation for Karna's great rivalry with Arjuna.
Revenge upon Drupada
On completing their training, Drona asked the Kauravas to bring him DrupadaDrupada
Drupada , also known as Yajnasena, is a character in the Mahābhārata. He is king of the land of Panchala.In his youth he studies with, and becomes a friend of Drona. Drupada makes him promise to share all his fortunes with him. Later, when Drupada becomes king of Panchaladesa, Drona reminds him...
bound in chains.
Duryodhana
Duryodhana
In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...
appointed Vikarna, the best warrior among the Kauravas, as the army commander. Then he, Dushasana
Dushasana
Dushasana was the second son of the blind king Dhritarashtra and Gandhari in the epic Mahābhārata, and the younger brother of Duryodhana.-Birth and development:...
, Sudarshana, Vikarna and the remaining Kauravas attacked Panchala
Panchala
Panchala is an ancient region of northern India, which corresponds to the geographical area around the Ganges River and Yamuna River, the upper Gangetic plain in particular. This would encompass the modern-day states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. During the ancient times, it was home to a...
with the Hastinapur army.
They failed to defeat the Panchala army, whereupon Drona sent Arjuna and his brothers for the task. The five Pandavas attacked Panchala without an army. Arjuna captured Drupada
Drupada
Drupada , also known as Yajnasena, is a character in the Mahābhārata. He is king of the land of Panchala.In his youth he studies with, and becomes a friend of Drona. Drupada makes him promise to share all his fortunes with him. Later, when Drupada becomes king of Panchaladesa, Drona reminds him...
, as ordered.
Drona took half of Drupada's kingdom, thus becoming his equal. He forgave Drupada for his misdeeds, but Drupada desired revenge. He performed a yagna to have a son who would slay Drona and a daughter who would marry Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
. His wish was eventually fulfilled and thus were born Dhristadyumna
Dhristadyumna
Dhrishtadyumna , also known as Draupada, was the son of Drupada and brother of Draupadi and Shikhandi in the epic Mahābhārata...
, the slayer of Drona, and Draupadi
Draupadi
In the epic Mahābhārata, Draupadi, also known as ' is the "emerged" daughter of King Drupada of Panchāla and the wife of the five Pandavas. When Yudhisthira becomes the king of Hastinapura at the end of the war, Draupadi becomes the queen of Indraprastha...
, the consort of the Pandavas.
Drona in the war
Drona had been the preceptorPreceptor
A preceptor is a teacher responsible to uphold a certain law or tradition, a precept.-Christian military orders:A preceptor was historically in charge of a preceptory, the headquarters of certain orders of monastic Knights, such as the Knights Hospitaller and Knights Templar, within a given...
of most kings involved in the Kurukshetra War
Kurukshetra war
According to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
, on both sides.
Drona strongly condemned and sent into exile the wicked prince Duryodhana
Duryodhana
In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...
and his brothers for their abusive treatment of the Pandavas, and for usurping their kingdom. But being a servant of Hastinapura, Drona was duty bound to fight for the Kauravas, and thus against his favorite Pandavas.
Drona was one of the most powerful and destructive warriors in the Kurukshetra War
Kurukshetra war
According to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
. He was an invincible warrior, whom no person on earth could defeat. He single-handedly slayed hundreds of thousands of Pandava soldiers, with his powerful armory of weapons and incredible skill.
After the fall of Bhishma
Bhishma
Bhishma or Bheeshma or Devavrata or 'Bhishma Pitamah' was the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu who was blessed with wish-long life and had sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king. He was one of the most prominent characters of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He was the grand uncle of both the...
, he became the Chief Commander of the Kuru Army for 5 days of the war.
Abhimanyu's killing
See Also: AbhimanyuAbhimanyu
Abhimanyu is a tragic hero in the Hindu epic, the Mahābhārata. He is the son of Arjuna and Subhadra, who is the half-sister of Lord Krishna...
, Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
On the 13th day of battle, the Kaurava
Kaurava
The term Kaurava is a Sanskrit term, that means the descendants of Kuru, a legendary king who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the Mahābhārata.The term is used in the Mahābhārata with two meanings:...
s challenged the Pandava
Pandava
In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Although, Karna is told by Lord Krishna that according to the laws and ethics he is the first son of Kunti making...
s to break a wheel shaped battle formation known as the Chakra Vyuha (see Wars of Hindu Mythology
Wars of Hindu Mythology
The Wars of Hindu history depict great heroes and demons in battles filled with the force of celestial weapons and beings, religious mysticism, magic, and the supernatural...
). Drona as commander formed this strategy, knowing that only Arjuna and Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
would know how to penetrate it. He asked the King of the Samshaptaka army to distract Arjuna and Krishna into another part of the battlefield, allowing the main Kuru army to surge through the Pandava ranks.
Arjuna's young son Abhimanyu
Abhimanyu
Abhimanyu is a tragic hero in the Hindu epic, the Mahābhārata. He is the son of Arjuna and Subhadra, who is the half-sister of Lord Krishna...
was able to penetrate the formation. However, he was trapped when Jayadratha
Jayadratha
In the epic Mahābhārata, Jayadratha was the king of Sindhu Kingdom . He was married to Dushala, the only sister of the 100 Kaurava brothers. He was the son of the sinful king Vridhakshtra.- Abduction of Draupadi:...
, the king of Sindhu, held the Pandava warriors that were following him, at bay. Abhimanyu did not know how to get out of the Chakra Vyuha, but embarked upon an all-out attack on the Kuru army, killing tens of thousands of warriors single-handedly. He even held Karna
Karna
Karna or Radheya is one of the central characters in the epic Mahābhārata, from ancient India. He was the King of Anga...
and Drona himself at bay. Amazed at his prowess and courage, he was considered by the Kurus to be his father's equal in greatness.
With his army facing decimation, Drona asked Karna, Dushasana
Dushasana
Dushasana was the second son of the blind king Dhritarashtra and Gandhari in the epic Mahābhārata, and the younger brother of Duryodhana.-Birth and development:...
and others to simultaneously attack Abhimanyu, to strike down his horses and his charioteer and to disable his chariot from different angles. Left without support, Abhimanyu began fighting from the ground, whereupon all the Kuru warriors simultaneously attacked him. Exhausted after his long, prodigious feats, Abhimanyu was weakened, and grabbing one of the wheels of his chariot, blocked all the attacks, but eventually was killed by the simultaneous attack by seven kaurava warriors.
All this was an extreme violation of the rules of war, whereby a lone warrior may not be attacked by more than one, and not at all if he is disabled or without chariot. This devious murder of his son enraged Arjuna, who swore to kill Jayadratha
Jayadratha
In the epic Mahābhārata, Jayadratha was the king of Sindhu Kingdom . He was married to Dushala, the only sister of the 100 Kaurava brothers. He was the son of the sinful king Vridhakshtra.- Abduction of Draupadi:...
, whom he saw as responsible for his son's death. If he failed to do so the next day, he would step into fire and commit suicide.
Drona lined up the entire Kuru army, with an entire akshohini (over a hundred thousand soldiers) in front of Arjuna, to thwart his mission. But Arjuna exhibited his great prowess, and before the end of the day slayed more than a hundred thousand warriors single-handedly. With the help of Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
, he slew Jayadratha right before sunset.
On the whole, Arjuna devastated a large portion of the Kuru army dramatically in just one day of fighting.
Yudhisthira's capture and Drona's death
In the war, YudhisthiraYudhisthira
In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira , the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, was king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapura. He was the leader of the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War...
was targeted by Drona to get captured. For this plan to be successful, Duryodhana invited King Bhagadatta
Bhagadatta
Bhagadatta, was the son of Narakasura. He was a king of the city Pragjyotisha in the epic Mahabharata. In the Battle of Kurukshetra, Bhagadatta fought on the side of the Kauravas. He was very well known to attack his enemies with his elephant in the warfare. In the Mahabharata war, he was...
, who was a son of the asura
Asura
-In Hinduism:In Hinduism, the Asuras constitute a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes considered sinful and materialistic. The Daityas and Danavas were combinedly known as Asuras. The Asura were opposed to the Devas. Both groups are children of Kasyapa...
Narakasur, in order to fight against the Pandavas.
Bhagadatta was the King of Prajokiyatsa (in present-day Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
or Burma). As Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
had killed his father Narakasur, Bhagadatta
Bhagadatta
Bhagadatta, was the son of Narakasura. He was a king of the city Pragjyotisha in the epic Mahabharata. In the Battle of Kurukshetra, Bhagadatta fought on the side of the Kauravas. He was very well known to attack his enemies with his elephant in the warfare. In the Mahabharata war, he was...
agreed to join the Kauravas opposing Krishna. But in spite of Bhagadatta's support, Drona failed to capture Yudhistra alive. The Kuru commander and preceptor did, however, kill hundreds and thousands of Pandava warriors, thus advancing Duryodhana's cause.
On the 15th day of the Mahābhārata war, Drona got instigated by King Dhritarastra's remarks of being a traitor. He used the Brahmadanda against the Pandavas. Brahmadanda was a spiritual divine weapon that contained the powers of seven greatest sages of Hinduism (Saptarshi
Saptarshi
The Saptarishi are the seven rishis who are extolled at many places in the Vedas and Hindu literature. The Vedic Samhitas never actually enumerate these rishis by name, though later Vedic texts such as the Brahmanas and Upanisads do so. They are regarded in the Vedas as the patriarchs of the...
s). But Drona did not impart this knowledge either to Arjuna or to Ashwathamma. Thus, he proved to be unconquerable on the 15th day of war.
Observing this, Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
devised a plan to bring down the invincible Drona. Krishna knew that it was not possible to defeat Drona when he had bow and arrow in his hands. Krishna also knew that Drona loved his son Ashwathama very dearly. So, Krishna suggested to Yudistra and other Pandava brothers that, if he were convinced that his son was killed on the battlefield, then Drona would get dejected to such an extent that he would lay down all his arms on the ground and it would be easier to kill him.
In order to find a way out, Krishna suggested Bhima to kill an elephant by name Ashwathama and claim to Drona that he has killed Drona's son Ashwathama. Following this plan, Bhima
Bhima
In the Mahābhārata, Bhima is one of the central characters of Mahabharata and the second of the Pandava brothers...
located and killed an elephant named Ashwathama, i.e. the same name as Drona's son. He then loudly proclaimed that he had slain Ashwathama, so as to make Drona think that his son was dead.
Drona however, did not believe Bhima's words and approached Yudhisthira
Yudhisthira
In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira , the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, was king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapura. He was the leader of the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War...
. Drona knew of Yudhisthira's firm adherence to Dharma
Dharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
and that he would never ever utter a lie. When Drona approached Yudhisthira and questions him as to whether his son was truly slain in the battle by Bhima, Yudhisthira
Yudhisthira
In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira , the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, was king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapura. He was the leader of the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War...
responded with the cryptic Sanskrit phrase "Ashwathama hathaha iti, narova kunjarova" ( meaning 'Ashwathama is dead. But, I am not certain whether it was a human or an elephant').
Krishna also knew that it was not possible for Yudhisthira to lie outright. On his instructions, the other warriors blew trumpets and conches, raising a tumultuous noise in such a way that Drona only heard that "Ashwathama is dead", but could not hear the latter part of Yudhishthira's reply.
Drona knew that if Ashwattamma was dead, then his soul must have gone to heaven. So, out of grief, and believing his son to be dead, Drona descended from his chariot, laid down his arms and sat in meditation. Closing his eyes, his soul went to Heaven in search of Ashwathamma's soul.
In the meantime, Drupada's son Dhristadyumna
Dhristadyumna
Dhrishtadyumna , also known as Draupada, was the son of Drupada and brother of Draupadi and Shikhandi in the epic Mahābhārata...
took this opportunity and beheaded the unarmed Drona who was not aware of the whole proceedings on Earth. This was considered an act of cowardice on Dhristadyumna's part.
Drona's soul, which went to Heaven could not find Ashwathama's soul there and so returned to Earth in order to find the truth about Ashwathama's death. But it could not get back into its body as Drona's head was separated from his body.
In this way, Drona was killed in the Mahabharata War. His death greatly aggrieved and enraged Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
, who had immense affection towards his teacher, and had hoped to capture him alive rather than killing him.
After Drona's death, Aswatthama, believed it to be his duty to seek revenge. Given that Drona was not killed in a justifiable way, Aswatthama believed his attack to justifiable. His father, Drona, was an invincible warrior as long as he wielded his weapons, and the Pandava army, as well as Krishna, knew this. Drona was the leader of the Kuru army at the time and seemed to be unstoppable. Krishna devised a plan to trick the Kauravas, in specific Drona, into believing that his son, Aswattahma, had died. Bhima had previously killed an elephant whose name ironically was Aswattahma, and Krishna was inspired by the idea of proclaiming that they had killed Aswattahma, not specifying that it was the elephant, not Drona’s son. Yudhisthra said, “ Aswatthama is slain, in an undertone ‘the elephant’”. The plan went through as planned and Drona then dropped his weapons and in the midst of this trickery was beheaded by Drishtayumna. This form of trickery some believe to be adharmic, and even though Krishna devised this scheme, it is believed to be wrong.
Modern assessment
Drona was often without doubt, partial towards Arjuna. Any great teacher would feel enthralled if his protege so excels as Arjuna did, thus, so was Drona. Drona was somewhat parallel to Bhishma both in martial prowess, and in his unwavering commitment to fighting for the kingdom of Hastinapura irrespective of who the ruler was and whether or not the cause was just.Lord Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
was critical of Drona for remaining a mute spectator and not having protested the humiliation of Draupadi
Draupadi
In the epic Mahābhārata, Draupadi, also known as ' is the "emerged" daughter of King Drupada of Panchāla and the wife of the five Pandavas. When Yudhisthira becomes the king of Hastinapura at the end of the war, Draupadi becomes the queen of Indraprastha...
by Dushasana
Dushasana
Dushasana was the second son of the blind king Dhritarashtra and Gandhari in the epic Mahābhārata, and the younger brother of Duryodhana.-Birth and development:...
and Duryodhana
Duryodhana
In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...
following the fateful game of dice. He is also criticized for his pride and conceit, siding with evil despite knowing of and acknowledging the righteousness of the Pandava cause. However, he was compelled to side with the Kauravas because he was indebted to their royal household, which had provided him and his family with shelter, wealth and an occupation.
It may also be concluded that he was responsible for the devious murder of Abhimanyu, as it was he who had suggested simultaneously attacking and disabling the tired, outnumbered and trapped warrior. He also acted unfairly, when he demands as Guru Dakshina, payment to the master, the right thumb of Ekalavya who taught himself with Drona as his "Manaseega Guru"(Guru in mind). This point is debated as Ekalavya learnt by secretly watching the instruction of the princes. This was tantamount to stealing, and Drona contends that his Guru dakshina was not merely Ekalavya's thumb, but the knowledge that he had stolen. However, he remains a revered figure in Hindu history, and a pillar of the Indian tradition of respecting one's teacher as an equal not only of parents, but even of God.
The Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
annually awards the Dronacharya Award
Dronacharya Award
Dronacharya Award is an award presented by the government of India for excellence in sports coaching. The award comprises a bronze statuette of Dronacharya, a scroll of honour and a cash component of Rs.500,000...
for excellence in sports tutelage to the best sports teachers and coaches in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
It is believed that the city of Gurgaon
Gurgaon
Gurgaon is the second largest city in the Indian state of Haryana. Gurgaon is the industrial and financial center of Haryana. It is located 30 km south of national capital New Delhi, about 10 kilometers from Dwarka Sub City and 268 km south of Chandigarh, the state capital...
(literally - "Village of the Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
") was founded as "Guru Gram" by Drona on land given to him by Dhritarashtra
Dhritarashtra
In the Mahābhārata, Dhritarashtra was King of Hastinapur at the time of the Kurukshetra War, the epic's climactic event. He was born the son of Vichitravirya's first wife Ambika, and was fathered by Vyasa. He was blind from birth, and became father to a hundred children by his wife Gandhari...
, the king of Hastinapur in recognition of his teachings of martial arts to the princes, and the 'Dronacharya Tank', still exists within the Gurgaon city, along with a village called Gurgaon.
See also
- The Mahabharata, by Krishna DharmaKrishna DharmaKrishna Dharma is a British Hindu scholar and author.Krishna Dharma is "the author of the world's most popular editions of India's great epics": the Ramayana: India's Immortal Tale of Adventure, Love, and Wisdom and the Mahabharata: The Greatest Spiritual Epic of All Time...
- Hindu mythologyHindu mythologyHindu religious literature is the large body of traditional narratives related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and the Puranas. As such, it is a subset of Nepali and Indian culture...
, HinduismHinduismHinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions... - Wars of Hindu MythologyWars of Hindu MythologyThe Wars of Hindu history depict great heroes and demons in battles filled with the force of celestial weapons and beings, religious mysticism, magic, and the supernatural...