I will share my fortune with you, Drupada had once promised Drona. To judge a decision as right or wrong is impossible unless seen in full context. On the fifteenth day of Kurukshetra War, Pandavas attempt to kill Guru Dronacharya. Drona does many years of severe penance to please Lord Shiva in order to obtain a son who possesses the same valiance as Lord Shiva. Caste is an ugly word today. Ashwatthama swears to bring Duryodhana revenge, and Duryodhana appoints him as the commander-in-chief. © 2020 Devdutt Pattanaik, All Rights Reserved. With this, Duryodhana breathes his last, and mourning, the three remaining members of the Kaurava army perform the cremation rites. Though an expert in warfare, Dronacharya lives the simple life, with little money or property. Drona went to Parashurama, a renegade Brahmin who knew the art of war. Maybe it is an elephant. It has lots of powerful weapons and they surviving at the end of the war of Mahabharata. There is affection in Krishna’s behavior. Thinking his son had died, Drona was heartbroken and … As a Brahmin? Cut his head off, Krishna instructed Dhristadhyumna, Yudhishtira’s brother-in-law, and commander of the Pandava armies. Once again the caste hierarchy is broken. Drona promised. In the war to defeat Dronacharya sri krishna planned a clever tactic .On the side of the pandavas there was an elephant by the name Ashwathama.sri krishna told Yudhishthira to spread the rumour that Ashwathama was dead.The elephant was killed and everyone shouted "Ashwathama is dead", Dronacharya heard these words and suspected his lone son Ashwatham was killed in th battle.Gloomy … You were my inspiration, he tells Drona. Krishna knows that it was not possible to defeat an armed Drona. According to the Chaturdhar compilation, the Narayanastra destroys one Akshauhini of Pandava army completely. Ashwatthama not knowing how to take back the Brahmastra, instead directs the weapon towards the womb of the pregnant Uttara in an attempt to end the lineage of the Pandavas. The previous day, their former commander-in-chief, the invincible Dronacharya, had been struck down by cunning and deceit. Ashwathama was filled with wrath and invoked the celestial weapon called “Narayanastra” against the Pandavas. Second, despite the express wishes of his teacher he sold his knowledge to warriors. Vibhisan : The youngest son of Sage Visharva and Kakashi, also the brother of great scholar King of … Ashwathama Killed Dhrishtadyumna : Story : Ashwathama was the most powerful warrior of the Mahabharata period. Overcome with grief and rage, he slaughters most of the Pandava camp in a single night offensive. 45. Drona felt disheartened and become weaponless. Tell me, said Drona to Yudhishitra, Is my son dead? Drona becomes the teacher of the Kauravas and Pandavas and asks as fee one half of Drupada’s kingdom. A father’s heart broke. Even as some soldiers try and fight back, Ashwatthama remains unharmed due his activated abilities as one of the eleven Rudras. The Pandavas shouted, Ashwatthama is dead. The Narration of the Kurukshetra War. When he was a child, Krishna too had promised a fellow student,Sudama,half his wealth. Mahabharata war Uttar is killed on the first day of the war by Shalya. Ashwathama had the blood of innocent young children of the five Pandavas on his hands. He lost all interest in life. The war fought between the Kaurava Pandavas in Dwaparyuga was a battle of religion and unrighteousness. We can interpret this as a tale of a child who was conceived in the forest by a Vedic sage and a forest woman, a tribal woman who followed her heart and was not inhibited by the Vedic rules of marriage. His own father had been killed by a king who had once been his father’s patron. Drona’s decision must be analyzed carefully. The Pandavas spread the rumour of Ashwatthama's death. He has his own aspirations and needs and desires. Unknown Facts Mahabharata. So, Krishna suggests to Yudhishthira and the other Pandavas, if Drona were convinced that his son was killed on the battlefield, then his grief would leave him vulnerable to attack. He is a Chiranjivi. 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. Pandavas there was an elephant by the name Ashwathama. Drona was so poor that his son could not distinguish milk from rice water. Ashvatthama was appointed as the final commander-in-chief of the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra War. In this war, Shri Krishna also vowed not to take up arms and weapons. We cannot be friends because friendship exists only between equals. After this incident, and seeing the plight of Drona, Kripacharya invites Drona to Hastinapur. Kripa became the in-house teacher of Bhisma’s grand nephews, the Kauravas and the Pandavas. As lord krishna himself being the incarnation of Narayana, he knows about the weapon, as the weapon only targets an armed person while ignores unarmed ones. Bheem killed 99 brothers of Kauravas. This plan of Krishna works as Bhima kills an elephant by the name Ashwathama while claiming it to be the son of Drona. Ashwatthama first kicks and awakens Dhrishtadyumna, the commander of the Pandava army and the killer of his father. Ashvatthama is born with a gem on his forehead which gives him power over all living beings lower than humans; it protects him from hunger, thirst, and fatigue. ", http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m07/m07193.htm, http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?tinput=azvatthAma&direction=SE&script=HK&link=yes&beginning=, The Mahabharata Book 10: Sauptika Parva section 8, "Who was Raja Parikshit in Mahabharat and why the story of his death is philosophical", Vaidya C.V., History of Medieval Hindu India, pg.281, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ashwatthama&oldid=994919806, All Wikipedia articles written in Indian English, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from December 2009, All articles needing additional references, Articles containing Sanskrit-language text, Instances of Lang-sa using second unnamed parameter, Articles with Sanskrit-language sources (sa), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 18 December 2020, at 06:23. Like many other rules of war, this one was also broken. Mahabharata thus teaches us there is more to life than meets the eye. Everything was motivated by anger. As a … Drona was artificially born in a vessel. Hearing the news of these events Yudhishthira faints and the Pandavas become inconsolable. But his motivation is not righteous ! He became a Chiranjivi (immortal) due to a curse given to him by Krishna.[2]. But he broke this promise soon after by offering to become the teacher of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. How can Krishna recommend such a dastardly act? Yuyutsu had fought from Pandavas side. Ashwathama: “A Great Warrior” Ashwathama is one of the complex and underrated characters in Mahabharata. In Vedic society, a king’s role was to maintain the caste hierarchy – ensure kings behaved as kings and priests behaved as priests. Jaya, the core of Mahabharata, is structured in the form of a dialogue between the King Dhritarashtra (who was born blind) and Sanjaya (having a divine vision), his advisor, and chariot driver. In Kurukshetra war, Pandavas killed the father of Ashwatthama, Drona with one cunning strategic plan which was organized by Lord Krishna and performed by Yudhisthira and Bhima. This claim finds support in the fact that Kanchipuram was where the Pallavas would dwell, and this was earlier a part of the Naga Kingdom. How do these influence his teaching? He also stands against Arjuna several times, trying to prevent him from reaching Jayadratha, but is eventually defeated by Arjuna. Krishna hatches a plan for Bhima to kill an elephant by the name Ashwatthama while claiming to Drona it was Drona's son who was dead. Hurt and humiliated by Drupada’s words, Drona decided to become Drupada’s equal. Give me your thumb, says Drona. And a further corroboration is that the gotra of the Pālave Maratha family is Bharadwaja (grandfather of Ashwatthama), same as the one which Pallavas have attributed to themselves in their records. However, Drupada rebukes the friendship, claiming a king and a beggar cannot be friends, humiliating Drona. Sri Krishna tells Yudhisthira to spread the rumour that Ashwathama is dead! [9], A theory is propounded by historians R. Sathianathaier and D. C. Sircar, with endorsements by Hermann Kulke, Dietmar Rothermund and Burton Stein. Following this plan, Bhima located and killed an elephant named Ashwathama, i.e. It blurred all his decisions. Actually, Bheema killed an elephant named Ashwathama. intervene and prevent the weapons from clashing against each other. Since Hastinapura, ruled by King Dhritarashtra, offered Dronacharya the privilege of teaching the Kuru princes, both Dronacharya and Ashwatthama are loyal to Hastinapur and fight for the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra war. It was Bhima who killed an elephant named Ashwatthama. And by doing so strikes at the root of the problem. When Drona approached the eldest Pandava Yudhishthira, he confirmed that Ashwatthama was killed, but murmured that it's the elephant; the latter part of his reply was overshadowed by conches of Pandava warriors. During the war Ashwatthama left a very terrible weapon to destroy the Pandavas and his army. According to the rules of the war that took place in Kurukshetra, no one was allowed to strike an animal unless it posed a direct threat. Krishna got Bheem to kill an elephant named Ashwathama and spread the rumour about the death of Drona’s son. The deceptive plot of his rumoured death led to the beheading of his grieving father Drona, who was incapacitated while meditating for his son's soul. Dhrishtadyumna, also known as Draupada, was the son of Drupada and brother of Draupadi and Shikhandi in the epic Mahabharata. Ashwatthama proceeds with butchering the remaining warriors, including the Upapandavas, Shikhandi, Yudhamanyu, Uttamaujas, and many other prominent warriors of the Pandava army; many texts put an emphasis on his exploits against those from Panchal. The lie, meticulously engineered by Lord Krishna, changed the fortunes of the dramatis personae of the Mahabharata. Despite the fact that he followed the righteous path, Guru Dronacharya was killed to lessen the power of Kauravas. Tell me please, Drona begged. The head was cut. Both Kripi and Kripa were children of another sage Saradwat and another nymph. The Pandavas shouted, Ashwatthama is dead. After hearing this, he will disarm himself in grief. It was the son born from this union, that would have started this dynasty. He defeated Bhishma, Drona and Ashwathama multiple times and killed all the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra war. The Pandava Bhima killed an elephant named Ashwatthama. His sister was given in marriage to Drona. His father was Bharadvaj who was so smitten by a nymph that he shed semen in a pot where it transformed into a child. The Pandavas and Krishna who were away during night, now return to their camp the next day morning. Dronacharya also hears these words and suspects his lone son is killed Ashwathama’s complexity arises due to his final act of revenge in Kurukshetra. It demonstrates the killer strategy of successful fibbing—the fabrication is founded on the truth. They find him at sage Vyasa's ashram near the bank of Bhagiratha. Ashwathama really died" because Yudhishthira knew an elephant named Ashwatthama died really. Finally, the mighty Droacharya was killed by Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Drupada and brother of Draupadi. The now triggered Ashwatthama invokes the Brahmastra against the Pandavas to fulfill the oath of killing them. All over India one is taught to see Drona as an ideal teacher. The worst crime in Vedic society. Ashwatthama is the son of Dronacharya and Kripi. Ultimately, the gambit works (though the details of it vary depending on the version of the Mahabharata), and Dhristadyumna beheads the grieving sage. [7] Ashwatthama strangles the half-awake Dhrishtadyumna by choking him to death as the prince begs to be allowed to die with a sword in his hand. He refused to believe them. What are the consequences of such rage? ... Ashwathama was killed on the battlefield. The angered Pandavas try to kill Ashwatthama, but Krishna cuts Ashwatthama's divine gem from his forehead and curses that until the end of Kali Yuga, he will suffer to the excessive amount but still he will not die, his skin will start to melt but still he will not die, nobody will come in front of him. On the 16th Day of the Mahabharata War, Karna took up the leadership of the Kaurava Army. After the terrible death of Dushasana, Ashwatthama suggests Duryodhana to make peace with the Pandavas, keeping in mind the welfare of Hastinapur. But the teacher is also a man of the world. One who teaches his student everything he knows? A very dramatic decision. Can one respect Drona after this act? After relaying to him the deaths of all the Panchalas, they announce that the Pandavas have no sons with whom to rejoice their victory. Parashurama felt kings were not behaving as kings should. However, initially, Guru Dronacharya does not believe the Pandavas. In effect the elephant is killed and everyone shouts, "Ashwathama is dead, Ashwathama is dead!" To kill an unarmed man. One half is given to their teacher, Drona who appoints his son, Ashwatthama, as king. The only person who witnessed the Mahabharat war and is still alive is Ashwathama. And the best way to reach me is to drop me a line by using the contact form below. I can either give you dakshina, fees for your services. If I am your teacher by inspiration, pay my fee. After reaching the Pandava camp, Ashwathama quietly enters one of the tents. He was too embarrassed to ask Krishna for anything. Promise me, you will not share my teachings with the warrior caste, said Parashurama when Drona sought to be his student. He decided to check with Yudhishtira, eldest of the Pandavas, a man who had never uttered a lie. [11], A character in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Learn how and when to remove this template message, The Mahabharata, Book 5 Udyoga Parva, Section CLXVIII, "Mahabharat Mythology: Is Ashwatthama Still Alive Even After so Many Years? Due to which Ashwatthama became very sad and angry and wanted to take revenge of his father's death from Pandavas. Drona we are told was named Drona because he was conceived in a pot (drona in Sanskrit). So Drona could be seen as one who broke two rules. Or I can give you daan, charity. This plan of Krishna works as Bhima kills an elephant by the name Ashwathama while claiming it to be the son of Drona. The Ashwathama elephant that was killed by Bhima belonged to the Pandava army. I have enlisted few and interesting pairs with same name but totally different character. While Drona disregards the caste hierarchy for his son, he clings to it when it comes to Ekalavya a tribal boy who was not allowed to join Drona’s school on grounds that he was a tribal, not a member of the warrior caste, hence unfit to hold the bow. Shocking facts about Ashwathama - Ashwathama was the only one who played an important role in Mahabharat. Bhima angrily rushes to kill Drona's son. “Then the mighty-armed Bhima, O king, slew with a mace a foe-crushing, terrible and huge elephant named Aswatthaman, of his own army, belonging to Indravarman, the chief of the Malavas.”. The Kurukshetra War, also called the Mahabharata War, is a war described in the Hindu epic poem Mahābhārata.The conflict arose from a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura.It involved several ancient kingdoms participating as allies of the rival groups. In the din of the war, Drona heard Yudhishtira say, Yes, Ashwatthama is dead. Krishna asks Arjuna to fire the Brahmashira, the anti-missile, against Ashvatthama to defend themselves. First, he chose to abandon the peaceful ways of his caste and become a warrior. Ashwatthama ruled the Northern Panchala being subordinate to the rulers of Hastinapura. Drona’s obsession with his son was not healthy. Vyasa Before Dronacharya's death, Ashwatthama visits his father, desiring a blessing of victory that he is denied. As a result, Ashvatthama has a difficult childhood, with his … But what is an ideal teacher? A teacher’s head. Arjuna, knowing how to do so takes it back. This is missing in Drupada. For this plan, Pandavas used Aswathama as bait for Drona. In this great war, Lord Krishna accepted Mahayodha to be the charioteer of Arjuna. Although, the Pandavas could not kill Ashwatthama. You are a Brahmin and I am a king. After the slaughter, the three warriors go to find Duryodhana. Nothing is said in the epic of the relationship between Kripi and Drona. They sacrificed one of their own war elephants to perpetuate the lie about the death of Ashwathama. An elephant, not a man, called Ashwatthama was killed. He deceitfully killed them when they were asleep, to please his friend Duryodhana, who wanted to see the Pandavas dead, before breathing his last. The price asked was one half of Drupada’s kingdom. Drona does many years of severe penance to please Lord Shiva in order to obtain a son who possesses the same valiance as Lord Shiva. On the 14th day of the war, he kills a division of Rakshasas and Anjanaparvan (son of Ghatotkacha). 46. He ended up upsetting Drona and an enraged Drona took a step that went against the rules of caste which, according to Vedic ideology, had the potential to destroy social order. He asks both Arjuna and Ashwatthama to take their weapons back. He was the one who changed the end of Kurukshetra War. On the 10th day of the war, after Bhishma falls, Drona is named the supreme commander of the armies. In grief, Drona disarms himself, and Dhristadyumna beheads the sage Drona. Yes, Ashwatthama is dead. He won against Karna multiple times in archery and spared his life due to the vow taken by Arjuna. Ashvatthama defeats Dhrishtadyumna in direct combat, but failed to kill him as Satyaki and Bhima cover his retreat.[6]. After getting their soldiers to disarm (including Bhima with some difficulty), the astra passes by harmlessly. It is no where more evident than in the story of Drona, the guru of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. Drupada is too busy playing king. He is obsessed with hierarchies. Thus are born Dhristadhyumna and Draupadi. Following lord Krishna’s advice, they confront Guru Drona that Ashwatthama was killed. Drona, commander of the enemy forces, assumed they were referring to his son. Don’t expect me to treat you differently because we were once friends. The epic is filled with such occurrences. After hearing this, he will disarm himself in grief. On the 18th day, Bhima killed one Akshauhini Kaurava army. However, owing to the darkness, Ashwathama mistakenly kills the five sons of Draupadi instead of the Pandavas. Along with Kripa and Kritavarma, Ashwatthama plans to attack the Pandavas camp at night. The poor Brahmin did visit Krishna years later. It was against the Kshatriya rules. 49. Mahabharata had its shares of namesakes. Ashwatthama became very angry when his father Dronacharya was killed in the Mahabharata war. Are his teaching methods a fallout of his own life’s experience? Shantanu, king of Hastinapur, found them exposed in the forest on a clump of grass and took them home. When urged by Duryodhana to use the weapon again, desirous of victory, Aswatthama sadly responds that if the weapon is used again, it will turn on its user. Dhrishtadyumna was waiting for this situation so he immediately killed Dronacharya. He was the one who changed the end of Kurukshetra War… We can say that in breaking the code of caste Drona was a revolutionary. So he makes a plan to defeat him by convincing him that his son, Ashwathama was killed on the battlefield. This, says Krishna, will result in social anarchy eventually. Drona, desperate for some wealth, went to Drupada and reminded him of his promise. Yes, rules were broken in the Mahabharata war. He was one of the warriors of mahabharat war who crossed all limits of conduct and even misused divine Astras. For dharma, said Krishna. Ashwathama gathered the only other surviving Kaurava warriors- Kritavarma and Kripacharya and attacked the Pandavas camp on the 18th night of the Kurukshetra war. Maybe a man, said the eldest Pandava.