BY- JAYA CHOUDHARY
Drona or Dronacharya was the royal guru of the Kauravas and Pandavas in the epic Mahabharata. He was an expert in sophisticated military techniques, such as the devastras. Dronacharya educated not just princes but also commoners. He was a genuine master of arms, an incarnation of Brihaspati, and a disciple of Parshuram. He was also a great and excellent leader with one flaw: he was easily persuaded by others. Today we are going to look at some important yet interesting facts about one of Mahabharata's major characters, Dronacharya.
Drona's birth
Bharadwaja, the father of Drona was bathing in the Ganga River as part of the Agnihotra yagna one day. He came upon the Apsara Ghritachi on the riverbanks. Bharadwaja grew amorous when she emerged from the water and as a result, his critical fluid leaked out. He captured the liquid quickly in a wooden vessel known as a "drona" and the vessel soon gave birth to a child. Drona was the name given to him by Bharadwaja after the vessel in which he was born.
Drona's guru
Dronacharya, who had been impoverished for much of his life, had heard that Parshurama was distributing his fortune to the poor. However, by the time Drona arrived, all of the money had been divided. Parshurama was moved by Drona's despondent expression and promised to teach him military warfare, which he quickly mastered. As a result, when Drona taught the Kauravas and Pandavas, he continued Parshurama's teachings.
Dronacharya was the royal guru of the Kauravas and Pandavas in the epic Mahabharata. Wikimedia commons
Drona's marriage
Dronacharya was married to Kripi. Agni Purana tells the birth story of Kripi. She was Rishi Sharadvan's daughter and Janapadi's heavenly nymph. In addition to the Vedas and Shastra, she was able to teach archery by her father Rishi Shardhawan. Similar to Drona, even Kripi was not born from a womb. Kripi and Drona also had a son named Ashvathama.
Drona and Drupada's friendship
Drona was raised in his father's hermitage on river Ganga's banks. He studied the Vedas as well as other sacred texts. Agnivesha Rishi taught him how to use heavenly weapons such as the "Agneyastra" and "Brahmastra." King Prishata of Panchala was a close friend of Bharadwaja Rishi. Prishata had a son named Drupada at the time of Drona's birth. Every day, Prishata's kid would come over to play and learn with Drona. "Drona, when I regain my father's kingdom, it will be yours," Drupada used to say. My whole fortune and power will be your fortune and power!" But Drona and Drupada eventually split ways and Drupada succeeded his father as Panchala's king.
Most of the warriors who fought in the Kurukshetra War had Drona as their master. Wikimedia commons
Arjuna and Dronacharya's relation
Among all the pupils, Dronacharya favored Arjun the most. He adored Arjun for two reasons. Firstly, Arjun was the kind of student that every instructor fantasizes about. With excellent responsiveness, he picked up learning abilities. His ability to concentrate demonstrated his willpower. Nothing else mattered to him once he was focused. Dronacharya was won over by his faith in his instructor, as well as his regard and allegiance to him. Along with all of these advantages, he was born with a natural talent for archery. He was a diligent worker while learning his abilities. As a result, he naturally became Dronacharya's favorite student.
Drona during the war of Kurukshetra
Most of the warriors who fought in the Kurukshetra war had Drona as their master. Despite his affinity for the Pandavas, he was forced to fight on the side of the Kauravas. He slaughtered hundreds of Pandavas as the most strong of all warriors. For five days after Bhishma fell, he was the Kuru army's commander in chief.