The depth of Mahabharata not only comes from the length but also the apparent contradictions and life journeys of characters which concluded with the Kurukshetra war. One prominent character is Drona, son of Bharadwaj. Much is seen when one looks back to the chronological events which brought him to the war.
Poverty was prominent in his life. When Bharadwaj was teaching Prince Drupad in his Gurukul, Drona became his friend. He also sought out a promise from the future king. The innocent promise said that Drupad will give half of his kingdom to Drona on wearing the crown. As it was a promise between children, Drona forgot about it initially.
The poverty eventually took Drona to Parshurama. He had heard that the warrior-sage was giving away his wealth. But on reaching Parshurama, he found that his entire wealth was already donated. Instead, Parshurama offered Drona his weapons and the knowledge to use them. Drona happily accepted Parshurama as a teacher. But, the question of poverty remained.
Meanwhile, Drona started severe penance to Shiva in order to get a son that matches the mighty God’s valour. (I still don’t understand why Drona only asked for valour - he could have asked for more qualities like intellect, strength and warfare skills). The boon was granted and Ashwatthama was born. But as the little boy grew, the question of poverty became more important. One day, Drona saw his son drinking crushed rice with water as a substitute for cow’s milk. Drona couldn’t accept his poverty longer and remembered the promise given by Drupad.
Drona went to meet Drupad. Drupad said that children’s promises carry no weight. Drona asked for atleast one cow. Drupad refused. Humiliated, Drona returned from Drupad’s kingdom. In the way, he remembered that Hastinapur had young princes coming to age for Gurukul. Parshurama had no wealth to donate, but the knowledge and weapons given by him will now become wealth for Drona.
The hundred-and-five Kuru princes were unable to retrieve their playing ball from a deep well. Drona took some broken sticks and threw them one after another at the ball. The sticks ended up being a thin rod protruding from the ball. And, Drona pulled the ball from the well after the rod reached the well's height. The princes were awed by the skill shown by an unknown Brahmin. Drona asked the boys to take him to their pitamah, Bhishma. Bhisma also studied from Parshurama once, and thus accepted Drona as a teacher for the princes. Overnight, the fortunes of Drona and his family changed. Ashwatthama now had proper food to eat.
In the course of education, Drona promised to make Arjuna the greatest archer ever. A tribal boy, Eklavya was following Drona's instruction from hiding. When Drona found that even Eklavya had talent and worth comparable to Arjuna, he demanded Eklavya's right thumb as Gurudakshina. With a missing right thumb, Eklavya couldn't become the greatest archer as Drona has already promised that position to Arjuna. It was a painful experience for Drona to exploit his rights as a teacher and sacrifice a great student. Nonetheless, Arjuna never reached the supreme archer position with Drona, Bhishma and Karna living. Drona couldn't keep his promise and Drupad couldn't keep his, in different settings.
One wonders what would have happened if Drona forgot about the humiliation at Drupad’s kingdom. When the Kuru princes finished their education - Drona asked them to bring Drupad to him as Gurudakshina. The Kuru princes overwhelmed Drupad’s forces and defeated him. Drupad was brought to Drona. Drona reminded Drupad of his past humiliation and told him that even his students are superior to a King who doesn’t keep his promise. Defeated and full of resentment, Drupad returned to his kingdom.
Just as Drona asked for a son once, Drupad now began an yajna to gain a son. He explicitly wanted a son who can kill Drona. Out of the yajna’s fire, came a man with shining armour and holding a curved sword. Gods proclaimed the man as Dhristadhyumna and told that he will kill Drona.
Years later in the Kurukshetra war, Drona killed Drupad. As Drona was not getting defeated, he was lied to about the death of his son, Ashwatthama. Heartbroken, Drona left his weapons in the middle of the battlefield and started meditating. Without waiting, Dhristadhyumna sprinted and beheaded the old man with a single stroke of his sword. The age-worn face of Drona rolled on the ground. Dhristadhyumna fulfilled the reason for his birth and took revenge on Drona for his father’s humiliation and death.
Now was the turn for Ashwatthama to start on the path of revenge. He was fighting on other part of the Kurukshetra when details of his father’s death came to him. At the end of the war, Ashwatthama was inspired by a huge owl killing a crow’s younglings in the middle of night. Inspired, he went to Pandava’s camp in total darkness. On the gates, he found Shiva standing as a guard. To gain access, Ashwatthama jumped into fire and Shiva left his guarding position. Shiva’s own boon of valour was working for Ashwatthama. Ashwatthama furiously chopped everyone sleeping in the camp, in the process killing Dhristadhyumna and the five sons of Draupadi(Drupad’s daughter).
Drupad and Drona mutually annihilated each other’s families by never looking behind their personal resentment. Ashwatthama was cursed that he will never meet death. Drupad never found the satisfaction of seeing Drona’s death. Drona never knew what happened to his son.
This is the tragedy of two childhood friends. Who was the culprit? Poverty, Drupad, Parshurama or Drona?
