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Aśvatthaman
Drona is a warrior Brahmin who instructs both the Kauravas and the Pandavas in the ways of war. He is also the father of Aśvatthaman. During the Kurukshetra war, he sides with Duryodhana, despite still having respect for the Pandavas. Although he’s in his 80s, he remains a powerful fighter, and he takes command of the Kaurava army, where he kills great warriors like Drupada. Eventually, the Pandavas manage to trick Drona into believing his son Aśvatthaman is dead, and while Drona processes this news, Dhrishtadyumna kills him. Drona represents how knowledge and strength combine in battle, using his martial intelligence to fight at an advanced age but ultimately being undone by a trick.
Drona Quotes in Mahabharata
The Mahabharata quotes below are all either spoken by Drona or refer to Drona. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 7. Drona
Quotes
The hero who had laid waste the entire Kuru army, like an elephant in a lotus pond, now lay resplendent in death, like a wild elephant slain by hunters.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9. Salya
Quotes
Seeing these most wonderful happenings, and the honour paid to Duryodhana, the Pandavas felt ashamed; they grieved mightily to hear it said that Bhishma, Drona, Karna, and Buriśravas had been killed unfairly. But Krishna, seeing them anxious and downcast, proclaimed in a voice sounding like thunder or drums, ‘Duryodhana here with his swift weapons, and those other valiant chariot-fighters, could not have been slain by you on the battlefield in a fair fight. That is why I devised these stratagems, lords of men—otherwise the victory of the Pandavas could never have happened.’
Chapter 10. The Night-Raid
Quotes
Drona’s son Aśvatthaman watched that owl carry out its guileful attack at night. The bird’s behaviour filled him with new resolve, and he said to himself, ‘This bird has given me good advice in warfare!’
‘Here is the jewel, and here am I.’
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Drona Quotes in Mahabharata
The Mahabharata quotes below are all either spoken by Drona or refer to Drona. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 7. Drona
Quotes
The hero who had laid waste the entire Kuru army, like an elephant in a lotus pond, now lay resplendent in death, like a wild elephant slain by hunters.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9. Salya
Quotes
Seeing these most wonderful happenings, and the honour paid to Duryodhana, the Pandavas felt ashamed; they grieved mightily to hear it said that Bhishma, Drona, Karna, and Buriśravas had been killed unfairly. But Krishna, seeing them anxious and downcast, proclaimed in a voice sounding like thunder or drums, ‘Duryodhana here with his swift weapons, and those other valiant chariot-fighters, could not have been slain by you on the battlefield in a fair fight. That is why I devised these stratagems, lords of men—otherwise the victory of the Pandavas could never have happened.’
Chapter 10. The Night-Raid
Quotes
Drona’s son Aśvatthaman watched that owl carry out its guileful attack at night. The bird’s behaviour filled him with new resolve, and he said to himself, ‘This bird has given me good advice in warfare!’
‘Here is the jewel, and here am I.’
