ॐ Hindu Of Universe ॐ
“God’s light is within you, It never leaves you.”
Aswasthama
Ashwathama or Drauni the Rudravataar was born here in Tapkeshwar caves. He is considered as the avatar of one of the eleven Rudras and one of the Eight Chiranjivi Purush. 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.
Ashwatthama
Ashwatthama is the “Vish Purusha” that sprung out of Shiva when he consumed Halahal during Samudra Manthan. He is the Ansha Avatar of Lord Shiva, he was granted the blessing that he could kill the oppressive Kshatriyas.
He would take birth as Bharadwaja grandson and raised as Brahmin but will be attracted to Kshatriyahood. This Vish Purusha took birth as Ashwatthama to Drona and Kripi.
Ashwatthama is said to be the “Vish Purush” who sprung out of Shiva after he took Halahal during Samundra Manthan. He was granted a blessing that he would be able to kill oppressive Kshatriyas. He will be born as Bhardwaja’s grandson and be raised as Brahman but attracted to Kshatriyahood. This Vish Purusha was born as Ashwatthama to Drona and Kripi.
Ashwatthama
Impressed by Guru Dronacharya’s extreme atonement and dedication to pleasing him so that he would be born as his son, Lord Shiva was born as Ashwatthama, a capable hero who assumed a significant part in the Mahabharata. He was being brought into the world as Bhardwaja’s grandson and was raised as a Brahman but was drawn to Kshatriyahood.
The Story of Ashwatthama from Mahabharata
Bad company is the destroyer of goodness in you. Ashwatthama’s story is set as an example of what constant exposure to hatred and jealousy does to an individual. Even the mind of a great scholar could not outrun the effects of bad company. Ashwatthama is among the few immortals of Indian mythology. But his immortality is not a boon but a curse. He lives to remind us what war and hatred make of a man.
Drona was a great Shiva devotee. He and his wife, Kripi, were expecting a child. Both of them went into a cave and prayed to Shiva. They wanted a child with the qualities of Shiva. Shiva was impressed and granted them the boon.
When the child arrived, he had a gem stuck in his forehead, where Shiva has his third eye. The crying baby also sounded like a horse and hence the name Ashwatthama was given to him, Ashwa meaning horse.
Ashwatthama grew up with both Pandavas and Kauravas. But Duryodhana who was jealous and afraid of Pandavas kept people of power closer to him. It was for this reason that Ashwatthama grew closer to Kauravas. Also, the fact that Pandavas were sent on a 13-year exile had an impact on their relationship with Ashwatthama.
Opposite to popular opinion, Ashwatthama was not evil, instead, he was a man who loved justice. Though he was not present in the court when the Draupadi incident happened, he did criticize Duryodhana and Karna for what they did.
In the battle of Mahabharata, Ashwatthama fought from the side of Kauravas. As Drona was one of their main strategists he kept Ashwatthama in defensive positions. Drona had promised to fight only till his son is alive and hence Ashwatthama’s safety was a top priority.
But when Ashwatthama got the news that his father was killed by trickery, he let the hell loose on the Pandava army. His celestial weapons killed one-fourth of Pandavas’ army. He even used Narayanastra, the celestial weapon of Vishnu. But Krishna, being Vishnu himself knew how to minimize its damage. He made everyone drop their weapon as the Narayanastra does not harm an unarmed person.
Before leaving for his final battle with Bhima, Duryodhana makes Ashwatthama commander of his army. Later on, Bhima cheats and defeats Duryodhana. He tears his leg off and leaves him to die. Ashwatthama reaches for Duryodhana’s aid. Duryodhana makes him promise to revenge for his death.
That night, Ashwatthama decides to repay Pandavas for all their deceits and cheats. He breaks the rule of no killing after sunset and raids the sleeping Pandavas ’ tents. He personally kills Dhristadiyunma, who had killed his father. Pandavas suffer a great number of deaths that night.
Krishna, who is a preacher of everything is fair in war is not angered by this. But what Ashwatthama does next, goes beyond cruelty. He uses one of his celestial weapons on his unborn child of Arjun. Krishna not only saves the child but also punishes Ashwatthama for this heinous act. Krishna pulls out the gem from his forehead and curses him to live forever with the never-healing wound.
Ashwatthama has an incredible life. He came to this world as a blessing from Shiva and remains here cursed by Vishnu. The character of Ashwatthama also gives us an insight into the aftermath of war. Such an amount of death and grief can change a person in an irreversible way. A phenomenon we now know as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. While the book of Mahabharata is all about war, it also serves as a reason to not have it. And while Gita inspired Arjun to fight it also inspired Gandhi to choose non-violence.
Ashwathama, one of eight Chiranjivis (immortals) of Hinduism
Ashwathama was the son of Dronacharya, teacher of Kauravas and Pandavas in the Dwapar Yuga (the third age of the four ages, Sat, Treta, Dwapar and Kali). His mother’s name was Krupi. It is said that at the time of birth there was a sound of neigh from his throat that is why he was named Ashwathama (Ashwa means horse in Sanskrit). Ashwathama had a valuable gem or “Mani”, set on his forehead, the wearer of which ceases to have any fear from weapons or disease or hunger, and ceases to have any fear of gods, Danavas (a race of the Demons) and Nagas (a deity or class of entity or being, taking the form of a very large snake, found in Hinduism and Buddhism).
He was very heroic and an expert archer. In the war of Mahabharata, he was the commander of the army of the Kauravas. In the war, to defeat Dronacharya Sri Krishna planned a clever war tactic. On the side of Pandavas there was an elephant by the name of Ashwathama. Shri Krishna told Yudhishthira to spread the rumor that Ashwathama was dead! The elephant was killed and everyone shouted, “Ashwathama is dead, Ashwathama is dead!” Dronacharya also heard these words and suspected his lone son Ashwathama was killed in the battle. Gloomy at the loss of his son he approached Yudhishthir and asked, “O Yudhishthira, I know you never speak untruth, please tell me what has happened. Is Ashwathama really dead?
With great effort Yudhishthira said, “Yes, Ashwathama is dead”; but added in whisper, “I do not know whether he is a man or an elephant.” Dronacharya in the din and bustle failed to hear the second half of the sentence and thinking that his loving son has died gave up the fight and was subsequently killed by by Dhristadyumna, son of Drupad.
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Here Ashwathama, son of Dronacharya, learnt about the trick played by Sri Krishna and Yudhishthira in the killing his father. To take his revenge, at the end of Mahabharata, one night Ashwathama went to the Pandavas camp. Pandavas were not present in the camp at that time. Thinking that the Pandavas were sleeping, Ashwathama killed all the five sons of Pandavas and also the baby in the womb of Uttara, wife of Abhimanyu (Arjun’s son). Shri Krishna revived the stillborn child. This child further became famous as King Parikshit.
Draupadi started lamenting at her sons being killed. When Pandavas returned to their camp and came to know that Ashwathama had killed their sons, they were very angry. Here, even Ashwathama was scared and knew that Pandavas will not spare his life. He ran away and hid himself in the forest on the banks of River Ganga. There, Sage Maharishi Vyas was sitting with few other Sages. Pandavas came there in search of Ashwathama and Arjun challenged him for a battle. Frightened Ashwathama propelled the unfailing weapon Brahmastra (a kind of weapon which dealt infallible destruction and was set in motion by the force of mantras). Arjun also had the knowledge of Brahmashtra and he also used the same to reduce the effect of Ashwathama’s weapon.
With the collision of these weapons, it was feared that the whole universe might be destroyed. Then, Sage Maharishi Vyas and Narad made these weapons inactive with their powers. Arjun was about to kill Ashwathama, but in the honor of Maharshi Vyas, Narad and others, he left him alive and snatched away the “Divya mani” (Divine gem) from him. At this sinful act of Ashwathama, Shree Krishna was very upset and cursed Ashwathama that he will be wandering on this earth for thousands of years and always a foul smell will come out of his body due to which he will not get a place in the human society. He will wander in the jungles and live a cursed life. It is believed that even today Ashwathama is roaming around in the jungle suffering the punishment of his sinful act.
It is believed that he is cursed to remain alive till the end of the Kali Yuga. An old fort near Burhanpur, India called Asirgarh has a Lord Shiva temple on top where it is believed that Ashwathama offers a red rose everyday to Lord Shiva early in the morning. It is said that as Krishna took away the gem from his head, Ashwathama is seen wandering with his head bleeding.
Incident 1 – Ashwathama seen by Railway Employee
A more than a decade old newspaper article ran about a railway employee on leave. During his wanderings in the jungles of Navsari (Gujarat) he had reported a very tall man of about 12 feet with a wound on his head. He claimed to have conversation with him and learnt that Bheem was much taller and stronger than him.
ashwatthama-1Incident 2 – Ashwathama met Pilot Baba ?
The last record of his existence came to my notice while reading a book called “Himalaya kah raha hai” by Pilot Baba. you can also go to his website to read the excerpts. The temple where he stayed was washed away in the floods a few years back. But before that he had interesting encounters with Aswathama which he shared and we have detailed as incident 9.
Incident 3 – Prithviraj Chauhan Hindu King Meeting Ashwathama
When in 1192, Prithveeraaj Chauhaan lost the battle from Mohammad Gauree, he left for jungle. There he met one old person with a scar on his head. Being a very good doctor Prithveeraaj Chauhaan confidently asked him that he can cure his scar. The old man agreed. But even after week’s medication it remained as it is. Prithveeraaj was surprised and understood the details. He asked old man if he is Ashwatthaamaa. Because only the scars that is created through taking up the “MANI” the gem from forehead cannot be cured. The old man told that he was Ashwatthaamaa and then he went away. This description is given in “Prithviraj Raso” the book written in 12th century on him.
Incident 4 – Ashwatthama Ecounter with Saint Naranappa
In late 14th, early 15th century there lived in Gadag, Karnaatak, a poor Braahman called Naranappa. Later, because of the Mahabharata epic “Karnata Bharata Kathamanjari” that he wrote in Kannada, he came to be called as Kumara Vyasa. His greatest desire was to write Mahaabhaarat based on original sources, and to this end he prayed day-in and day-out in the Temple of Veera Naaraayan, temple of Trikooteshwar. One day the Almighty decided to answer his prayers and appeared in his dream and said: “Attend the forthcoming Dwaadashee Paaran (Dwaadashee feast) in the Veera Naaraayan Temple. Watch out for one lone Braahman who would leave the feast earliest. He is none other than Ashwathaamaa who witnessed Mahabharat. Fall at his feet and ask him to narrate the MahaBharat as it happened. You can record it in writing and claim your share of fame”. Promptly Naranappa (Narayanappa) attended the following Dwaadashee Paaran at the Veera Narayan Temple, and then followed the Brahmin who finished his feast the earliest and started walking out of the Temple. He approached him and fell at his feet saying, “I know who you are, you are the very same Ashwatthaamaa of MahaBharat, please help me”. At this Ashwathaamaa was taken aback and asked him how do you know this? Naranappa responded saying “The Veera Naaraayan Swamy” appeared in his dream and told me so. Ashwatthaamaa was mightily pleased hearing this and asked Naranappa, OK, tell me what can I do for you. Naranappa responded saying he would like to write the Mahaabhaarat in Kannada as it happened.
To this Ashwatthaamaa agreed under two conditions. He said that Naranappa should start writing the Mahaabhaarat everyday after he finished his bath, wearing a wet Veshti (Dhotee). Ashwatthaamaa said – “You can keep writing till such time your Veshti is wet and the MahaBharata would flow from your pen as it happened. The moment your clothes dry up, the flow would stop. He also put a condition that he should not disclose this secret to anyone failing which the flow would stop forever. Needless to say, our Naranappa, was immensely excited about the project, and he kept his secret till the time he reached the “Gadaa Parv” (the time when Duryodhan and Bheem fought the duel of the mace fight). At this moment it is believed that Ashwatthaamaa appeared before Naranappa and he was in tears — remembering his friend Duryodhan and the A-Dhaarmik (unjustified) way in which Bheem defeated Duryodhan. Naranappa overcome with excitement disclosed this secret to his wife, and his writing flow stopped immediately. That is why his Mahaabhaarat ends with Gadaa Parv only. Later someone might have added up from Vyaas’ MahaBharat, but our Kumara Vyaas’s MahaBharata ended only with Gadaa Parv. End of Mahabharat and Beginning of Kaliyuga further suggest that Dronacharya’s son is very much alive and is bound to roam in India to serve the curse bestowed on him. The curse that “Ashwatthaamaa would roam the world carrying his own sins, with people shunning him, and suffering the pain of the wound on his forehead from where the “Mani” was removed by force”, 5000 years ago. Or Vikram Samvat 2070** years, since Mahabharata is now long passed, and I am sure, Ashwatthaamaa is there somewhere in the Himaalaya, performing Tapasyaa. (**Vikram Samvat is calendar derived by King Vikramaditya to record historical evidences).
Incident 5 – Aswathama Meeting Parents of Swaminarayan
Dharmdev and Bhaktimaataa (father and mother of Swaminarayan) were cursed over two hundred years ago by Ashwatthaamaa – son of Dronacharya. This is described in Satsangi Jivan written by Shatanand Muni – He was tall and well built robed in orange clothes as a Braahman. His head was strapped just above his eyebrows and he was covered with Bhasm (ash). He had big red eyes full of angerness. Mother Bhakti and father Dharm were on their way back from Vrindaavan where Shree Krishn proclaimed to them that their troubles in Chapaiyaa (village close to the banks of Sarayoo) would soon end after He himself would be born to them.
To this Ashwatthaamaa agreed under two conditions. He said that Naranappa should start writing the Mahaabhaarat everyday after he finished his bath, wearing a wet Veshti (Dhotee). Ashwatthaamaa said – “You can keep writing till such time your Veshti is wet and the MahaBharata would flow from your pen as it happened. The moment your clothes dry up, the flow would stop. He also put a condition that he should not disclose this secret to anyone failing which the flow would stop forever. Needless to say, our Naranappa, was immensely excited about the project, and he kept his secret till the time he reached the “Gadaa Parv” (the time when Duryodhan and Bheem fought the duel of the mace fight). At this moment it is believed that Ashwatthaamaa appeared before Naranappa and he was in tears — remembering his friend Duryodhan and the A-Dhaarmik (unjustified) way in which Bheem defeated Duryodhan. Naranappa overcome with excitement disclosed this secret to his wife, and his writing flow stopped immediately. That is why his Mahaabhaarat ends with Gadaa Parv only. Later someone might have added up from Vyaas’ MahaBharat, but our Kumara Vyaas’s MahaBharata ended only with Gadaa Parv. End of Mahabharat and Beginning of Kaliyuga further suggest that Dronacharya’s son is very much alive and is bound to roam in India to serve the curse bestowed on him. The curse that “Ashwatthaamaa would roam the world carrying his own sins, with people shunning him, and suffering the pain of the wound on his forehead from where the “Mani” was removed by force”, 5000 years ago. Or Vikram Samvat 2070** years, since Mahabharata is now long passed, and I am sure, Ashwatthaamaa is there somewhere in the Himaalaya, performing Tapasyaa. (**Vikram Samvat is calendar derived by King Vikramaditya to record historical evidences).
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Incident 5 – Aswathama Meeting Parents of Swaminarayan
Dharmdev and Bhaktimaataa (father and mother of Swaminarayan) were cursed over two hundred years ago by Ashwatthaamaa – son of Dronacharya. This is described in Satsangi Jivan written by Shatanand Muni – He was tall and well built robed in orange clothes as a Braahman. His head was strapped just above his eyebrows and he was covered with Bhasm (ash). He had big red eyes full of angerness. Mother Bhakti and father Dharm were on their way back from Vrindaavan where Shree Krishn proclaimed to them that their troubles in Chapaiyaa (village close to the banks of Sarayoo) would soon end after He himself would be born to them.
On the way back one night (it took 28 days for them to get back to chapaiyaa village – the birthplace of Swaminarayan Bhagwan), as they walked through the forest they lost their way. They saw a tall Braahman roaming in the forest. They asked him for direction. The Braahman with a deep voice asked where they were coming from as they looked feared. Dharmdev explained that they were a Sarvariyaa Saam Vedee Braahman and his Kuldev was Hanumaan Jee and up on Hanumaan Jee’s advice at Hanumaan Garhee -Ayodhyaa (where Dharmdev did Tapascharyaa for 3 months) they went to Vrindaavan. Dharmdev further explained the whole incident as well as telling him how they had a revelation from Lord Krishn and Shreemati Raadhaaraanee in Vrindaavan. With this the Brahmin spoke with anger in his voice “Krishna my arch enemy? Will be born to you? I curse Him for the pain I have borne as of Him, that He as your son will never be able to bear weapons and neither shall he be able to fight in any war.” Saying this he left pushing Dharmdev aside. Bhaktimata started trembling and crying. Just then Hanumaan Jee arrived to them once again and calmed them and showed them the way and told them that they need not fear as God does not need any weapon nor need to fight to rid evil and tyranny. This incident shows that Ashwatthaamaa is still roaming in forests and jungles of India today. As this was just over 200 odd years ago.
Incident 6 – Aswathama Seen in Ludhiana, Punjab
Narrated by a commenter. My Father’s uncle was a famous (Vaidya) – Doctor in Ludhiana. He would spend hours meditating too. He was a Bhakt of Data Dayal, a well Known Guru in Panjaab (try to search for Data Dayal on net). One day as he was closing his shop in the after noon, it was summer time and everything was shut due to summers, in 1968-69, Ludhiaanaa, Panjaab, just then an old person came to him, whose face was covered and spoke to him in crude Panjaabee and Hindi mix, “Badaa naam sunaa hai teraa, bhaut badaa vaidya hai too? Ilaaj kar sakdaa hai meraa? My father’s uncle said – “Tell me what the problem is?” and when he removed the Pagadee from his head, there was a dent on the forehead. He had never seen such a dent before, as if the brain was taken away from the fore front, yet the skin was tight as if nothing had happened. My dad’s uncle was a bit nervous but still said that he would like to have a second look at him. He said – “Tenu pataa hai main kaun hoon?” and my dad’s uncle said – “I think I know who you are but still let me get my stuff.” By the time he brings his stuff from the almirah, that man had left, never to be found again. But he said that his eyes always haunted him, He had blue eyes, which were so sharp as if he would walk inside his brain.
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Incident 7 – Aswathama seen nearby Narmada river (Gujarat)
Narrated by another commenter. I have also heard from numerous people that others have spotted someone with a dent in the forehead roaming around the Narmadaa river (Gujaraat). He was described as tall person, and that there were tons of flies, bugs surrounding him all the time.
Incident 8 – Vasudevanand Saraswati Met Ashwathama in Shoolpaneeshawar
Vasudevanand Saraswati, a saint who is considered as incarnation of Dattatreya by his followers, saw Ashwatthama in the dense forest of Shulpaneeshawar near Katarkheda*, in the year 1912 (2 years before he took samadhi on Mangalwar, Nakshatra Ardra, Ashadh Shuddha Pratipada).
*Katarkheda is small village located in Dahi Tehsil of Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh
In 1912 Chikhalada, 22nd chaturmaas. After a stay of 6-7 months Swami crossed the dense forest of Shulpaneeshawar near Katarkheda. He was partly guided by Ashwatthama. Thus he arrived for his final chaturmaas on the banks of Narmada with the help of Ashwathama.
The incident went like this: Tembe Swami who was also devotee of Dattatreya got lost in the dense Shulpaneeshawar forest (now in Gujarat) and was unable to reach the town. In the thick forest, an odd person appeared in front of the Swami and offered to help him in finding the right path to move out of forest. The Swami was not bewildered as he was true yogi and pious saint not to afraid of anyone. The Swami keenly observed his physique and characteristics which were very peculiar.
When they almost reached the end of the forest, the strange man who helped the Swami said, “We are close to the town. I cannot accompany you anymore. This is the farthest I can come. ” Swamiji replied, “I have observed your gait, behavior and physique very keenly. None of them seem human to me. Who are you? Are you a ghost? Are you a Yaksha? Reveal your true identity!”. The odd man replied, “You are right. None of them seem normal because I do not belong to this yuga. I belong to the Dwapara yuga. I am Ashwathama.”
This encounter with Ashwathama was written in the auto biography of Vasudevanand Saraswathi (Tembe Swami Maharaj).
AVATARS OF LORD SHIVA – ASHWATTHAMA
Lord Shiva is one of the most revered and worshipped deities in Hinduism. He is the supreme god of destruction, transformation, and regeneration. He is also the lord of yoga, meditation, and arts. He has many names, forms, and attributes that reflect his various aspects and qualities.
One of the ways to understand Lord Shiva is through his avatars or incarnations. An avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity in human or animal form on earth for a specific purpose. Lord Shiva has taken many avatars in different ages and situations to fulfill his divine will and to help his devotees.
In this blog series, we will explore five of the most well-known avatars of Lord Shiva and their stories.
Ashwatthama Avatar
Ashwatthama is one of the most powerful and mysterious characters in the Mahabharata. He is the son of Dronacharya, the royal guru of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. He is also one of the seven Chiranjeevis or immortals in Hindu mythology.
Ashwatthama was born as an avatar of Lord Shiva to destroy the evil Kshatriyas who had corrupted the earth. He was gifted with a gem on his forehead that gave him extraordinary powers and protection. He was also an expert in archery, warfare, and martial arts.
Ashwatthama was loyal to his father and fought on the side of the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra war. He was one of the few survivors of the war and witnessed the death of his father at the hands of Dhrishtadyumna, the brother of Draupadi.
Ashwatthama was enraged by his father’s death and vowed to take revenge on the Pandavas. He sneaked into their camp at night and killed Dhrishtadyumna and many other warriors who were sleeping. He also tried to kill the five sons of Draupadi but mistook them for the Pandavas.
When he realized his mistake, he felt guilty and remorseful. He was also cursed by Lord Krishna for his heinous act. Krishna removed his gem from his forehead and made him suffer from leprosy and wander on earth for eternity.
Ashwatthama is still alive today and roams around in forests and mountains. He is said to be waiting for the end of Kali Yuga when he will meet Lord Kalki, the final avatar of Vishnu, who will end his curse and grant him liberation.
Is Ashwathama avatar of Shiva?
Therefore, pleased by Guru Dronacharya’s devotion, Lord Shiva took birth as Ashwatthama, an able warrior who played a pivotal role in the Mahabharata. This form of Lord Shiva appeared to calm Lord Narasimha after the latter killed demon Hiranyakashipu. The Sharabha avatar is one of its kind.
Where is Ashwathama found in India?
The famous Pilot Baba, who was previously a fighter pilot with the Indian Air Force, has also claimed to have seen Ashwatthama in the foothills of the Himalayas. He had said that the cursed warrior now lived among the Himalayan tribes and even offers his prayers at a temple of Lord Shiva every day, till date.
Who killed Ashwathama in Mahabharat?
Dhristadyumna
Krishna, who knew it was not possible to defeat an armed Drona, hatched a plan to kill him by lying to him about the death of his son Ashwatthama. The plan worked and the grieving sage was beheaded by Dhristadyumna, which in turn led to Ashwatthama becoming filled with rage at the deceptive way his father was killed.
Who killed Eklavya and why?
The Bhagavata Purana mentions that Ekalavya assisted Jarasandha, when he attacked Mathura, to take the revenge of the death of Kansa.In this battle Ekalavya was killed by Lord Krishna, because Krishna knew about the future war of Mahabharat and Ekalavya could become an obstacle in the establishment of dharma.
Who is the son of Ashwathama?
Drona
Kripi
Ashwatthama/Parents
Who is better Karan or Arjun?
Though abandoned at childhood, Karna had a far better life than Arjuna which he threw away himself because he sided with “adharma“. Karna had made his life’s mission to prove himself to Arjuna that he was the greatest of all warriors. He made it into a personal battle.
Is Eklavya story true?
In ancient India, nearly 5000 years ago, there lived a young Nishada (a tribe of hunters) prince by the name of Eklavya. Even though he was a hunter by birth, being the son of the chief of hunters in the forests of Hastinapur, he aspired to become a great archer and a brave warrior.
Who is Ashwathama in the Hindu mythology?
Ashwathama is the avatar of one of the eight Rudras and he is one of the seven immortals according to the Hindu mythology. He is the grandson of the great Brahmin sage Bharadwaja. Ashwathama is the lone survivor still living, who actually fought in the Kurukshetra war.
How did Ashwatthama become a Chiranjivi Maharathi?
Ashvatthama is a Maharathi who fought on the Kaurava side against the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra War. He became a Chiranjivi (immortal) due to a curse given to him by Krishna. 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.
How did Lord Krishna make Ashwatthama stay alive?
Ashwatthama was cursed by Lord Krishna to stay alive until the end of Kali Yuga, the ‘mani’ on his forehead taken away. He was further cursed to have various incurable diseases, such that no human being would want to even come near him.
What kind of power does Ashwatthama have on his forehead?
He is a Chiranjivi. Ashwatthama 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. Though an expert in warfare, Dronacharya lives the simple life, with little money or property.
TWO AVATARS OF LORD SHIVA ARE STUCK ON EARTH SINCE 1000 YEARS!
The holy month of Sawan has begun. According to religious scriptures, this is the month to worship Lord Shiva, who fulfills people’s wishes. There are many stories of Lord Shiva mentioned in our religious scriptures. The religious scriptures also mentions about many avatars of Lord Shiva. One of these avatars is still wandering on earth for mukti. The second one has been blessed to be alive forever.
This avatar is Dronacharya’s son Ashwatthama who always remains angry. The other avatar is Lord Hanuman. To know why Ashwatthama is still alive, Just scroll down. Ashwatthama was one of the prominent characters of Mahabharata. He was the son of the teacher of the Kauravas and Pandavas, Guru Dronacharya. According to Mahabharata, Ashwatthama was the avatar of Kaal, Krodh, Yam and Lord Shiva. Ashwatthama was extremely powerful warrior. During the war of Mahabharata, Ashwatthama had helped the Kauravas too.
Among the eight immortal people like Lord Hanuman, Ashwatthama is one. There is a verse written in this regard:
अश्वत्थामा बलिव्र्यासो हनूमांश्च विभीषण:।
कृप: परशुरामश्च सप्तएतै चिरजीविन:॥
सप्तैतान् संस्मरेन्नित्यं मार्कण्डेयमथाष्टमम्।
जीवेद्वर्षशतं सोपि सर्वव्याधिविवर्जित।।
This means that Ashwatthama, king Bali, Vyasji, Hanuman, Vibhishana, Kripacharya, Parasuram and sage Markandeya are eight immortal people.
According to Shiva Mahapuran, Ashwatthama is alive even today and lives near River Ganga.Acharya Drona, meditated for Lord Shiva to please him and asked for a wish for his son that will be born to be an avatar of Lord Shiva. Later, Lord Shiva was born as Ashwatthama to Acharya Drona.
After the war of Mahabharata, Ashwatthama cheated with the sons of the Pandavas and killed them. In shock of their sons death when the Pandavas along with Lord Krishna followed Ashwatthama, he fled away. Even them when Arjuna didn’t stop following Ashwatthama, he threw a Brahmastra on him. In return, Arjuna too used Brahmastra on Ashwatthama.
Maharshi Vedvyas asked Arjuna to call the Brahmastra back and he agreed. But Ashwatthama did not know how to bring back Brahmastra, so he turned it towards Abhimanyu’s wife stomatch who was pregnant. Lord Krishna got extremely angry and removed the mani from Ashwatthama’s forehead. He also cursed him to keep wandering on earth till the end of Kalyuga.
This avatar of Lord Shiva gives us a message that we should learn to keep a control on our anger because anger can become a huge reason for our problems. One more thing that we learn here is that one should never learn anything half. If knowledge is gained it has to be gained fully unlike Ashwatthama.
Lord Hanuman is considered an ideal of force, power, energy, wisdom, service and devotion to God. That is why in religious scriptures, he is also called as Sakalgunnidhan. Simply put, Lord Hanuman is immortal.
In Shri Hanuman Chalisa, Goswami Tulsidas has written –
Charo Jug Pratap Tumhara, Hai Prasidh Jagat Ujiara.
It is clear from this line that Lord Hanuman has been present as a troubleshooter in every age in some form or the other to protect the universe. These things about Lord Hanuman create people’s faith and reverence in him.
Scoll down to know how Hanuman came in different forms in different ages and in which form he has come in this yuga….
Sat Yuga Lord Hanuman is believed to be the avatar of Lord Shiva. It is believed that in Satyuga, Lord Hanuman took the form of Rudra for the welfare of the world.
Treta Yuga In this era, Lord Hanuman is understood to be the ideal of devotion service and dedication. In this era, the world was being protected by Lord Vishnu’s avatar Rama and Lord Shiva’s Avatar Hanuman.
Dwapar Yuga In this era, Hanuman appeared in the form of Nar and Narayan and remained with Krishna and Arjun in Mahabharat war. It is symbolic that Lord Hanuman was present in this era as the protector of religion.
Kal Yuga As per mythological beliefs, Lord Hanuman’s residence in this era is on Gandmadan Mountain (presently near Rameshvaram Dham). Not just that, it is believed that whenever anywhere people recall Lord Rama, Hanuman is present, but invisible to humans.
Scriptures have been written in praise of their properties saying
यत्र-यत्र रघुनाथकीर्तनं तत्र-तत्र कृत मस्तकांजलिं’.
In every age the remembrance of Srihanuman individually created as a troubleshooter with the world powers are Ubarte from troubles.
Ashwathama (or Ashwatthama) was one of the most powerful warriors in Mahabharata. He was the devotee of Lord Shiva. Still, he was cursed by Krishna. Do you know why?
Also, these people have seen Ashwathama in the 21st century. Does this mean that he is still alive?
We all have heard stories about Ashwathama still being alive since Mahabharata due to the curse which was given to him by Krishna.
Let’s trace his story from Mahabharata and find out whether he is still alive or not.
Who was Ashwathama:
Ashwathama, also known as Drauni is the son of Dronacharya and Kripi (sister of Kripacharya). He along with his father fought in the Kurukshetra war in Mahabharata from the Kauravas side against the Pandavas.
He is considered an avatar of Shiva and is one of the seven Chiranjivi ( immortal living beings in Hinduism who are to remain alive on Earth until the end of the current Kali Yuga.)
Ashwathama is also believed to be the living survivor of the Kurukshetra war along with his maternal uncle, Kripa.
Birth of Ashwathama:
Drona did many years of severe penance to please Lord Shiva to obtain a son who possesses the same valiance as Lord Shiva.
Ashwathama is said to be the part incarnate of Lord Shiva. Since he was born Chiranjivi, it is virtually impossible for anyone to kill or defeat him.
Gem (Mani) on the forehead of Ashwathama
He was born with a gem (mani) on his forehead which makes him powerful than all the living beings lower than humans. It also protects him from hunger, thirst, and fatigue.
Dronacharya was an expert in warfare. But since Drona lived a simple life of a Brahmin, he was not able to even afford milk for his son. He goes to his friend King Drupada for help, but he refused saying a beggar and a king cannot be friends.
After this humiliation and seeing the plight of Drona, Kripacharya, invited Drona to Hastinapur. There he became the guru of Pandavas and Kauravas. Ashwathama was trained along with them.
Death of Dronacharya:
On the 10th day of the war, when Bhishma falls, Drona is appointed as the supreme commander of the Kaurava army.
Krishna knew that it is impossible to defeat armed Dronacharya. So he makes a plan to defeat him by convincing him that his son, Ashwathama was killed on the battlefield. After hearing this, he will disarm himself in grief.
This plan of Krishna works as Bhima kills an elephant by the name Ashwathama while claiming it to be the son of Drona. In grief, Drona disarms himself, and Dhristadyumna beheads the sage Drona.
Enraged Ashwathama unleash Narayanastra:
Enraged by the death of his father, Ashwathama unleash Narayanastra, a weapon gifted to him by his father on the Pandava army.
Narayanastra has the power to destroy one Akshauhini (battle formation consisting of 21,870 chariots, 21,870 elephants, 65,610 horses, and 109,350 infantry) entirely.
Krishna saw him using the weapon and asked the Pandavas to bow down to it as this was the only way to calm the Astra. The Pandavas did the same and saved their lives.
After the failure of the Narayan Astra, Ashwathama got more enraged and used the Agni Astra on the Pandavas. Although he could not kill the Pandavas, he managed to eradicate most of the Pandavas army.
After Narayanastra and Agni Astra failed, a war took place between both the parties. Ashwathama succeeded in defeating Dhrishtadyumna in direct combat but was failed to kill him. He was saved by Satyaki and Bhima.
Why Ashwathama kills sons of Pandavas:
When Duryodhana was killed by Bheema (Bhima), then remaining Kauravas warriors (including Ashwathama) made a deadly attempt to kill the Pandavas brothers in the night when they would be sleeping.
On that night Krishna took all the 5 Pandavas somewhere else & Ashwathama entered into the tent of the Pandavas and mistakenly killed all the 5 sleeping sons of Pandavas and set the camp on fire.
When Pandavas returned to the camp and learned about this dreadful incident, they become inconsolable. They went searching for Ashwathama to sage Vyasa’s ashram.
On seeing Pandavas, Ashwathama as the last option devised a Brahmashirsha Astra from a blade of grass and invoked it against the Pandavas and Krishna.
Brahmashirsha Astra is the evolution of the Brahmastra and showered a shower of meteors to annihilate the enemy. This weapon can be invoked by using sacred mantras into any object, even to a blade of grass.
Arjuna invokes the same Astra, which he received from Drona himself towards Ashwathama.
On seeing the powerful Astra’s heading for a head-on collision that would result in the total annihilation of the entire earth, Vyasa asked both the warriors to withdraw their weapons.
Arjuna was able to withdraw this weapon, but Ashwathama is unable to do so because Drona never taught him how to withdraw it. This limits him from using this weapon for only one instance.
Instead of deviating his weapon towards an uninhabited place, where this Astra can explode harmlessly, he directed it towards the womb of the pregnant Uttara (wife of Abhimanyu – the son of Arjuna) in an attempt to end the lineage of the Pandavas.
This is why Ashwathama was cursed by Krishna:
Her son was later revived by Krishna. In this way, Ashwathama tried to kill everyone in the Pandava’s family. On this Lord Krishna became very angry with him & cursed him badly.
As a punishment, Ashwatthama was asked to surrender the gem on his forehead. Krishna then cursed Ashwatthama for 3000 years that he will roam in the forests with blood and puss oozing out of his injuries and cry for death.
Since he had no fear of death during the war, death would not meet him. He will have neither any hospitality nor any accommodation; he will be in total isolation without any contact of physical communication from mankind and society.
The wound caused by the removal of this gem on his forehead will not heal, and his body will suffer from a host of incurable diseases forming sores and ulcers that would never heal for 3000 years.
Ashwatthama being the son of Guru Dronacharya, is considered one of the seven Chiranjivis in the history of Hinduism. Chiranjivi is an immortal person who is to remain alive on Earth until the end of the current Kali Yuga. We often hear that Ashwatthama is still alive due to the effect of Lord Krishna’s curse. This piece attempts to answer the questions:
What was the curse? Why was Ashwatthama cursed in the first place?
The Kurukshetra War was known to be the Dharmayudh. It means that both the sides had to be equal in power at the beginning. Although, there were 11 Akshuhini senas (form of armies) on the Kaurava side against only 7 Akshauhini Senas on the Pandavas’ side. However, Lord Krishna himself was on the side of the Pandava. It is therefore believed that to balance the forces, Lord Vishnu was on the Pandvas side as Krishna and Lord Shiva was on the Kauravas’ side as Ashwattama. Hence, a balance was created.
Birth of Ashwatthama
Ashwatthama was the son of Guru Dronacharya and Kripi (sister of kripacharya). Also known as Drauni, he was one of the warriors who survived the Kurukshetra War. It is believed that Guru Dronacharya once performed a Tapasya (meditation to please the Gods) for Lord Shiva. He requested Lord Shiva that he himself to be born as his own son. To this request, Lord Shiva agreed to be born as Ashwatthama with a pearl on his forehead that resembled Lord Shiva’s third eye on his forehead. It was known that this Mani (pearl) ensured that Ashwatthama will not die and will be away from all kinds of diseases and injuries. Hence, it protected him from hunger, thirst, and fatigue. So, he was born with such extreme power. People also believed that he was born with a boon immortality as he was the Rudra form (fierce form) of lord Shiva himself.
While Guru Dronacharya taught the Kauravas and Pandavas in gurukul, Ashwatthama was also trained by him. Since his childhood, Ashwatthama had an immense interest towards power and command. He later became friends with the eldest Kaurava – Duryodhan, who was going to be the next king of Hastinapur. Along with Duryodhan, Ashwatthama was also envious of the Pandavas and majorly Arjun. Just as Duryodhana believed that the Pandavas were taking his birth-right to the crown, Ashwatthama felt that Arjuna was usurping his place in Guru Dronacharya’s heart. It was because he noticed that his father Guru Drona was partial towards Arjun in gurukul.
Death of Guru Dronacharya
Ashwatthama along with his father Guru Drona, fought along the Kauravas against the Pandavas. In this battle, Ashwatthama killed the greatest number of people after Karna and Arjun. Further on the tenth day of the Kurukshetra War, Bheeshma was defeated by the Pandavas. Guru Dronacharya was appointed as the commander of the Kaurava army. On defeating Guru Drona, Lord Krishna suggests an idea to the Pandavas.
On the fifteenth day of Kurukshetra War, Pandavas attempt to kill Guru Dronacharya. Following lord Krishna’s advice, they confront Guru Drona that Ashwatthama was killed. Although, the Pandavas could not kill Ashwatthama. It was Bhima who killed an elephant named Ashwatthama. However, initially, Guru Dronacharya does not believe the Pandavas. Later Yudhsithira (the eldest Pandava) who known was known to always speak the truth, confirmed the death of Ashwatthama. This left Dronacharya disheartened as his son Ashwatthama was very dear to him. In despair, he gives up on all his weapons and begins to meditate. On sighting him armless, Dhristadyumna (the son of Drupada and brother of Draupadi ) beheads Guru Dronacharya.
On learning about the death of his father, furious Ashwatthama releases the Narayanastra. Narayanastra has the power to destroy one Akshauhini completely. An Akshauhini is the battle formation consisting of 21,870 chariots, 21,870 elephants, 65,610 horses and 109,350 infantries. He also tries the Agni Astra, but fails in defeating the Pandavas, at the end of the day.
Hence on the fifteenth day of the Kurukshetra War, the Pandavas defeat Guru Dronacharya. However, this leaves Ashwatthama enraged and he refuses to allow Pandavas to attend the last rites of their Guru Dronacharya.
Defeat of Duryodhan
The Kurukshetra War ended with Bheema defeating Duryodhan, leaving Ashwatthama on the losing side despite his great powers. From the side of the Kauravas, Ashwatthama, Kripacharya and Kritavarma were the only survivors. It is believed after the War ended, they met Duryodhan on his death bed. Even in his last moments, Duryodhan ordered his best friend Ashhwatthama to kill the Pandavas and avenge his death. He adds on saying that it was the only way he could rest in peace. Ashwatthama was left frustrated and decided to take revenge of the death of his friend Duryodhan as well as his own father Guru Dronacharya. He heads with a sword towards the Pandavas tents in anger. Although, Kripacharya and Kritavarma tried to stop him doing such a deed, Ashwatthama was not in a condition to listen to anyone. They being more experienced than Ashwathama, tried to convince him. Ashwathama didn’t ignored them and forcefully asked them to support him because he was the commander in chief. This eventually caused him to meet his fate. He heads to the Pandavas camp, violating the rules of the War and attacking at night. He believed that even his father was killed in an unjust manner and that he was not wrong in attacking the Pandavas this way.
Anticipating such a consequence, Lord Krishna takes the Pandavas along with Draupadi elsewhere before-hand, so as to save them. It being dark, Ashwatthama mistakes the sons of Pandavas to be the Pandavas themselves and stabs them in rage. He also spots Drishtadhyumna and immediately kills him with his sword. He kills everyone on his way. He mercilessly put fire at the Pandavas’ camps and killed many women and children. Also, he killed innocent Upapandava’s mercilessly. It is also believed that that night, Ashwatthama worshiped and invoked Kaala Bhairav who was a form of Lord Shiva responsible for destruction. He was known to have wished for his blessings for attacking the Pandava camps. Kaala Bhairava entered into the body of Aswatthama and with the sword of Kaala Bhairav, Ashwatthama burned the entire Pandava camp to ashes leaving nothing behind.
Later, he goes back to Duryodhan and tells him that he can now die peacefully as he killed the Pandavas. In some versions of this story, it is believed that Ashwatthama realizes that he killed the five sons of Draupadi and not the five Pandavas. Either way, it is crucial to note that if some person is about to die the best thing anyone will do is, to tell the truth. In Hinduism, it is considered that hearing truth may give the dying person a chance of heaven. Hence, it was either ignorance by Ashwatthama or knowingly he told dying Duryodhana that he killed all five Pandavas so that he can die peacefully. This was definitely not a good Karma by Ashwatthama.
After Ashwatthama’s attack on the camps of the Pandavas, only Satyaki, Lord Krishna and five of the Pandavas were the remaining survivors of the Kurukshetra War from Pandava side.
When the five Pandavas and Draupadi returned to the camp and learned about this dreadful incident, they become inconsolable. The killing of Draupadi’s sons was however believed to be the effect of Gandhari’s curse (Mother of the Kauravas). After learning about the death and defeat of her hundred sons, Gandhari curses Draupadi that she will too see the death of her sons soon and know the pain of a mother who has lost all her children.
Ashwatthama & Brahmastra
After learning about the destruction that Ashwatthama caused, the Pandavas go in search of him. The finally reach Rishi Vyasa’s ashram. Ashwatthama seeks shelter there as he realizes his mistake of killing the sons of Pandavas and not the Pandavas themselves. Hence, in order to seek Prayaschitam (Salvation), he goes to Rishi Vyasa.
On learning that he was trapped between the Pandavas, Ashwatthama devises a Brahmashirsha Astra (a powerful celestial weapon that causes mass destruction) from a blade of grass that finds on the ground. He releases it against the Pandavas and Lord Krishna. Such an Astra can only be invoked through the use of sacred knowledge of the Vedas. To fight this Astra, Arjun decided to use the Pashupatastra (another celestial weapon). Ashwatthama learns about these Astras from Guru Dronacharya, while Arjun attains these Divyastras (celestial weapons) from Lord Shiva upon pleasing him with his thapasya.
However, both the Astras were very powerful. They were then heading for a head-on collision that would result in the destruction of the entire Earth. On knowing this, Rishi Vyasa asked both the warriors to withdraw their respective weapons. To this order, Arjun decided to withdraw his weapon and was successful in doing so. However, Ashwatthama was never taught on how to withdraw the Brahmastra. It was believed that an archer who could both invoke and withdraw such a powerful Astra had the potential to use it as many times as he wanted to. However, Dronacharya wanted to limit the use of such powers from Ashwatthama. It was because he could then use it only once. He therefore did not teach the withdrawal to Ashwatthama.
Although, Ashwatthama had the power to divert the weapon towards an isolated object. This would further cause no destruction and harm no one on Earth. To end the lineage of the Pandavas, Ashwatthama diverts the weapon towards Uttara’s womb. Uttara was the wife of Abhimanuyu (son of Arjun). She was pregnant with Abhimanyu’s son and the future heir of the Pandavas. This anger both the Pandavas and Lord Krishna. The Pandavas then attempt to kill Ashwatthama. This was opposed by Rishi Vyasa. He says that it was due to the severe sin of killing their Guru Drona by unethical means, the Pandavas suffered severe tragedy and their entire lineage came to extinction. Further Sage Vyasa warned Pandavas that he will curse Pandavas if they ever tried to kill Ashwatthama, the only survivor of their Gurus lineage.
Lord Krishna’s Curse
Lord Krishna explains:
“The unborn baby in Uttara’s womb was not even a part of the War. Lord Krishna adds that God has provided the ultimate protection of the mother’s womb for nine complete months while infant develops into a grown baby. No one is allowed to break this law of nature to kill a baby before its born. It is a deadly sin. Such an act is not at all expected from Lord Shiva himself. He is often called Mahadev (Lord of the lords). If Lord Shiva himself only will resort to killing of the unborn child breaking the ultimate protection from God as the womb, what must be done? It was also a revengeful feeling, anger and then this becomes unacceptable at all. If God himself decides to take revengeful actions with anger and break Dharma then who will save the world?”
However, with his divine powers, Lord Krishna brings he unborn baby back to life. He was then named Parikshit (one who has been tested). He was crowned the King of Hastinapur after the Pandavas. After this, Lord Krishna with his powers, pulls away the Mani from the forehead of Ashwatthama. He then curses him:
“Oh! Ashwatthama You will carry the burden of all the people’s sins on your shoulders and will roam alone like a ghost without getting any love and courtesy till the end of Kaliyuga; You will have neither any hospitality nor any accommodation; You will be in total isolation from the mankind and society; Your body will suffer from a host of incurable diseases forming sores and ulcers that would never heal. May you, Ashwatthama, lead the most wretched life anyone can ever lead. May you never receive love or affection ever in your life unto the end of Time.”
It is to be noted that none of the acts that Ashwatthama did that night were in unconscious states. It was all planned and calculated. The worst among them was the invocation of Bramhastra. He knows that if he invoked Bramhastra he will not able to take it back still he invoked that to destroy this whole world. Also as per Vedas, killing a foetus is heinous crime and Ashwatthama did it knowingly Hence, on the commitment of such sinful activities Ashwatthama had to give up his Gem and he was cursed by Krishna to wander on earth for 3000 years away from human settlement alone in the forest with the stench of pus and blood. He was born with a boon that he would stay immortal and he was protected from any kind of injury. Lord Krishna turned this boon to a curse that ultimately led to Ashwatthama suffer.
Mahabharat is an epic in itself composed by Ved Vyas. Consisting of so many interesting characters in the story and their importance in the tale till the end is one of the astonishment for the believer and reader of this great epic. One of the character was Ashwathama who is considered to be one of the 7 immortal.
Who was Ashwathama?
ashwathama mahabharat admirable india
Ashwatthama was the son of guru Dronacharya. Dronacharya did many years of dhyan and expiation of Lord Shiva in order to obtain a son who possesses the same valour as of Lord Shiva. Ashwathama is the avatar of one of the eight Rudras and he is one of the seven immortals according to the Hindu mythology. He is the grandson of the great Brahmin sage Bharadwaja. Ashwathama is the lone survivor still living, who actually fought in the Kurukshetra war.
Ashwathama was born with a gem in his forehead. This gem protected him from any attacks of ghosts, demons , poisonous insects, snakes, animals etc. The gem was later removed from his forehead.
The story of Ashwathama’s curse to be an immortal
Ashwathama fought on the Kaurava side against the Pandavas in the great Mahabharat war. Ashwathama had a mission- to eradicate the Pandavas. When he came to know that his father Dronacharya were killed by the Pandavas by lying to him about his death which was actually an elephant with the name Ashwathama, his anger was uncontrollable. All the soldiers and ally kings fighting for the Kaurava army had perished. Duryodhana was the only one of the hundred brothers still alive, Drishtadhyumna, brother of Draupadi, and their general had lead their forces to victory in all the battles. However, Ashwathama had vowed vengeance for the ambidextrous killing of his father and for the polemic defeat of Duryodhana. It was the night of the eighteenth day of the war and he was sitting beneath a tree, plotting the slaying of the Pandavas when a strange sight met his eyes. He saw an owl enter a crow’s nest and, in the darkness, kill the crow that had harassed it in the morning. When it was day and the contest was fair, the owl could not resist the crow’s advances. However, the owl exploited its advantage of being a nocturnal creature and at night, when the unsuspecting crow was asleep, the owl killed it. Ashwathama then knew what he had to do.
With Kripacharya, his uncle, and Kritavarma, the only two surviving members of the army, he went out to search for the Pandavas camp at night. He stationed Kripa and Kritavarma at the entrance to the camp and furtively went inside himself. With his long, gleaming blade, he silently beheaded Drishtadhyumna and Shikhandi. He then proceeded seeking the Pandavas. Seeing five men sleeping in a tent, he beheaded them all. During this, Krishna had taken the Pandavas away for some purpose that night. The five men Ashwathama killed were not the Pandavas but their sons, born from Draupadi. Feeling remorse for his lowly and dastardly act, Ashwathama decided to do penance in rishi Veda-Vyasa’s ashrama and he sought asylum there.
When the Pandavas came to know that their sons and relatives were ruthlessly killed by Ashwathama, they got furious.
When the Pandavas discovered their sons and brothers in law were slayed by Ashwathama in the middle of the night, they were furious. Seeking their revenge, they hunted down the son of their guru with the guidance of Krishna. Seeing the Pandavas approach, Ashwathama suddenly erupted with rage, forgetting all about the remorse he had felt prior to coming to the ashrama. He plucked a blade of grass and uttered the Vedic incantations required to transform it to a Brahmastra. On Krishna’s instruction, Arjuna produced a Brahmastra too. The two faced each other, each ready to fire the most powerful of all missiles. Veda-Vyasa, blessed with divine sight, saw that a clash of two Brahmastras would bring about catastrophic result. It would destroy the generations and ahead and so it had to be stopped at any cost and Ved Vyas using his spiritual powers, stopped the motion of the astras before they could collide.
The great sage invoke to Krishna to ask the two warriors to summon back their missiles. Arjuna did so immediately and replaced the now ordinary arrow in his quiver. Ashwathama, however, could not obey. He knew only how to invoke the Brahmastra. He didn’t knew how it was to be withdrawn. Krishna sensed this and spoke with contempt. “Great Vyasa, Drona was not supposed to impart the knowledge of the Brahmastra to Ashwathama. Nonetheless, he did so out of paternal affection but held himself back from teaching his son how to call it back, since empowered with that knowledge, his unworthy son could employ the potent missile at will. Ashwathama here is at a loss because once fired, he does not know how to revoke his missile.” Vyasa then said to Ashwathama, “Son of Drona, if it is true that you cannot revoke your missile, then channel it to target an isolated point on the planet that is uninhabited by any life form.” However, being truly evil and spiteful, Ashwathama said, “then let it destroy Abhimanyu’s yet unborn son in Uttara’s womb and end the vile Pandava dynasty” Immediately, his missile deviated and Uttara’s fetus was destroyed. Krishna, Supreme Lord of the Universe, incarnation of Vishnu the Preserver, was enraged. His voice thunderous with rage, he cursed Ashwathama, “May you, Ashwathama, lead the most wretched life anyone can ever lead. May the sin of every man on Earth haunt you and burden you with guilt. May you roam the lands like a ghost, despicable and contemptible. May you never receive love or affection ever in your life unto the end of Time.” Saying so, he demanded the gem on Ashwathama’s forehead that protected the bearer from disease. “May the wound caused by the removal of this gem never heal, serving you as a reminder of your abhorrent crimes. May you beg for death each moment of your life and may it never come to you. Out of the great affection your father had for you, he granted you immortality as a boon, by the merit of his spiritual prowess. May that very boon be your bane.” Then, he said, “If I have tread on the right path all my life and am the upholder of righteousness, may Uttara’s baby be revived” and sure enough, the infant was revived. He was named Pariksheet, the tested one. He ruled long after the Pandavas retired and his son Janamejaya ruled long after him.
Ashwatthama: The Son Of Drona
Although not a central character in the Mahabharata, the story of Ashwatthama, Drona’s son, is a compelling one. Having access to powerful weapons and nearly being responsible for the deaths of millions, Ashwatthama was a warrior lacking maturity and forethought, with an inflated ego and an extremely hot head.
Early Years
Born to Dronacharya and Kripi after many years of penance for a child, his birth was extraordinary. He came into the world neighing like a horse instead of crying. This ear-piercing noise was heard across the world, resulting in him being named Ashwatthama: ‘the sacred voice which relates to that of a horse.’ Accompanying his birth was a celestial voice proclaiming that Ashwatthama was blessed by Lord Shiva. Certainly blessed, the boy inexplicably had a ‘Mani’ (gem) on his forehead that protected him from evil spirits.
Training with the Pandavas
Ashwatthama grew up poor until Drona was asked to teach the Pandavas and Kauravas the art of warfare. Ashwatthama learned alongside the princes and gained proficiency in battle. He had skill with the bow and arrow but was outshined by Arjun, whom Drona promised to make the greatest archer in the world. Arjun, as part of this promise, was given the knowledge of using the Brahmastra, a weapon strong enough to destroy the world.
Unknown to others at the time, the Brahmastra wasn’t only given to Arjun. Overcome by affection for his son, Drona also imparted the knowledge to Ashwatthama, even after knowing of his impetuosity. Although Drona gave clear warnings to Ashwatthama, his ego only grew after this event, even trying, in vain, to get Krishna’s Sudarshan Chakra. His egotistical behaviour was not helped by the fact that he was crowned King of Southern Panchala.
The Kurukshetra War
Due to the position of his father, as well as his strong bond and friendship with Duryodhana, Ashwatthama was loyal to Hastinapur and fought on the side of the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra war. On the tenth day of the war, Drona was made the supreme commander after Bhishma’s death. He promised to capture Yuddhisthira, to no avail. Nevertheless, Drona was too powerful to kill when armed so Krishna and the Pandavas devised a scheme to make him vulnerable. It was decided that Bheema would kill an elephant by the name Ashwatthama and then inform Drona that it was his son, Ashwatthama, who had died. The plan was successful and the grief-stricken Drona was soon killed in battle by Dhrishtadyumna, son of King Drupada.
Illustration: Dilip Kadam
The news of the Pandavas’ trickery and his father’s death angered Ashwatthama to the point where he invoked the celestial weapon Narayanastra even after warnings to only use it in dire circumstances. The clouds turned grey, and a howling sound filled the air. In the sky, one arrow for each Pandava soldier appeared, ready to strike down the whole army. Luckily, Krishna knew how the weapon worked and told all soldiers to drop all their arms as the Narayanastra only killed armed soldiers. The Astra passed by harmlessly. Since the weapon could only be fired once, the Pandavas were saved from defeat.
End of the War
Much later in the war, with Duryodhana on the brink of death and the Pandavas on the brink of victory, Ashwatthama planned to go down fighting trying to inflict as much pain on the Pandavas as possible. Along with the last three survivors on the Kaurava side (Kripa and Kritavarma), Ashwatthama planned to attack during the dead of night. Mercilessly killing many, including Dhristadyumna, Ashwatthama destroyed many notable warriors of the Pandava army. He also killed all of Draupadi’s sons, mistaking them for the Pandavas.
Illustration: Dilip Kadam
Ashwatthama’s Fate
When the Pandavas saw the havoc wrecked in the morning, they were enraged and inconsolable. After finding out who was responsible, they tracked Ashwatthama and found him at sage Vyasa’s ashram. A battle ensued, ending with Ashwatthama trying to kill a pregnant Uttara, Arjun’s daughter-in-law, in order to end the Pandava lineage. Before any damage could be done, however, Krishna rushed to Ashwatthama and cursed him to an immortal life of endless misery as a leper with no means of escape.
According to some legends, Ashwatthama is still alive, in great pain, and suffering for committing the grave sin of attempting to kill an unborn baby. An egotistical, hotheaded, but skilled warrior, the story of Ashwatthama is a fascinating and tragic one.