Ashvatthama

Ashvatthama (Sanskrit: अश्वत्थामा, IAST: Aśvatthāmā, also spelt as Ashwatthama and Ashvatthaman) is a character in the ancient Hindu epic Mahabharata. He is the son of Drona, the royal preceptor to the Kuru princes—the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Ashvatthama is a close companion of Duryodhana, the leader of the Kauravas, and receives military training alongside the Kuru princes under the tutelage of his father.

Favoured by his father, Ashvatthama is entrusted with the knowledge of several celestial weapons, including the Narayanastra and the Brahmashirastra. During the Kurukshetra War between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, he fights on the side of the Kauravas and emerges as one of the three surviving warriors from their faction by the war’s conclusion.

On the night following the eighteenth day of battle, after the war has formally concluded, Ashvatthama temporary gains supernatural strength and weapon after a sacrifice to the god Shiva. He launches a night raid on the Pandava camp and kills Dhrishtadyumna—the commander-in-chief of the Pandava army, who beheaded Drona during the war—and remaining warriors including the sons of Draupadi, the queen of the Pandavas. In response the Pandavas pursue him, and upon being confronted, Ashwatthama releases the Brahmashirastra. Unable to recall the weapon, Ashwatthama instead targets the Pandava lineage and Pandavas' women including Uttara—who is pregnant with Parikshit. Although the child dies, Krishna later revives him. As punishment for his actions, Krishna curses Ashvatthama to wander the earth for three thousand years, afflicted by isolation, suffering and decay. He retreats to forests afterwards.

The name Aśvatthāmā (Sanskrit: अश्वत्थामा) is derived from the Sanskrit components aśva (horse) and sthāman (strength or presence), with the name often interpreted as "the one who has the strength or voice of a horse" or "one who is steadfast as a horse". Alternate grammatical forms such as Aśvatthāman (Sanskrit: अश्वत्थामन्) also appear in Sanskrit literature. According to the Adi Parva of the epic, at the moment of his birth, Ashvatthama emitted a loud cry that resembled the neighing of the celestial horse Uccaishravas. A divine voice from the heavens then proclaimed that he should be named Ashwatthama.

In the Mahabharata, Ashvatthama is referred to by several epithets, which include Ācāryanandana, Ācāryaputra, Ācāryasuta, Ācāryatanaya, Ācāryasattama, Drauṇi, Drauṇāyani, Droṇaputra, Droṇasūnu, Guruputra, Gurusuta, and Bhāratācāryaputra—all of which reference his descent from his father, Drona.

Ashvatthama is mentioned as a combined incarnation of deities Shiva, Yama, Kama, and Krodha, and has a divine gem on his forehead which gives him extraordinary powers. He is born to Drona, a Brahmana descended from the sage Bharadvaja, and his wife Kripi, the sister of Kripa descending from sage Gautama. Ashvatthama's birth is marked by supernatural signs. As soon as he is born, a celestial voice proclaimes his name, likening his cry to the neighing of the divine horse Uchchaihshravas.

Ashvatthama grows up in poverty and is once found weeping after seeing wealthy children drink milk, while he is given water mixed with powdered rice (pishtodaka) as milk. From childhood, Ashvatthama is taught warfare by Drona, who himself learnt it from other warrior-brahmins Agnivesha and Parashurama. When Drona is employed by the Kuru royal family to teach warfare to its princes—the hundred Kauravas brothers and the five Pandavas, Ashvatthama joins them in the ashrama. Ashvatthama soon excels in secret mystical knowledge (rahasyeshu), weaponry and military arts. In certain versions of the epic, it is attested that Drona, exhibiting deep paternal affection for his son Ashwatthama, seeks to provide him with specialized instruction in archery. He conducts these exclusive lessons during intervals when the other disciples are engaged in collecting water for the ashram. The Pandava prince Arjuna, upon discerning this arrangement, expedites his own tasks to gain access to the additional training sessions. Consequently, both Arjuna and Ashvatthama acquire a level of martial expertise that surpasses that of their peers.

After completion of his pupils' training, Drona arranges a weapon show, in which Ashwathama is present during discussions and demonstrations of weapons (astras). Here, he is mentioned as separating Bhima and Duryodhana. Ashvatthama participates in Draupadi’s svayaṃvara and is seen accompanying Duryodhana afterward. Later, He also attends the Rājasūya sacrifice of Yudhishthira, where he is noted among the elite guests present and is in charge of receiving Brahmins during the ceremony.