|
12.DRONA
DRONA, the son of a brahmana named
Bharadwaja, after completing his study of
the Vedas and the Vedangas, devoted
himself to the art of archery and became a
great master.
Drupada, the son of the king of Panchala,
who was a friend of Bharadwaja, was a
fellow-student of Drona in the hermitage
and there grew up between them the
generous intimacy of youth.
Drupada, in his boyish enthusiasm, used
often to tell Drona that he would give him
half his kingdom when he ascended the
throne. After completing his studies,
Drona married the sister of Kripa, and a
son Aswatthama was born to them.
Drona was passionately attached to his
wife and son, and, for their sake, desired
to acquire wealth, a thing that he had
never cared for before. Learning that
Parasurama was distributing his riches
among the brahmanas, he first went to
him. But he was too late as Parasurama
had already given away all his wealth and
was about to retire to the forest.
But, anxious to do something for Drona,
Parasurama offered to teach him the use
of weapons, of which he was supreme
master.
Drona joyfully agreed, and great archer as
he already was, he became unrivalled
master of the military art, worthy of eager
welcome as preceptor in any princely
house in that warlike age.
Meanwhile, Drupada had ascended the
throne of Panchala on the death of his
father. Remembering their early intimacy
and Drupada's expressions of readiness to
serve him, even to the extent of sharing
his kingdom, Drona went to him in the
confident hope of being treated
generously.
But he found the king very different from
the student. When he introduced himself
as an old friend, Drupada, far from being
glad to see him, felt it an intolerable
presumption.
Drunk with power and wealth, Drupada
said: "O brahmana, how dare you address
me familiarly as your friend? What
friendship can there be between a throned
king and a wandering beggar? What a fool
must you be to presume on some long past
acquaintance to claim friend ship with a
king who rules a kingdom? How can a
pauper be the friend of a wealthy man, or
an ignorant boor of a learned scholar, or a
coward of a hero? Friendship can exist
only between equals. A vagrant beggar
cannot be the friend of a sovereign."
Drona was turned out of the palace with
scorn in his ears and a blazing wrath in his
heart.
|
|