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12.DRONA
Drona borrowed a bow, fixed an
arrow on the string and sent it right into
the ring. The arrow rebounding brought
up the ring and the brahmana handed it to
the prince with a smile.
Seeing these feats, the princes were
astonished and said: "We salute you, O
brahmana. Who are you? Is there anything
we can do for you?" and they bowed to
him.
He said: "O princes, go to Bhishma and
learn from him who I am."
From the description given by the princes,
Bhishma knew that the brahmana was
none other than the famous master Drona.
He decided that Drona was the fittest
person to impart further instruction to the
Pandavas and the Kauravas. So, Bhishma
received him with special honor and
employed him to instruct the princes in
the use of arms.
As soon as the Kauravas and the Pandavas
had acquired mastery in the science of
arms, Drona sent Karna and Duryodhana
to seize Drupada and bring him alive, in
discharge of the duty they owed to him as
their master.
They went as ordered by him, but could
not accomplish their task. Then the master
sent forth Arjuna on the same errand. He
defeated Drupada in battle and brought
him and his minister captives to Drona.
Then Drona smilingly addressed Drupada:
"Great king, do not fear for your life. In
our boyhood we were companions but you
were pleased to forget it and dishonor me.
You told me that a king alone could be
friend to a king. Now I am a king, having
conquered your kingdom. Still I seek to
regain my friendship with you, and so I
give you half of your kingdom that has
become mine by conquest. Your creed is
that friendship is possible only between
equals. And we shall now be equals, each
owning a half of your kingdom."
Drona thought this sufficient revenge for
the insult he had suffered, set Drupada at
liberty and treated him with honor.
Drupada's pride was thus humbled but,
since hate is never extinguished by
retaliation, and few things are harder to
bear than the pangs of wounded vanity,
hatred of Drona and a wish to be revenged
on him became the ruling passion of
Drupada's life.
The king performed tapas, underwent
fasts and conducted sacrifices in order to
win the gratified gods to bless him with a
son who should slay Drona and a daughter
who should wed Arjuna.
His efforts were crowned with success
with the birth of Dhrishtadyumna who
commanded the Pandava army at
Kurukshetra and, helped by a strange
combination of circumstances, slew the
otherwise unconquerable Drona, and birth
of Draupadi, the consort of the Pandavas.
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