Droṇa Parva

The Droṇa Parva is the seventh parva of the Mahābhārata and the second of the six Yuddha Parvas (the books of the war). It tells of the battle at Kurukshetra under the command of Droṇācārya, who became the Kaurava senāpati (commander) after the fall of Bhīshma, from the eleventh day of the war to the fifteenth.

The parva holds the death of Abhimanyu in the Cakravyūha, Arjuna’s oath to kill Jayadratha before sunset, the Shoḍaśa Mahārāja Kathā (the accounts of sixteen great kings), Arjuna’s dream vision in which he receives the Pāśupatāstra a second time from Bhagavān Śiva, the death of Ghaṭotkaca by Karṇa’s Indra-śakti, and the death of Droṇa himself at the hands of Dhṛshṭadyumna. It ends with Aśvatthāmā’s release of the terrible Nārāyaṇāstra and the Śatarudrīya stotra, which Vyāsa tells to Aśvatthāmā.

Structure

The Droṇa Parva has seven sub-parvas:

1. Droṇābhisheka Parva: Droṇa’s appointment as senāpati; Karṇa’s return.
2. Saṃśaptaka-Vadha Parva: the vow of the Saṃśaptakas; Arjuna’s battles with them and with Bhagadatta.
3. Abhimanyu-Vadha Parva: the Cakravyūha; Abhimanyu’s entry and death; Jayadratha’s part.
4. Pratijñā Parva: Arjuna’s oath to kill Jayadratha.
5. Jayadratha-Vadha Parva: the war of the fourteenth day; the killing of Jayadratha at sunset through Kṛshṇa’s māyā.
6. Ghaṭotkaca-Vadha Parva: the night battle; Ghaṭotkaca’s death by Indra’s śakti thrown by Karṇa.
7. Droṇa-Vadha Parva: the events of the fifth day of Droṇa’s command; the “Aśvatthāmā hataḥ” deception; Dhṛshṭadyumna’s killing of Droṇa; the Nārāyaṇāstra.

Day by day

Day 11: Droṇa’s appointment and the first battles

After Bhīshma fell on the tenth day, Karṇa returned to the field. Duryodhana consulted Karṇa and the commanders, and on Karṇa’s advice Droṇācārya was made senāpati of the Kaurava forces. The ceremony was held with full splendour: puṇyāhavācana and svastivācana, the cries of victory of the brāhmaṇas, and the music of the sūtas and māgadhas (bards). Droṇa accepted and at once set out the Śakaṭa Vyūha. At the head of the Pāṇḍava formation stood Kṛshṇārjuna (Kṛshṇa and Arjuna); at the Kaurava front stood Karṇa.

Droṇa began the day’s battle with great fury, destroying the Pāñcāla and Sṛñjaya forces in thousands and moving like the fire of destruction at the end of an age. Bhīma, Sātyaki, Dhṛshṭadyumna and other Pāṇḍava commanders tried to hold him, but could not stand against his assault, strengthened by divine weapons.

Duryodhana then asked Droṇa to grant him a vara: to capture Yudhishṭhira alive and hand him over, so that he could be forced into a second game of dice and another forest exile. Droṇa agreed, with one key condition: the capture would be possible only if Arjuna was drawn away from Yudhishṭhira’s side, for while Arjuna was there, no one could take Yudhishṭhira from him. The Droṇa Parva tells this in chapters 1–14.

Day 12: the Saṃśaptakas, Bhagadatta and Vṛshasena

Duryodhana arranged for the Saṃśaptakas, warriors under Suśarmā who had vowed either to kill Arjuna or to die, to challenge Arjuna on the southern part of the field and draw him away from Yudhishṭhira. Arjuna accepted and fought fiercely. While he was away, Droṇa advanced on the Pāṇḍava centre.

Bhagadatta, king of Prāgjyotisha and an ally of Duryodhana, fought on his great elephant Supratīka and caused havoc among the Pāṇḍava forces. Bhīma was thrown down and had to crawl under the elephant to survive. In the end Arjuna killed Bhagadatta with an arrow, after Kṛshṇa had turned aside a Vaishṇava weapon that Bhagadatta hurled. Vṛshasena, Karṇa’s son, showed great valour in these days. The Droṇa Parva tells this in chapters 15–32.

Day 13: the Cakravyūha and Abhimanyu’s death

This is the central sorrow of the Droṇa Parva. Droṇa set up the Cakravyūha (also called the Padmavyūha), a wheel-shaped formation that could not be broken. The Saṃśaptakas again drew Arjuna to the south. Among the Pāṇḍavas, only Arjuna, Kṛshṇa, Abhimanyu and Pradyumna knew how to break into this formation.

Yudhishṭhira asked Abhimanyu to enter the Cakravyūha. Abhimanyu knew how to enter but not how to come out, because Subhadrā had fallen asleep while Arjuna was teaching him the way out. Abhimanyu agreed with full courage, declaring that he would break through or die.

He entered the formation alone. He destroyed thousands of warriors and killed Rukmāratha (son of Śalya), Lakshmaṇa (son of Duryodhana), the Sauvalāputra (Śakuni’s son) and many commanders. Six great mahārathas, Droṇa, Karṇa, Kṛpa, Aśvatthāmā, Bṛhadbala and Kṛtavarmā, joined against him, against every rule of righteous war. Karṇa broke his bow from behind, Kṛtavarmā killed his horses and Kṛpācārya killed his bodyguards. Forced to fight on foot with a chariot wheel, surrounded by six commanders at once, Abhimanyu was at last struck down by Duḥśāsana’s son with a blow of the mace to the head.

All this time Jayadratha stood at the mouth of the Cakravyūha. With the vara given him by Bhagavān Śiva, he held back Yudhishṭhira, Bhīma, Nakula, Sahadeva and Dhṛshṭadyumna from entering the formation. Arjuna could not have been stopped, but Arjuna was away with the Saṃśaptakas. The Droṇa Parva tells this in chapters 33–50.

The night of day 13: Arjuna’s oath and the dream of Bhagavān Śiva

When Arjuna returned and learned of Abhimanyu’s death, his grief was immense. Before everyone gathered there, he swore that he would kill Jayadratha before the next sunset or else enter the fire himself. This sent terror through the Kaurava camp.

That night Kṛshṇa had Arjuna perform the pūjā of Bhagavān Śiva, and then told him to sleep. In the brahma-muhūrta before dawn, Arjuna had a vivid dream. He and Kṛshṇa flew through the sky to the Himālaya, visited Maṇimanta Parvata and Śveta Parvata, and were received by Bhagavān Śiva himself. They recited the Śatarudrīya stotra. Bhagavān Śiva sent them to a divine lake where two great serpents lay in the water, breathing flames. When Kṛshṇārjuna completed the pārāyaṇa (recitation) of the Śatarudrīya, the serpents turned into a divine bow and arrow: the Pāśupatāstra, given to Arjuna for the second time. He had first received it in person during his tapas in the forest. This is called the “secret Pāśupata”. Vyāsa later told Arjuna that all through the war it was Bhagavān Śiva himself who went before Arjuna’s chariot destroying the enemies, and that Arjuna was only the instrument. The Droṇa Parva tells this in chapters 72–81.

Day 14: Saindhava Vadha and the night battle

On the fourteenth day Droṇa set up the Śakaṭa-Cakra Vyūha, a layered formation meant to keep Arjuna from reaching Jayadratha before sunset. Arjuna saluted Droṇa with a ritual circumambulation and, guided by Kṛshṇa, crossed through the vyūha without fighting his guru directly. Hour by hour, Kṛshṇārjuna fought their way through the Kaurava commanders.

As the sun seemed to set, Kṛshṇa created a māyā of darkness, a false sunset. The Kauravas believed that the day was over and that Arjuna’s vow had failed, and Jayadratha came out from his guard. At that moment Kṛshṇa removed the māyā and showed the true sun. Arjuna shot off Jayadratha’s head with an arrow that carried it through the air into the lap of his father Vṛddhakshatra, who was performing sandhyā vandana at Samantapañcaka. When the head fell from his lap to the ground, Vṛddhakshatra’s own head burst into a thousand pieces, fulfilling his own earlier śāpa. Arjuna’s vow was kept.

The battle went on through the night by torchlight, one of the most dramatic night battles in the Mahābhārata. In this night battle Ghaṭotkaca caused enormous destruction, his rākshasa powers at full strength in the dark. Unable to withstand him, the Kauravas pressed Karṇa to use the Indra-śakti that Indra had given him for the purpose of killing Arjuna. Karṇa threw it at Ghaṭotkaca instead. It killed Ghaṭotkaca, but the śakti meant for Arjuna was spent. Kṛshṇa rejoiced, for the threat to Arjuna was gone for good. The Droṇa Parva tells this in chapters 82–100.

Day 15: Droṇa’s death and the Nārāyaṇāstra

The war went on into the dawn of the fifth day of Droṇa’s command. Bhīma killed an elephant named Aśvatthāmā, then went to Droṇa and cried aloud, “Aśvatthāmā has been killed!” Droṇa could not believe Bhīma, but the news shook him. He asked Yudhishṭhira, knowing that Yudhishṭhira would not lie. Yudhishṭhira said, “Aśvatthāmā hataḥ, kuñjaraḥ” (Aśvatthāmā is slain, the elephant), but spoke the word “kuñjaraḥ” so softly that it could not be heard. Yudhishṭhira’s chariot, which until then had moved above the earth by the power of his sattva, now touched the ground.

Droṇa lost heart, laid down his weapons and sat in yoganishṭhā (yogic absorption). Dhṛshṭadyumna came forward, seized him by the topknot and cut off his head. Droṇa’s ātmā rose to Brahmaloka. Aśvatthāmā, enraged, released the terrible Nārāyaṇāstra, which only laying down arms and getting down from the chariot could make harmless. Kṛshṇa guided the Pāṇḍavas to lay down their arms and bow before it, and the astra spared them. Aśvatthāmā then released the Āgneyāstra, but Kṛshṇārjuna together put it out. Vyāsa appeared and counselled Aśvatthāmā. The parva ends with Vyāsa telling the Śatarudrīya to Aśvatthāmā, as consolation and to show that Bhagavān Śiva is present in everything. It is the same stotra that runs through the parva from beginning to end.

Main themes

Śiva Mahimā (the greatness of Bhagavān Śiva): Bhagavān Śiva is present all through the Droṇa Parva. Every great hero is likened to Śiva or to Paraśurāma. Arjuna receives the Pāśupatāstra twice. The Śatarudrīya is chanted at turning points and told in full at the end of the parva. Vyāsa reveals that Bhagavān Śiva himself went before Arjuna’s chariot throughout the war.

The cost of adharma: The killing of Abhimanyu by six commanders together breaks the code of righteous war (ekavyūḍha, one-on-one combat). The text marks it as a defining moment of adharma in the war.

Fate and free will: Droṇa knows that he will be killed by Dhṛshṭadyumna, yet goes on serving. Jayadratha knows of Arjuna’s oath, yet cannot escape his fate. Throughout, Kṛshṇa brings about what must be.

Chapters

Chapters 1–100

Droṇābhisheka Parva (Chapters 1–14)

Droṇa’s appointment as senāpati; Karṇa’s return; Day 11 battle

Saṃśaptaka-Vadha Parva (Chapters 15–32)

The Saṃśaptaka challenge; Arjuna’s battles; Bhagadatta; Day 12 warfare

Abhimanyu-Vadha Parva (Chapters 33–50)

The Cakravyūha; Abhimanyu’s entry and death; Day 13

Pratijñā Parva (Chapters 51–54)

Yudhishṭhira’s lament; Vyāsa’s counsel; Mṛtyu Upākhyāna

Shoḍaśa Mahārāja Kathā (Chapters 55–71)

The accounts of the sixteen great kings, told by Nārada to Sṛñjaya

No heading for chapter 66 is given in the Telugu rendering.

Pratijñā Parva (Chapters 72–86)

Arjuna’s grief; oath to slay Jayadratha; preparations for Day 14

Jayadratha-Vadha Parva (Chapters 87–100)

Day 14 battle; Arjuna’s advance toward Jayadratha

Sources

• Mahābhārata, Droṇa Parva, chapters 1–100
• Mahābhārata, Droṇa Parva, chapters 101–202