Drona

Family: Kurus · Role: Brahman warrior and preceptor · First appears: Book I (The Tournament) · I. The Gathering

In Book I (The Tournament) · I. The Gathering, Drona trained the princes in arms, measured out their tournament ground at Hastina, and proposed that they demonstrate their skill. His son Aswa-thaman accompanied him. When Bhima and Duryodhan fought, Drona signaled for the combat to cease. In Book III (The Imperial Sacrifice) · II. Feast and Sacrifice, Yudhishthir addressed him as a preceptor; Drona also trained Arjun, who greeted him with darts when his years of exile were completed.

In Book VI (Cattle-Lifting) · I. Complaint of the Cowherd, Drona joined Bhishma and Karna in the Kuru raid on Matsya, where they swept through Virata’s kingdom and drove off its cattle. In Book VII (The Preparation) · VII. Drona's Speech, he spoke of training Arjun with the warlike bow. In Book VIII (Fall of Bhishma) · I. Pandavs routed by Bhishma, he renewed his feud with Drupad in battle. In Book VIII (Fall of Bhishma) · II. Kurus routed by Arjun, Bhima stopped him from attacking Dhrista-dyumna; in Book VIII (Fall of Bhishma) · VI. Bhima's Danger and Rescue, Drona smote the scattered Pandavs until night.

Dutt notes that, on the fall of Bhishma, Drona was appointed leader of the Kuru forces. In Book IX (Fall of Drona) · I. Single Combat between Bhima and Salya, he sought to capture Yudhishthir for Duryodhan, but Arjun hurried to save him. In Book IX (Fall of Drona) · II. Standards of the Pandavs, Drona killed Satyajit; he also slew Drupad and Drupad’s valiant grandsons. At his fall, Yudhishthir said, “Lordly tusker, Aswa-thaman named, is dead”; Drona believed his son had died, but the elephant, not Aswa-thaman, had been slain. Dhrista-dyumna killed Drona.