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azvatthAmA

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AŚVATTHĀMĀ.  1) Birth and genealogy. The semen of Bharadvāja Ṛṣi  fell into the hollow of a bamboo and from there was  born Droṇa. As per the instructions of his father Droṇa  married Kṛpī, daughter of the sage, Śāradvata. The  good-natured Kṛpī gave birth to Aśvatthāmā. (See  under Droṇa for genealogy). (Chapter 130, Ādi Parva,  M.B.)  2) How he got his name. The moment he was born he  made a loud hoot like Uccaiśravas and the sound resem-  bled the braying of a horse. Immediately a voice from  heaven said that the boy should be named Aśvatthāmā.  [Page068-b+ 65]   The boy was, therefore, named so. (Ślokas 48 and 49,  Chapter 130, M.B.).  3) Training in archery. Aśvatthāmā took his lesson in  archery from his father Droṇa. At that time Droṇa got  new lessons from Paraśurāma and they were also im-  parted to Droṇa's disciples. When Droṇa became the  preceptor of the Kauravas and Pāṇḍavas Aśvatthāmā  also went with him. (Ślokas 52 to 64, Chapter 130, Ādi  Parva, M.B.).  4) Droṇa's affection for his son. Droṇa was very affec-  tionate to his son and wanted to teach him something  special in archery. So he used to instruct him during  the time the other disciples went to fetch water for the  āśrama. Arjuna came to know of this and he, there-  after, started bringing his quota of water quickly  enough to join the special class of Droṇa. Thus Arjuna  and Aśvatthāmā learned a lot more than the others in  the military art. (Ślokas 17-19, Chapter 132, Ādi  Parva, M.B.).  5) The Mahābhārata Battle and Aśvatthāmā. In Sabhā  Parva we find Aśvatthāmā participating in the Rāja-  sūya of Yudhiṣṭhira. After that we meet him only at  the Kurukṣetra war. Fighting on the side of the Kau-  ravas he played a very important role in that war. He  killed many veteran warriors and kings including the  following: Nīla, Añjanaparvā, Suratha, Śatruñjaya,  Balānīka, Jayānīka, Jayāśva, Srutāśva, Hemamālī, Vṛṣa-  dhara, Candrasena, the ten sons of Kuntibhoja, Sudar-  śana, Vṛddhakṣetra, Cedirāja, Malayadhvaja and Sura-  tha. He defeated many including Śikhaṇḍī, Abhimanyu,  Virāṭa, Sātyaki and Vindhya. By using Āgneyāstra  (the arrow of fire) he made Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna fall  fainting in the battle-field. He commanded the Kaurava  army once. He killed many Pāñcālas and Somakas  while they were sleeping. In Chapter 139 of Droṇa  Parva we read about Arjuna defeating Aśvatthāmā in  a single combat one day.  6) Aśvatthāmā sees a ghost. Dhṛṣṭadyumna, son of King  Pāñcāla, killed Droṇa. When Aśvatthāmā heard of  his father's death his rage knew no bound. He imme-  diately went to the heart of the military camp of the  Pāṇḍavas, Kṛpa and Sātvata following him. There at the  gate of the camp he beheld a ghostly apparition. It is  described in the Bhāṣā Bhārata (Malayālam version of  M.B.) as follows: He saw a huge figure standing at the  door with a body blazing like the Sun and the Moon.  Bathed in blood and wearing a tiger's skin in the loins  the figure wore a snake as his sacred thread and cover-  ed his upper body with a deer-skin. There were innu-  merable hands for this ghost and in each hand adorned  with snake-bangles he held a deadly weapon. With  crooked teeth and a ghastly face the goblin gave a  shiver to those who saw him. Flames bursting forth  from his eyes, ears, nose and mouth he barred the way  of Aśvatthāmā. Undaunted the son of Droṇa showered  divine arrows on the figure. But the ghost by his sup-  reme powers absorbed the arrows to his body the  moment they touched him. In despair Aśvatthāmā  meditated on Śiva and the latter appearing before him  in person gave him a divine dagger. With that he entered  the bed-chamber of Dhṛṣṭadyumna, woke him up by  striking him with his foot, caught hold of him by the  hair on his head and killed him.  7) Aśvatthāmā and his jewel. The anger of Aśyatthāmā did  not abate even after killing Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the butcher  [Page069-a+ 65]   of his father. With a view to destroying the whole Pāṇḍ-  ava dynasty he sent against the Pāṇḍavas the all-power-  ful Brahmaśirāstra (a missile charged with great power  by a holy incantation). But Droṇa had given the same  type of missile to Arjuna also and so he sent forth his to  meet the other. It created such a great explosion that  all the elders on both the sides joined together and re-  quested them to withdraw the missiles. Arjuna demanded  the jewel on Aśvatthāmā's head to withdraw his missile.  But Aśvatthāmā refused to part with it. He said, "This  jewel of mine is more valuable than all the wealth of both  Pāṇḍavas and Kauravas put together. If you wear this  you need not be afraid of your enemies, disease, hunger  and thirst. No harm will come to you from Yakṣas,  Nāgas or thieves. I will never part with such a jewel".  (Ślokas 28-30, M.B., Chapter 15, Sautika Parva). After  great persuasion Aśvatthāmā surrendered his jewel but  without withdrawing the missile directed it towards the  womb of Uttarā who was bearing a child then. We  are reminded of an incident which happened when  the Pāṇḍavas were residing in Upaplāvya; a poor  brahmin looking at Uttarā said, "When the Kauravas  will be weakening in power a child will be born to you.  The boy will have to bear a test even while in the  womb and so you must name the child Parīkṣit (One  who has been tested)".  When the powerful missile was flying straight towards  Uttarā's womb Śrī Kṛṣṇa said, "Even though the child  in the womb will die of this arrow it will be reborn.  Oh, Aśvatthāmā, you will be denounced by all as a  sinner for killing this unborn babe. To suffer for this  evil deed you will roam about in the earth for three  thousand years. Nobody will associate with you; you will  be shunned by society. You will be tormented by all  diseases on earth. But the babe which you have now  killed will be a famous scholar and brave King. He will  rule this country for sixty years. He will be known  as the next Kururāja. Look, I am giving life to the babe  you have killed". Vyāsa supported Kṛṣṇa, and Aśvat-  thāmā repenting on his hasty action gave the jewel to  the Pāṇḍavas and left for the forest with Vyāsa.  (Sautika Parva, M.B.).  8) Synonyms of Aśvatthāmā. The Mahābhārata has used  the following names also for Aśvatthāmā. Ācāryanan-  dana, Ācāryaputra, Ācāryasuta, Ācāryatanaya, Ācārya-  sattama, Drauṇi, Drauṇāyani, Droṇaputra, Droṇasūnu,  Guruputra, Gurusuta and Bhāratācāryaputra.

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AŚVATTHĀMĀ II. Indravarmā, King of Mālava, had  an elephant of this name and it was killed in the battle  by Bhīmasena. (Śloka 15, Chapter 190, Droṇa Parva,  M.B.).