Aśvatthāmā

Ashvatthama (, , also spelt as Ashwatthama and Ashvatthaman) is one of the major characters in the ancient Hindu epic Mahabharata. He is the son of Drona, the royal preceptor to the Kuru princes—the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Ashvatthama is a close companion of Duryodhana, the leader of the Kauravas, and receives military training alongside the Kuru princes under the tutelage of his father.

Key facts

Character.name: Ashvatthama
Character.image: Draupadi and Ashvatthaman, Punjab Hills c. 1730.jpg
Character.caption: Ashvatthama (right) departs after surrendering to Draupadi and the Pandavas, 18th century Pahari miniature
Character.family: Drona (father)Kripi (mother)
Character.relatives: Kripa (maternal uncle)Bharadvaja (paternal grandfather)
Character.affiliation: Kaurava alliance
Character.weapon: Bow and Arrow, Sword
Character.info hdr: Information

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Commons category: Ashwatthama

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Article

15 sections

Contents

Etymology and epithets
Biography
Birth and Early life
Adulthood
Kurukshetra war
''Bhishma Parva''
''Drona Parva''
''Karna and Shalya Parva''
Night raid
Curse and aftermath
Assessment
Traditions
References
Bibliography
External links

Favoured by his father, Ashvatthama is entrusted with the knowledge of several celestial weapons, including the Narayanastra and the Brahmashirastra. During the Kurukshetra War between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, he fights on the side of the Kauravas and emerges as one of the three surviving warriors from their faction by the war’s conclusion.