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In the epic Mahabharata, Drona is the royal guru to the Kauravas and the Pandavas. He was a master of archery as well as various arts of combat. Arjuna was his favorite student. Drona's love for Arjuna was only second to his love for his son Ashwathama.
He lived in poverty in his youth, but studied combat with the then prince Drupada. He was slighted by Drupada when he became king, and they held grudges against each other.
Drona, as weapons master to the court of Hastinapura entered the Kurukshetra war on the Kaurava side. Drona killed Drupada in the battle.
He was made the supreme commander of the Kauravas army after Bhishma laid paralyzed. Realizing that conventional methods would prove useless to neutralize Drona, the Pandavas conspired to devise a trick. During a battle, rumors were spread that his son Ashwathama, whom he loved so dearly, had been killed. Drona encountered Prince Yudishtira, who was highy regarded for his honesty, and demanded that the prince tell him the truth. Yudishtira told a lie, and Drona lost willingness to fight on, and eventually, live on. As he withdrew from battle, he was confronted by Dhrishtadyumna, Drupada's adopted son, who killed him.
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