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Droṇa : was born (according to Mahābhārata) from the semen of Rishi Bharadwāja in a droṇa (vessel made of leaves), hence named Droṇa. In his father’s Gurukūla, he mastered the Sanātanah Dharma & also (under the great Parashurāma) the art of military strategies & the sciences of material & occult weapons (astras & shastras). One of his closest friends in the Gurukūla was Drupada, then the crown prince of Pāñchāla. Droṇa married Kripi, the sister of Kripāchārya, the royal teacher of the princes of Hastināpura. Like Droṇa himself, Kripi & her brother had not been gestated in a womb, but outside the human body. Kripi & Droṇa had a son, Ashwatthāma; Droṇa did penance so that his son would be as valiant as Shiva. Desiring to free his family from poverty, Droṇa approached King Drupada. But the king insulted him by saying they no longer had the same status in the Gurukūla; all Droṇa could rightly expect from him was alms & not friendship of equals. When the princes of Hastināpura related to Bhīṣma how an expert archer had extracted their ball from a well, he instantly realizes it was Droṇa, & appointed him the Ᾱchārya (Guru) training them in military arts & sciences. In spite of his attachment to the Pandavas, he had to fight for Duryodhana in the Great Civil War. During which his attempt to capture Yudhishthira & end the War as Duryodhana had ordered him to do, was checked by Dhristadyoumna (born to kill him) whom he disabled but Arjunā’s disciple Sātyaki blocked Droṇa until the five sons of the Pandavas rescued Dhristadyoumna. On the 15th day, Droṇa used the Brahmāstra killing both Virāṭa & Drupada along with their armies. Knowing it was impossible to defeat an armed Droṇa, Krishna asked Bhīma to kill the elephant named Ashwatthāma & made Yudhishthīra announce “Ashwatthāma is dead”. Believing Yudhishthīra’s shout, Droṇa threw down his weapons & Dhrishtadyoumna’s arrow beheaded him.