'Ashwatthama Is Dead': The End of Drona

No one could defeat Drona. Krishna said, 'As long as Drona holds his bow, no one can conquer him. But if he hears that his beloved son Ashwatthama is dead, he will lay down his weapons.' Arjuna did not like this plan.

Bhima killed an elephant named Ashwatthama and shouted, 'Ashwatthama is dead!' Drona was shaken, but he did not fully trust Bhima's words. He knew Yudhishthira never lied, so he asked Yudhishthira.

For Yudhishthira this was the hardest moment. Persuaded by Krishna, he said aloud, 'Ashwatthama is dead,' and added softly, 'the elephant.' It is said that the last word was lost in the noise of the conches. At that very moment Yudhishthira's chariot, which by the power of his truthfulness had always moved a little above the ground, came down to the earth.

Overcome by grief for his son, Drona put down his bow and sat on his chariot in yoga posture. His mind became absorbed in God. Just then Drupada's son Dhrishtadyumna cut off his head with a sword, while Arjuna kept shouting, 'Take the teacher alive; do not kill him!'

Arjuna was deeply grieved and spoke harshly to both Yudhishthira and Dhrishtadyumna. And when the real Ashwatthama learned that his father had been killed by a trick, his anger blazed up. That anger would later bring terrible results.