Dron, raajguru jinhone Paandavon aur Kauravon donon ko astra vidya sikhaayi thi, Bheeshm ke patan ke baad Kaurav sena ke senaapati bane. Vah janm se Brahman the lekin atulniya yoddha the, aur apne putr Ashvatthaama ke prati unka prem unke jeevan ka kendra tha. Kaurav un par us ekmaatra senaapati ke roop mein bharosa karte the jo Bheeshm ke paraakram ki baraabari kar sakta tha. Ashvatthaama, jinke maathe mein janm se mani thi, Dron ka garv aur aanand the, swayam ek paraakrami yoddha. Paandav jaante the ki vah Dron ko nishpaksh yuddh mein paraajit nahin kar sakte, kyonki astron mein unki nipunata sarvochch thi aur unki oorja ajar lagti thi. Bheeshm ke patan ke baad Dron ne paanch dinon tak bhayankar krodh se ladaayi ladi, Paandav sainikon ki vishaal sankhya ka vadh kiya aur sena ko kagaar par dhakel diya. Yudhishthir aur unke bhai niraash hue, kyonki jab tak Dron jeevit the vijay asambhav thi. Ant mein Krishna ne ek yojana banaayi, jo ismein bhaag lene walon ki antaraatma ko kachotegi. Unhone Paandavon se kaha ki Dron apne astra tabhi rakhenge jab unhe vishvaas ho jaaye ki unke priya putr Ashvatthaama ki mrityu ho gayi hai, kyonki aaghaat unki ladne ki ichchha tod dega. Lekin Dron is samachar par keval ek vyakti ka vishvaas karenge, Yudhishthir ka, jinhone jeevan mein kabhi jhooth nahin bola tha. Isliye yojana yah thi ki Ashvatthaama naam ke ek haathi ko maara jaaye, jo Paandav sena mein ladta tha, aur phir zor se ghoshna ki jaaye ki Ashvatthaama mar gaya hai, Dron ko ghaatak nishkarsh nikaalne diya jaaye. Bheem, jinke paas kaarya ki shakti thi, ne mahaan haathi Ashvatthaama ko khoja aur apni gada se maar daala. Phir vah yuddhbhoomi mein poori aawaaz se chillaate hue daude ki Ashvatthaama mar gaya hai. Samachar Dron ke kaanon tak pahuncha, lekin boodhe yoddha ne vishvaas karne se mana kar diya. Unhone kaha ki vah Yudhishthir ke siva kisi ke shabd par vishvaas nahin karenge, kyonki jyeshth Paandav ne kabhi asatya nahin bola tha. Paandav tab vinati bhari aankhon se Yudhishthir ki or mude. Yah unke jeevan ka sankat tha. Dharm ke moort roop Yudhishthir se yuddh jeetne ke liye jhooth bolne ko kaha gaya tha. Vah apni antaraatma se joojhe, lekin Krishna ne tark diya ki yuddh mein vah asatya jo praan bachaye aur dhaarmikta ki seva kare koi paap nahin hai, aur Dron ki mrityu hazaaron ko bachaayegi. Ant mein Yudhishthir aadhe satya par sahmat hue. Jab Dron ne unka saamna kiya aur seedhe poocha ki kya Ashvatthaama mar gaya hai, to Yudhishthir ne zordaar aawaaz mein uttar diya, Ashvatthaama mar gaya hai, aur phir saanson mein joda, haathi, itni dheemi aawaaz mein ki koi sun na sake. Lekin Krishna ne kshan ka anumaan lagaakar theek usi samay apna shankh bajaaya, aur shabd uski garjana mein doob gaye. Dron ne keval itna suna ki Ashvatthaama mar gaya hai, satyavaadi Yudhishthir ke hothon se kaha gaya. Boodhe aachaarya ka hriday toot gaya. Unke astra haathon se phisal gaye, aur vah niraasha mein apne rath par baith gaye. Unki jeene ki ichchha samaapt ho gayi thi, kyonki unka putr unke liye sab kuchh tha. Unhe rakshaheen dekhkar Paandav senaapati Dhrishtadyumna, jo Dron ka vadh karne ke liye janme the, talvaar lekar aage badhe. Haalaanki Paandavon ne virodh mein chillaaya, kyonki dhyaan mein nihatthe vyakti par vaar karna yoddha sanhita ke viruddh tha, Dhrishtadyumna ne ek hi vaar se Dron ka sir kaat diya. Kaurav sena dukh aur krodh mein chillaayi. Lekin vijay vishaakt thi. Yudhishthir, jo apni satyavaadita ki shakti se dharti ke oopar tairte divya rath par chalte the, ne paaya ki unka rath ab dharti ko chhoota hai, kyonki unhone jhooth bola tha. Phir kabhi unka rath yuddhbhoomi ki dhool ke oopar nahin utha. Us din se us aadhe satya ka daag unka peechha karta raha, aur kaha jaata hai ki isi kaaran mrityu ke baad unhone ek kshan ke liye narak dekha. Jahaan tak Ashvatthaama ki baat hai, jab unhone jaana ki unke pita ki mrityu kaise hui, to unka dukh ek aise paagalpan mein badal gaya jo bhayankar raatri sanhaar aur ajanme Parikshit ke shaap ki or le jaayega. Dron ki mrityu ne mahaakaavya ka sabse kathin paath padhaaya, ki dhaarmik yuddh mein bhi saadhan saadhya ko bhrasht karte hain, aur satya ek baar mudne par phir kabhi seedha nahin kiya ja sakta. Kaha jaata hai ki us din devta bhi roye, kyonki unhone dekha ki yuddh satyavaadiyon ko jhootha aur komal hridayon ko hatyaara bana deta hai.
Is katha ke paatra
- Drona
- Ashwatthama
- Yudhishthira
- Bhima
- Dhrishtadyumna
- Krishna
