Ashwathama’s Role In The Mahabharata: Hero, Antihero, Or Villain?
Ashwathama, a prominent figure in the Indian epic Mahabharata, is said to be alive and well to this day and will remain so until the end of Kaliyuga, thanks to a curse from Krishna. A man of stormy temperament, he helped establish numerous key arcs that served as strategic high ground in the waning days of the Kurukshetra battle.
Ashwathama, the cursed warrior, contributed to developing several crucial trajectories that resulted in harsh consequences and a painful curse in the aftermath of the war. Ashwathama, the son of Guru Dronacharya and Kripi (Kripacharya's twin sister), is revered as one of the eight Chiranjeevis, along with Vyasa, Hanuman, Parashurama, Vibhishana, Mahabali, Kripacharya, and Sage Markandeya.
The story of Ashwathama is interesting, even though he was a minor character in the Mahabharata. The son of Drona, who had a key to numerous lethal weapons, nearly caused the deaths of millions. He was a warrior with an overinflated sense of self-importance and a fiery temper.
After performing arduous penance for Lord Shiva for several years, Guru Dronacharya and Kripi were blessed with Ashwathama. His birth was unusual. He did not cry when he was born but neighed like a horse. Ashwathama is considered an avatar of Kaal (Doom), Krodh (Anger), Yam (Death), and Lord Shiva. His name means "the sacred voice which relates to that of a horse," and it was his sonorous roar that earned him this moniker from around the globe.
Ashwathama’s birth was accompanied by a divine voice proclaiming Lord Shiva's blessing upon Ashwathama. He was immune to exhaustion and all manner of evil spirits thanks to the "Mani" (gem) he sported on his forehead from birth. Ashwathama had a difficult upbringing and lacked access to even the most fundamental necessities, such as milk. So it is clear he has always been driven.
It was when Drona was asked to teach the Kuru princes, i.e., both the Pandavas and the Kauravas, the art of warfare. Ashwathama also trained with the Kurukul princes and honed his fighting skills in their company. He was talented as well, but Arjuna surpassed him, so Guru Drona vowed to train the latter to become the greatest archer in history. To fulfill his end of the bargain, Arjuna was instructed to use the Brahmastra, the mightiest weapon in existence and capable of destroying the entire planet.
Blinded by his love for Ashwathama, Guru Drona taught him Brahmastra in addition to teaching it to Arjuna. Drona decided to teach him anyway, despite being aware of his lack of maturity and impulse control. Although he gave his son stern warnings, Ashwathama’s ego grew even after getting his hands on the weapon in vain, to the point that he ran behind Krishna’s Sudarshan Chakra but failed to get it.
His newfound status as King of Southern Panchal did nothing to calm his unpredictable behavior. Although Ashwathama was close with Duryodhana and a Kuru, he chose to fight on the Kauravas' side because of his father's status as the Guru of the Kuru clan and his loyalty to Hastinapur.
Drona was made supreme commander on the tenth day after Bhishma’s death by Arjuna’s hands. He assured them he would capture Yudhishtira, but he was unsuccessful. Drona, when armed, was unstoppable. For this reason, Krishna and the Pandavas came up with a scheme to coerce Drona into surrendering his arsenal. Bheema was tasked with killing an elephant named Ashwathama, and he eventually did so.
Since Yudhishtira was also known as Dharamraj and always told the truth, Krishna entrusted him with the task of informing Drona of Ashwathama's demise. At first, he refuses, but then he gives in. Guru Drona pondered aloud, "Is Ashwathama dead?" The answer from Yudhishtira is affirmative. He tells half a lie, and this was the only lie he told half-heartedly.
Krishna knew Yudhishtira could not tell a straight-up lie, so he had the other warriors make enough noise, and Drona only heard Yudhishtira say, "Ashwathama is dead," and did not catch his follow-up about whether it was his son or the elephant. The strategy worked, and a distraught Drona abandoned his weapons, making way for Drishtadyumna (the son of Drupad) to finish him off.
Ashwathama heard of the betrayal and Drona's death and, in a rage, invoked Narayanastra despite having been warned repeatedly to save it for only the most dire of situations. As the sky darkened, a howling sound began to fill the atmosphere. The Pandavas were prepared for death by a barrage of five arrows each. Knowing that the Narayanastra only killed armed soldiers, Krishna ordered all of his troops to lay down their weapons. The Astra passed by harmlessly. The Pandavas avoided defeat due to the weapon's single-use nature.
The death of Duryodhan at the Battle of Kurukshetra pushed Ashwathama to the brink. Only Ashwathama, Kripacharya, and Kritvarma made it out of the battle unscathed for the Kauravas. The battle was over, and the three supposedly visited Duryodhana in his final moments. Duryodhana, in his final moments, gave the order for Ashwathama to kill the Pandavas to avenge his death. Furious over the deaths of his father and Duryodhana, Guru Drona's son made up his mind to exact vengeance.
Ashwathama, filled with rage, made his way toward the Pandava camp. His temperament clouded his thoughts and prevented his brain from processing Kripacharya's and Kritvarma's warnings. Ashwathama was in no mood to hear anyone out. They made an effort to persuade Ashwathama by pointing out his lack of experience. He didn’t ignore them and instead forcefully asked for their support because he was now their commander-in-chief.
They gave in, and their actions helped seal his fatal end. Ashwathama broke camp rules and sneaked into the compound at night because he rationalized that if his father could be killed unjustly, so could his attackers. Ashwathama encountered Lord Shiva, who appeared to him as a terrifying ghost, when he arrived at the Pandava camp. Ashwathama, who had failed to recognize the lord, sprang into a fearless, all-out assault on him but could not do a single bit of damage.
While sitting in a fire pit, Ashwathama began to meditate on Lord Shiva. This moved him greatly. He revealed his true identity and gave Ashwathama a formidable blade. Then the great Lord Shiva himself entered Ashwatthama's body, turning him into an unbeatable force.
As soon as Ashwathama arrived at camp, he brutally murdered Drishtadyumna, who was only partially awake. Then he slaughtered dozens of Pandava soldiers, including Shikhandi, Yudhamanyu, Uttamaujas, and even the Upapandavas (whom he mistook for the Pandavas).
The end of the war caught Lord Krishna, the Pandavas, and Draupadi off guard; they were out of camp for the night and completely devastated upon their return. The terrible news shattered the Pandavas, and Bheema swore revenge on Ashwathama, who was hiding out in Sage Vyasa's ashram on the banks of the Bhagiratha.
Soon after, Ashwathama vowed to kill the Pandavas and used a single blade of grass to invoke Brahamastra against them. To defend themselves, Krishna instructed Arjuna to use his brahmastra. Vyasa stepped in and ordered Ashwathama and Arjuna to put down their weapons. Arjuna knew, so he did. In contrast, Ashwathama only knew how to invoke it; without knowing how to reverse it, he aimed it at Uttara's womb, which was carrying Abhimanyu's child.
He did it to put an end to the Pandava family tree. Instead of letting Uttaras' child die, Krishna rescued him and gave him the name Parikshit. Because the unborn child had already been tested before he arrived in the world, Krishna decided that this was the best name for him. Parikshit eventually succeeded Yudhishtira as king of the Kuru clan.
But Ashwathama met his worst possible ending when he was cursed with an eternal state of agonizing pain. The Pandavas forced him to give up the jewel on his forehead. Lord Krishna cursed him to wander the earth for three thousand years, all the while longing for death but unable to face it.
Some sources claim that Ashwathama is still alive and can be found in the area of Asirgarh Fort, where he offers morning prayers to Lord Shiva. At the end of Kaliyuga, he is said to meet Lord Vishnu's 10th avatar, the Kalki avatar, and become a sage.
This was the story of Ashwathama, an eternal being who did some pretty shady stuff without batting an eye. Despite his relatively minor status, he ended up being the story's ultimate villain and the beneficiary of a curse that altered his course and made him an unforgettable figure.
