(Sambhava Parva continued)
"Vaisampayana said, 'Desirous of giving his grandsons a superior education,
Bhishma was on the look-out for a teacher endued with energy and well-
skilled in the science of arms. Deciding, O chief of the Bharatas, that
none who was not possessed of great intelligence, none who was not
illustrious or a perfect master of the science of arms, none who was not
of godlike might, should be the instructor of the Kuru (princes), the son
of Ganga, O tiger among men, placed the Pandavas and the Kauravas under
the tuition of Bharadwaja's son, the intelligent Drona skilled in all the
Vedas. Pleased with the reception given him by the great Bhishma, that
foremost of all men skilled in arms, viz., illustrious Drona of world-wide
fame, accepted the princes as his pupils. And Drona taught them the
science of arms in all its branches. And, O monarch, both the Kauravas and
the Pandavas endued with immeasurable power, in a short time became
proficient in the use of all kinds of arms.'
"Janamejaya asked, 'O Brahmana, how was Drona born? How and whence did he
acquire his arms? How and why came he unto the Kurus? Whose son also was
endued with such energy? Again, how was his son Aswatthaman, the
foremost of all skilled in arms born? I wish to hear all this! Please
recite them in detail.'
"Vaisampayana said, 'There dwelt at the source of the Ganga, a great sage
named Bharadwaja, ceaselessly observing the most rigid vows. One day, of
old, intending to celebrate the Agnihotra sacrifice he went along with
many great Rishis to the Ganga to perform his ablutions. Arrived at the
bank of the stream, he saw Ghritachi herself, that Apsara endued with
youth and beauty, who had gone there a little before. With an expression
of pride in her countenance, mixed with a voluptuous languor of attitude,
the damsel rose from the water after her ablutions were over. And as she
was gently treading on the bank, her attire which was loose became
disordered. Seeing her attire disordered, the sage was smitten with
burning desire. The next moment his vital fluid came out, in consequence
of the violence of his emotion. The Rishi immediately held it in a vessel
called a drona. Then, O king, Drona sprang from the fluid thus preserved
in that vessel by the wise Bharadwaja. And the child thus born studied all
the Vedas and their branches. Before now Bharadwaja of great prowess and
the foremost of those possessing a knowledge of arms, had communicated to
the illustrious Agnivesa, a knowledge of the weapon called Agneya. O
foremost one of Bharata's race, the Rishi (Agnivesa) sprung from fire now
communicated the knowledge of that great weapon to Drona the son of his
preceptor.
"'There was a king named Prishata who was a great friend of Bharadwaja.
About this time Prishata had a son born unto him, named Drupada. And that
bull among Kshatriyas, viz., Drupada, the son of Prishata, used every day
to come to the hermitage of Bharadwaja to play with Drona and study in his
company. O monarch, when Prishata was dead, this Drupada of mighty arms
became the king of the northern Panchalas. About this time the illustrious
Bharadwaja also ascended to heaven. Drona continuing to reside in his
father's hermitage devoted himself to ascetic austerities. Having become
well-versed in the Vedas and their branches and having burnt also all his
sins by asceticism, the celebrated Drona, obedient to the injunctions of
his father and moved by the desire of offspring married Kripi, the
daughter of Saradwat. And this woman, ever engaged in virtuous acts and
the Agnihotra, and the austerest of penances, obtained a son named
Aswatthaman. And as soon as Aswatthaman was born, he neighed like the
(celestial) steed Ucchaihsravas. Hearing that cry, an invisible being in
the skies said, "The voice of this child hath, like the neighing of a
horse, been audible all around. The child shall, therefore, be known by
the name of Aswatthaman, (the horse-voiced)." The son of Bharadwaja
(Drona) was exceedingly glad at having obtained that child. Continuing
to reside in that hermitage he devoted himself to the study of the
science of arms.
"'O king, it was about this time that Drona heard that the illustrious
Brahmana Jamadagnya, that slayer of foes, that foremost one among all
wielders of weapons, versed in all kinds of knowledge, had expressed a
desire of giving away all his wealth to Brahmanas. Having heard of Rama's
knowledge of arms and of his celestial weapons also, Drona set his heart
upon them as also upon the knowledge of morality that Rama possessed. Then
Drona of mighty arms, endued with high ascetic virtues, accompanied by
disciples who were all devoted to vows and ascetic austerities, set out for
the Mahendra mountains. Arrived at Mahendra, the son of Bharadwaja
possessed of high ascetic merit, beheld the son of Bhrigu, the
exterminator of all foes, endued with great patience and with mind under
complete control. Then, approaching with his disciples that scion of the
Bhrigu race Drona, giving him his name, told him of his birth in the line
of Angiras. And touching the ground with his head, he worshipped Rama's
feet. And beholding the illustrious son of Jamadagni intent upon retiring
into the woods after having given away all his wealth, Drona said, "Know
me to have sprung from Bharadwaja, but not in any woman's womb! I am a
Brahmana of high birth, Drona by name, come to thee with the desire of
obtaining thy wealth."
"'On hearing him, that illustrious grinder of the Kshatriya race replied,
"Thou art welcome, O best of regenerate ones! Tell me what thou desirest."
Thus addressed by Rama, the son of Bharadwaja replied unto that foremost
of all smiters, desirous of giving away the whole of his wealth, "O thou
of multifarious vows, I am a candidate for thy eternal wealth." "O thou of
ascetic wealth," returned Rama, "My gold and whatever other wealth I had,
have all been given away unto Brahmanas! This earth also, to the verge of
the sea, decked with towns and cities, as with a garland of flowers, I
have given unto Kasyapa. I have now my body only and my various valuable
weapons left. I am prepared to give either my body or my weapons. Say,
which thou wouldst have! I would give it thee! Say quickly!"
"'Drona answered, "O son of Bhrigu, it behoveth thee to give me all thy
weapons together with the mysteries of hurling and recalling them."
"'Saying, "So be it," the son of Bhrigu gave all his weapons unto Drona,--
indeed, the whole science of arms with its rules and mysteries. Accepting
them all, and thinking himself amply rewarded that best of Brahmanas then,
glad at heart, set out, for (the city of) his friend Drupada.'"