Ashwatthama: Encyclopedia - Ashwatthama

Ashwatthama

In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Ashwatthama (Sanskrit: अश्वत्थाम्, ashvatthām) or Ashwatthaman (Sanskrit: अश्वत्थमन्, ashvatthaman) was the son of guru Dronacharya. He is one of the seven Chiranjeevins. Dronacharya loved him dearly. False rumours about his death in the Kurukshetra war led to the death of his father in the hands of Prince Dhrishtadyumna. A vengeful Ashwatthama obtained permission from the dying Duryodhana to brutally murder Dhrishtadhyumna after the war had officially ended. Ashwathama at the end of the war promised Duryodhana that he would kill the Pandavas, and attacked the Pandava camp in the middle of the night, but by error ended up murdering the 5 sons of Pandavas by Draupadi.

The Pandavas, incensed by this act, chased him resulting in his fight with Arjuna. During the fight, Ashwatthama invoked the 'Brahmastra' against Arjuna and Arjuna in response invoked the 'Pashupatastra'. Fearing the destruction of the world, the sages advised both to take back their weapons. While Arjuna could do so, Ashwathama could not (the Brahmastra is a weapon that cannot be revoked once it has been invoked) and was given the option of choosing any single target to destroy. Out of spite, Ashwathama directed the weapon at the wombs of Pandava women. He also surrendered a valuable gem set on his forehead, the wearer of which ceases to have any fear from weapons or disease or hunger, and he ceases to have any fear of gods and danavas and nagas.

At this time, Uttara was carrying the unborn Parikshit, son of Abhimanyu, who upon birth would be the future heir to all the Pandava brothers. The Brahmastra weapon was successful in fatally burning the foetus, but Krishna revived the stillborn child and cursed Ashwatthama with leprosy and to roam the world for 3,000 years as an unloved castaway. It is believed that Ashwatthama migrated to the land currently known as Arabian pennisula.

Categories: Mahabharata epic | Chiranjeevins

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Ashwatthama", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki