Drona is significantly known as the acharya or
guru of military art, to both the
Pandavas and the Kauravas in the
Mahabharata, and was called Dronacharya. Being the son of a great sage, Bharadwaja, he was the spouse of Kripa (half sister of
Bhishma) and by her was the father of Ashwathama. In the Kurukshetra war, Drona sided with the Kauravas, and became the commander-in-chief after the death of Bhishma. On the fourth day of the battle he killed Drupada and later Drupada's son, Dhrishtadyumna, swore to avenge his father’s death. In the midst of this combat Drona was told his son was dead, which made him lay down his arms, and his opponents beheaded him. Being a
brahmin and an acharya, killing Drona was a herculean task. His death is glossed as, 'transported himself to heaven in a glittering state like the Sun, and Dhrishtadyumna decapitated merely his life less body'. There's a temple dedicated to Dronacharya at
Sena Ka Dawar in
Uttar Pradesh.
