| Drona | |
|---|---|
 Bas relief of Drona, Angkor Wat | |
| Information | |
| Family | Bharadvaja (father) |
| Spouse | Kripi |
| Children | Ashwatthama |
| Relatives | Kripa (brother-in-law) |
| Disciples | |
Droṇa (Sanskrit: द्रोण, IAST: Droṇa), also referred to as Dronacharya (Sanskrit: द्रोणाचार्य, IAST: Droṇācārya), is a major character of the Hindu epic Mahabharata.
In the epic, he serves as the royal preceptor of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. He is one of the primary counsellors and warriors featured in the epic. He is a friend of Sukracharya, the guru of the asuras, as well as Mahabali. He is described to be the son of the sage Bharadvaja, and a descendant of the sage Angirasa. The preceptor is a master of advanced military arts, including the divine weapons known as astras. He serves as the second commander-in-chief of the Kaurava army, from the 11th day to the 15th day. The acharya fails four times in capturing Yudhishthira (The 11th day, 12th day, 14th day, and the 14th night). He was beheaded by Dhrishtadyumna when he meditates to release his soul on the battlefield.[1] It is said that Drona is an incarnation of Shukracharya. He is guru to the Pandavas, Kauravas, Jayadratha, and Ashwatthama, his son.