Childhood Friendship

महाभरत

Mahābharata

As retold by

Michael Dolan, B.V. Mahāyogi

DRONA and DRUPADA  part 2

Bhishma continued: "The sage Bharadvaja was a renounced mystic and knew nothing of caring for infants. He had taken vows of poverty and lived humbly in his ashram on the banks of the Ganges. Sometimes there was no milk and he would mix a little rice powder with water and give it to the child. But little Drona had fire within him and grew strong. He was schooled in the Vedas by his father. Bharadvaja had been a warrior before he became a rishi and so gradually bestowed upon Drona certain powers and weapons. 

"Now, while Bharadwaja was a humble sage, he was recognized as a great teacher far and wide. One of his patrons was the King of Panchala. 

"Droṇa’s father Bharadwaja was friends with the King of Panchala whose name was Pishata. Pishata was an important ruler who governed many cities. He ruled the land from a great marble palace at the center of the kingdom of Panchala.

King Pishata had a son named Drupada.  Drupada was the prince of Panchala and needed proper training so, when it came time for the boy's education, the king sent his boy to study with Droṇa in the gurukula school of his friend, the sage Bharadwaja.

King Pishata liked the sage and loved to spend time on retreat by the sacred river. And as his son was studying with the great teacher, King Pishata and the sage Bharadwaja became close.  Pishata of Panchala, his friend the rishi Baradwaja, and the two boys, Drona and Drupada were like one family.  

When the king would come on visits they would all bathe in the river together. Stripped to the waist in the water they were equals. At play in the waters of the Ganges no one was king or subject; they were merely human beings cleansed of all sins by the holy water. In this way, they would dry themselves, eat together in the shade of the old tamarind tree and discuss the deep meaning of life. When night fell, they would relax from the heat and sleep under the stars. 

The King left his son Drupada in the ashram of Bharadwaja for his studies, and the boy studied the Vedas and played at war-games with the son of Bharadwaja, Droṇa.

So gradually,  Droṇa and Drupada became great friends. Together they chased the monkeys from the tamarind tree and discovered snakes hiding in the rocks by the river. Sometimes Drona played at being king, and Drupada was his vassal. They ran after the cranes that would fish in the mud of the river. From Bharadwaja they learned the four Vedas and the 108 Upanishads. They studied  Sanskrit together. When the time came they learned the science of war from the strict Bharadwaja. 

Raised as brothers, Drona and Drupada practiced the bow and arrow together. They would mark targets on trees and see who could shoot the best. They were competitive boys and engaged in mock fights. They would run and play and swim in the cold waters of the river Ganges amongst the foothills of the Himalayan mountains. While he had no mother, Drona lost himself in his studies. He was happy to have Drupada as his good friend. 

"Drona was fond of study and immersed himself in the teachings of Bharadwaja. He studied the different branches of the Vedas, martial arts, mystic yoga and cosmic science. He learned the use of different mystical fire weapons called Agneya.   And so Drona lived and played in the ashram of that great rishi, gradually acquiring the power that he would later use with such devastating results. 

"After a few summers, their education finished. It was time to put away childish things and enter the occupations that would define them for a lifetime. Drupada returned to the court of King Pishata. The two boys did not see each other for a long time. As the moons rose and fell over the Ganges, Bharadwaja had become old. His powers were in decline. 

King Pishata was also feeling the weight of his years and relinquished power to the young Drupada who was eager to test his powers. Drupada set out to conquer new lands as crown prince and found that Bharadwaja had taught him well. By his martial skill he conquered several small principalities, increasing the scope of Panchala's kingdom. King Pishata was proud to see the glory of the young prince.

And just as the prince began to rule Panchala, the young Droṇa assumed the duties as teacher at the little school on the banks of the Ganges. He kept up the ashram of his father as best he could. Bharadwaja was prepared to leave behind his mortal body and journey to the eternal world.  

One day, the great sage drew his son to him and said, “This is your ashram, now, my dear Drona. Marry well. You may have a son to continue our line. I have made arrangements. I have spoken to the father of a certain young girl, Kṛpi. She will make a suitable wife to you. Her brother Kripa is a great warrior. He is a brahmana, but understands the art of war. Perhaps he can help you. My time is done. Follow the dharma as I have taught you. It is your destiny to become a great teacher and a great warrior. Go to Paraśurāma. He can help you.”

With this, the great sage Bharadwaja spoke his last words and left this world for the heavenly world.

In the palace of Panchala by the banks of the river Ganges, King Pishata too had grown old. He called his son to him and said to the prince,  

“Rule fairly. Be just. Remember the teachings of Bharadwaja. His son Droṇa is older now and can help you in your ventures. Your friendship with him is important. The brahmanas and kshatriyas must always work together. I go now. Follow the rules of dharma, my son.”

 Soon it was both the funeral of the king and the  coronation of the new king of Panchala

So it was that the young crown prince, Drupada became king, the Lord of Panchala, and ruled the northern kingdom on the banks of the Ganges.  

King Drupada was now a proud and arrogant man; the lord of many elephants and horses, arms and marble palaces. He ruled the world from his throne, and rode his horse at the head of great armies, conquering great lands and kingdoms, breaking the resistance of any who dared challenge him and expanding the realm of Panchala.

 "In the meantime Bharadwaja the mystic had ascended to heaven.  The boy Droṇa, heartbroken, continued to live in his father's hermitage by the banks of the Ganges where he practiced austerities and penances and read the holy books.  Following in his father’s footsteps, he would do his Yoga meditations under a banyan tree and fast, contemplating the truth. "