Kurukshetra War Day-15

Italic text== Kurukshetra War Day-15 == After King Drupada and King Virata were slain by Drona, Bhima and Dhristadyumna fought him on the fifteenth day. Because Drona was very powerful and unconquerable having brahamastras, Krishna hinted Yudhisthira that Drona would give up his arms if his son Ashwathama was dead. Thus Bhima proceeded to kill an elephant named Ashwathama, and loudly proclaimed that Ashwathama was dead. Drona approached Yudhisthira to seek the truth of his son's death. Yudhisthira proclaimed Ashwathama athaha nakunjaraha (अश्वत्थामा हतो इति, नरो वा कुञ्जरो वा) (Ashwathama dead, the elephant) with the last word nakunraha implying the elephant drowned out by the sound of trumpets sounded in triumph, on Krishna's instruction. A different version is that Yudhisthira pronounced the last word feebly that Drona could not hear the word elephant. Till this point, the chariot of Yudhisthira, claimed as Dharma raja (King of righteousness), was a few inches off the ground due to his righteousness. After the incident, the chariot was no longer hovered off the ground.

Drona was disheartened, and laid down his weapons. He was then slain with a sword, by Dhristadyumna to avenge his father's death & vow. Later, after the sunset Pandava's mother Kunti secretly met her abandened son Karna and requested him to spare Pandava's as they are their younger brothers. Karna then promised Kunti that he will spare the Pandava's, except Arjuna.

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