Ashvatthama

In the Mahabharata, the later of the two
great Hindu epics, Ashvatthama is the
son of Drona. When Drona becomes the
archery teacher to the Pandavas and the
Kauravas, the epic’s two central royal
families, Ashvatthama also receives
instruction along with the young
princes. He absorbs his father’s teaching
well and masters the use of terrifying
magical weapons. During the
Mahabharata’s climactic civil war, he
fights on the side of the Kauravas and
kills many of the Pandava allies; this
includes Dhrshtadyumna, who has earlier killed his father, Drona. After the war
is over, Ashvatthama retires to the forest
with the sage Vyasa.