Apasmāra

As Training for Kuru princes continues.... One day Drona called for Yudhisthira and Duryodhana, and ordered them, to go among the citizens and find someone who has some faults. When you have found that person, bring him to me. Drona then requested Duryodhana to go among the citizens and find someone who is superior in quality to you. When you find that person, bring him to me. Both the students then left, and Drona returned to his quarters. At the end of the day Duryodhana returned to his teacher and informed him, O my teacher, I have searched the kingdom for a person who is superior in quality to me, but I have not found anyone. Having concluded my inspection, I have returned to your presence. Drona then dismissed Duryodhana. When the sun had set on the horizon, Yudhisthira arrived and offered obeisances to his martial teacher. Drona then inquired, Have you found someone of inferior quality? Yudhisthira replied, I have searched all day, but I could not find anyo...

Arjuna was devoted to his Guru . Though Drona taught everyone the same way, Arjuna  excelled all others in skill of Archery . Drona was convinced that none of his other disciples could match Arjuna. However, Drona  adopted a trick to teach his own son Aswadhama more than what he thought others. He would ask all his disciples to fetch water from the river. While he gave narrow-mouthed vessels to others, he would give a broad-mouthed vessel to Aswadhama so that he could fill it fast and return earlier than others. In that time, Drona would teach his son several superior methods of using weapons. Arjuna discovered this and got his narrow-mouthed vessel filled quickly by using the Varuna Astra (weapon) and managed to return at the same time as did Aswathama. He was thus able to receive the additional lessons that Drona gave his son. Arjuna soon became the favorite student of his Guru. Drona once secretly instructed his cook not to give food to Arjuna in the dark. However, on...

Seeing the princes enter adolescence, Bhishma began searching for a suitable teacher to tutor them in the science of warfare. One day, while the Kuru princes were playing with ball, it fell into the well. They gathered around the well to figure out a way to retrieve the ball. Drona who was on his way to meet kripa(brother-in-law), noticed the boys. Drona teased them by saying that it was shameful that the princes belonging to the Bhrata race could not retrieve the ball. He said that he would throw his ring also in the well and retrieve both the ball and the ring, using just a blade of grass, if only the princes could offer him a dinner that evening. Drona threw his ring into the dry well. He showed the princes the blades of grass he was carrying in his hand and told them that he would empower those grasses with his Mantras, make one blade of grass pierce the ball, create a chain using a few more blades and then pull up the ball. bring up the ball. He did exactly that....

Pandu was excited by his information. He asked Kunti  to summon the God of Justice, the most virtuous of all celestials. Kunti did accordingly. By the command of her husband Pandu, Kunti invited Yamaraja . He is most pious and devoted to Lord Vishnu. Indeed, he is a mahajanas and will not pollute our dynasty with sin. Kunti abided by Pandu's order and prepared to call the demigod Yamaraja. (At this time Gandhari had been pregnant for one whole year.) Kunti repeated the incantation that Durvasa Muni had imparted to her, and Yamaraja appeared. By him she conceived a child that was equal to the great Yamaraja himself. When the child was born, there was a celestial voice from the heavens that announced, This child will possess divine consciousness, and he will be the foremost of virtuous. He will become famous as one who rules by the will of God. Endowed with invincibility and truthful speech, he will become the emperor of this earth. This first son of Pandu will be named Yudhi...