| KURUKSHETRA DAY - 15 After King Drupad and King Virat was slain by Dron, Bhim and Dhristadyumn fought him on the fifteenth day. Because Dron was very powerful and unconquerable having brahamastra, Krishna hinted Yudhisthir that Dron would give up his arms if his son Ashwathama was dead. Thus Bhim proceeded to kill an elephant named Ashwathama, and loudly proclaimed that Ashwathama was dead. Drona approached Yudhisthir to seek the truth of his son's death. Yudhisthir proclaimed "Ashwathama Hato Iti Narova Kunjova" (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 Yudhisthir pronounced the last word feebly that Dron could not hear the word elephant. Till this point, the chariot of Yudhisthir, claimed as Dharma Raj (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.
Dron was disheartened, and laid down his weapons. He was then slain with a sword, by Dhristadyumn to avenge his father's death & vow. Later, after the sunset Pandav's mother Kunti secretly met her abandened son Karn and requested him to spare Pandav's as they are their younger brothers. Karn then promised Kunti that he will spare the Pandav's, except Arjun.
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