The Mahabharata. Adi Parva, Section 133rd. Sambhava Parva continued.
"Vaisampayana said, 'Arrived at Hastinapura,
that best of Brahmanas, the son of Bharadwaja,
continued to live privately in the house of
Gautama (Kripa).
His mighty son (Aswatthaman) at intervals
of Kripa's teaching, used to give the sons
of Kunti lessons in the use of arms.
But as yet none knew of Aswatthaman's prowess.
"Drona had thus lived privately for some time
in the house of Kripa when one day the heroic
princes, all in a company, came out of Hastinapura.
And coming out of the city, they began to
play with a ball and roam about in gladness
of heart.
And it so happened that the ball with which
they had been playing fell into a well.
And thereupon the princes strove their best
to recover it from the well.
But all the efforts the princes made to recover
it proved futile.
They then began to eye one another bashfully,
and not knowing how to recover it, their anxiety
became great.
Just at this time they beheld a Brahmana near
enough unto them, of darkish hue, decrepit
and lean, sanctified by the performance of
the Agnihotra and who had finished his daily
rites of worship.
And beholding that illustrious Brahmana, the
princes who had despaired of success surrounded
him immediately.
Drona (for that Brahmana was no other), seeing
the princes unsuccessful, and conscious of
his own skill, smiled a little, and addressing
them said, 'Shame on your Kshatriya might,
and shame also on your skill in arms!
You have been born in the race of Bharata!
How is it that ye cannot recover the ball
(from the bottom of this well)?
If ye promise me a dinner today, I will, with
these blades of grass, bring up not only the
ball ye have lost but this ring also that
I now throw down!'
Thus saying, Drona that oppressor of foes,
taking off his ring, threw it down into the
dry well.
Then Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, addressing
Drona, said, 'O Brahmana (thou askest for
a trifle)!
Do thou, with Kripa's permission, obtain of
us that which would last thee for life!'
Thus addressed, Drona with smiles replied
unto the Bharata princes, saying, 'This handful
of long grass I would invest, by my mantras,
with the virtue of weapons.
Behold these blades possess virtues that other
weapons, have not!
I will, with one of these blades, pierce the
ball, and then pierce that blade with another,
and that another with a third, and thus shall
I, by a chain, bring up the ball.'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then Drona did exactly
what he had said.
And the princes were all amazed and their
eyes expanded with delight.
And regarding what they had witnessed to be
very extraordinary, they said, O learned Brahmana,
do thou bring up the ring also without loss
of time.'
"Then the illustrious Drona, taking a bow
with an arrow, pierced the ring with that
arrow and brought it up at once.
And taking the ring thus brought up from the
well still pierced with his arrow, he coolly
gave it to the astonished princes.
Then the latter, seeing the ring thus recovered,
said, 'We bow to thee, O Brahmana!
None else owneth such skill.
We long to know who thou art and whose son.
What also can we do for thee?'
"Thus addressed, Drona replied unto the princes,
saying, 'Do ye repair unto Bhishma and describe
to him my likeness and skill.
The mighty one will recognize me.'
The princes then saying, 'So be it,' repaired
unto Bhishma and telling him of the purport
of that Brahmana's speech, related everything
about his (extraordinary) feat.
Hearing everything from the princes, Bhishma
at once understood that the Brahmana was none
else than Drona, and thinking that he would
make the best preceptor for the princes, went
in person unto him and welcoming him respectfully,
brought him over to the place.
Then Bhishma, that foremost of all wielders
of arms, adroitly asked him the cause of his
arrival at Hastinapura.
Asked by him, Drona represented everything
as it had happened, saying, 'O sir, in times
past I went to the great Rishi Agnivesa for
obtaining from him his weapons, desirous also
of learning the science of arms.
Devoted to the service of my preceptor, I
lived with him for many years in the humble
guise of a Brahmacharin, with matted locks
on my head.
At that time, actuated by the same motives,
the prince of Panchala, the mighty Yajnasena,
also lived in the same asylum.
He became my friend, always seeking my welfare.
I liked him much.
Indeed, we lived together for many, many years.
O thou of Kuru's race, from our earliest years
we had studied together and, indeed, he was
my friend from boyhood, always speaking and
doing what was agreeable to me.
For gratifying me, O Bhishma, he used to tell
me, 'O Drona, I am the favourite child of
my illustrious father.
When the king installeth me as monarch of
the Panchalas, the kingdom shall be thine.
O friend, this, indeed, is my solemn promise.
My dominion, wealth and happiness, shall all
be dependent on thee.'
At last the time came for his departure.
Having finished his studies, he bent his steps
towards his country.
I offered him my regards at the time, and,
indeed, I remembered his words ever afterwards.
"Some time after, in obedience to the injunctions
of my father and tempted also by the desire
of offspring, I married Kripi of short hair,
who gifted with great intelligence, had observed
many rigid vows, and was ever engaged in the
Agnihotra and other sacrifices and rigid austerities.
Gautami, in time, gave birth to a son named
Aswatthaman of great prowess and equal in
splendour unto the Sun himself.
Indeed, I was pleased on having obtained Aswatthaman
as much as my father had been on obtaining
me.
"And it so happened that one day the child
Aswatthaman observing some rich men's sons
drink milk, began to cry.
At this I was so beside myself that I lost
all knowledge of the point of the compass.
Instead of asking him who had only a few kine
(so that if he gave me one, he would no longer
be able to perform his sacrifices and thus
sustain a loss of virtue), I was desirous
of obtaining a cow from one who had many,
and for that I wandered from country to country.
But my wanderings proved unsuccessful, for
I failed to obtain a milch cow.
After I had come back unsuccessful, some of
my son's playmates gave him water mixed with
powdered rice.
Drinking this, the poor boy, was deceived
into the belief that he had taken milk, and
began to dance in joy, saying, 'O, I have
taken milk.
I have taken milk!'
Beholding him dance with joy amid these playmates
smiling at his simplicity, I was exceedingly
touched.
Hearing also the derisive speeches of busy-bodies
who said, 'Fie upon the indigent Drona, who
strives not to earn wealth, whose son drinking
water mixed with powdered rice mistaketh it
for milk and danceth with joy, saying, 'I
have taken milk,--I have taken milk!'--I was
quite beside myself.
Reproaching myself much, I at last resolved
that even if I should have to live cast off
and censured by Brahmanas, I would not yet,
from desire of wealth, be anybody's servant,
which is ever hateful.
Thus resolved, O Bhishma, I went, for former
friendship, unto the king of the Somakas,
taking with me my dear child and wife.
Hearing that he had been installed in the
sovereignty (of the Somakas), I regarded myself
as blessed beyond compare.
Joyfully I went unto that dear friend of mine
seated on the throne, remembering my former
friendship with him and also his own words
to me.
And, O illustrious one, approaching Drupada,
I said, 'O tiger among men, know me for thy
friend!'--Saying this, I approached him confidently
as a friend should.
But Drupada, laughing in derision cast me
off as if I were a vulgar fellow.
Addressing me he said, 'Thy intelligence scarcely
seemeth to be of a high order inasmuch as
approaching me suddenly, thou sayest thou
art my friend!
Time that impaireth everything, impaireth
friendship also.
My former friendship with thee was for a particular
purpose.
One of impure birth can never be a friend
of one who is of pure birth.
One who is not a car-warrior can never be
a friend of one who is such.
Friendship can only subsist between persons
that are of equal rank, but not between those
that are unequally situated.
Friendship never subsisteth for ever in my
heart.
Time impaireth friendships, as also anger
destroyeth them.
Do thou not stick, therefore, to that worn-off
friendship between us.
Think not of it any longer.
The friendship I had with thee, O best of
Brahmanas, was for a special purpose.
There cannot be friendship between a poor
man and a rich man, between an unlettered
hind and a man of letters, between a coward
and a hero.
Why dost thou, therefore, desire, the revival
of our former friendship?
O thou of simple understanding, great kings
can never have friendship with such indigent
and luckless wight as thou?
One who is not a king can never have a king
for his friend.
I do not remember ever having promised thee
my kingdom.
But, O Brahmana, I can now give thee food
and shelter for one night.'--Thus addressed
by him, I left his presence quickly with my
wife, vowing to do that which I will certainly
do soon enough.
Thus insulted by Drupada, O Bhishma, I have
been filled with wrath, I have come to the
Kurus, desirous of obtaining intelligent and
docile pupils.
I come to Hastinapura to gratify thy wishes.
O, tell me what I am to do.'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed by
the son of Bharadwaja, Bhishma said unto him,
'String thy bow, O Brahmana, and make the
Kuru princes accomplished in arms.
Worshipped by the Kurus, enjoy with a glad
heart to thy fill every comfort in their abode.
Thou art the absolute lord, O Brahmana, of
what ever wealth the Kurus have and of their
sovereignty and kingdom!
The Kurus are thine (from this day).
Think that as already accomplished which may
be in thy heart.
Thou art, O Brahmana, obtained by us as the
fruit of our great good luck.
Indeed, the favour thou hast conferred upon
me by thy arrival is great.' ...
