01The neigh at birth
Kripi’s son cried out the moment he was born with a sound like the neigh of Ucchaihshravas, the horse of the devas, and a voice from the sky named him Ashvatthama, the one with a horse’s strength. The Adi Parva says he was born of Mahadev and Antaka, of desire and anger joined in one. He grew up in poverty, learned every weapon his father had, and was the one person Drona could not live without. In the Sauptika Parva Krishna recalls how Ashvatthama once came to Dwaraka and asked for the discus in exchange for the Brahmashira, and could not even lift it.
02The Narayana weapon
When he heard how his father had been tricked and killed, Ashvatthama loosed the Narayanastra on the Pandava army. Thousands of blazing missiles filled the sky. Krishna told every warrior to get down from his chariot and lay down his weapons, for the astra spares those who do not resist. Bhima alone would not, and Krishna and Arjuna had to drag him from his chariot before the fire took him. Next Ashvatthama turned the Agneya weapon on Arjuna, and when it too failed, Vyasa appeared and told him that Krishna and Arjuna were Narayana and Nara, the ancient rishis, whom no weapon of his could touch.
03The owl in the banyan
The night after Duryodhana fell, Ashvatthama lay awake under a banyan tree with Kripa and Kritavarma, and watched an owl come down on the sleeping crows and kill them one by one. He took it as his lesson. At the gate of the Pandava camp a great being barred his way, and every weapon he threw was swallowed. He offered himself as a sacrifice to Mahadev, and Mahadev entered his body. Inside, he kicked Dhrishtadyumna awake and trampled him to death, refusing him a warrior’s death by the sword, then killed Shikhandi, the five sons of Draupadi and the sleeping Panchalas. Duryodhana heard of it before he died, and died content.
04The curse
The Pandavas hunted him down on the bank of the Ganga, sitting among the rishis near Vyasa. He loosed the Brahmashira, and Arjuna answered with his own. Vyasa and Narada stood between the two blazing weapons. Arjuna could withdraw his; Ashvatthama could not, and he turned his onto the wombs of the Pandava women. Krishna promised that Uttara’s child would live, and cursed Ashvatthama: for three thousand years he would wander the earth alone, unseen and unspoken to, reeking of pus and blood. Ashvatthama gave up the jewel from his head and went into the forest. He is counted among the Chiranjivis, the ever-living, in a well-known shloka recited for long life.