Is Ashwathama Alive?

The world will think that I was killed by Bheema. But you are the reason for my death. On the Battlefield of Kurukshetra, between life and death these were the last words coming out of Duryodhan's mouth. But the reason behind them was that warrior who had committed such a cruel act that even a sinner like Duryodhana was shivering. " I have killed Pandavas." hearing this, Duryodhana was very happy for a few moments. How can a single warrior do something that hundreds of Kauravas could not do? But when he came to know the truth his excitement turned into anger and disgust. He had tears of fear and despair in his eyes. " O fool! what Kind of atrocity have you committed? He is not a Pandava." At this moment, that warior had become the most cruel and sinful warrior of Mahabharata. That warrior who was the form of Shiva, who could have defeated the Pandavas army alone, Lord Krishna himself cursed him. This story has been told for Centuries. that story is of that warrior who was born with a gem on his head. the son of Guru Dhrona and Lord Shiva himself, who is alive somewhere among us even after 5000 years.

It was 1192, After the first battle with Muhammad Ghori, when the great warrior Prithviraj Chauhan was in the jungle , he saw a strange man. 12 feet tall, muscular man who was smelling something strange his whole body was looking sick and there was a deep mark on his head, as if someone had put his hand on his head and removed his brain. According to the book written in 12th century, Prithviraj Raso. Prithviraj Chauhan was a very knowledgeable physician. He told that man that he could cure his wound. but even after one week of treatment, that wound was not getting cured at all. Nervous King Prithviraj asked him, "are you Ashwathama?" that man replied 'yes' in a very soft voice and he left from there. But how did Prithviraj know that man is Ashwathama? The answer to this is hidden in the wound on his head, and in his story hidden in Mahabharata. 

Let's start from the beginning. "Give me such a son, O lord, who has your radiance, who is powerful like you, who is a part of you." For many years, after doing penance for Mahadev, when Mahaguru Dronacharya got his darshan, then he asked Lord Shiva for this boon. Soon, Guru Dronacharya and his wife got a son. But this was such a wonderful event, that the earth, sky, the whole world everyone felt it. that child did not cry after birth, but he made a loud noise like a horse, that the whole earth, the whole sky, echoed with his voice. From this echo, his name was read as Ashwathama, eho echoes like a horse.

According to Shiva Purana, Ashwathama himself is the form of Lord Shiva.  That is why he has a gem on his forehead which is seem as the the third eye of Lord Shiva. Because of that gem, Ashwathama got the boon that no weapon, disease, hunger, thirst, nothing is there which can kill Ashwathama. He got the boon of Immortality. Guru Drona had understood that his son will become powerful warrior. Maybe that is why he gave him the knowledge which made him the most cruel warrior of Mahabharata. Many people believe that Guru Drona had only taught Brahmastra to Arjuna but it is not true. The love towards his son made him teach Brahmastra to Ashwathama. Ashwathama was taught along with all the Kuru sons. He too was a skilled archer like Arjuna. But it is said that he did not have control over his emotions. Because of a Shivaansh his emotions were intense whether it was anger or ego. But on the battlefield, Ashwathama proved his skill again and again to support his father and friend Duryodhana. Ashwathama fought on behalf of the Kauravas. 

According to the Virat Parva of Mahabharata, before the war, there was a fierce war in Viratnagar in which the Pandavas won. But many people do not know that in that war two skilled archers Arjuna and ashwathama came face to face. there was a fierce war between the two. Like arjuna, Ashwathama could shoot all his arrows in the same straight line. But in the end, Ashwathama's arrows ran out and he had to retreat. 

In the Battle of Mahabharata, Ashwathama defeated Bheema, Yudhishthir, Dhristadyumna and may other warriors for many times. He was the only warrior, who was not afraid of Ghatotkach and his magical demons. Ashwathama defeated such a huge and powerful warrior alone. He even rained his arrows in such a way that about one lakh Pandava soldiers were killed. To avenge the death of his son Abhimanyu, when Arjuna vowed to kill Jaidrath, Ashwathama stopped arjuna and saved Jaidrath. Even when Arjuna and Karna had a war and Arjuna was about to defeat hi Ashwathama saved Karna. 

On the 14th day of the war, Ashwathama fired such an arrow which would end the war. Narayanastra , who could kill all the skilled warriors at once but Lord Krishna asked all the soldiers to leave their weapons and lie down on the ground and Ashwathama's attack was a failure. It is believed that if ashwathama's anger has crossed its limits then he could have ended the whole war alone. On the same day of war Kauravas lost their greatest strength after Pitamah Bhishma,  Guru Dhronacharya who had led the Kaurava army. there was no one was able to stand against Guru Drona's knowledge and power, it was not possible to defeat him. So, Lord Krishna deceived him to disarm him and Dhristadyumna killed him. When Ashwathama came to know about this he was filled with anger. still, he requested Duryodhana to stop the war and make peace with the Pandavas because Ashwathama did not want to lose more people  specially lose his best friend Duryodhana. Bit in the end that's what happened.

On the 18th day of the war, Ashwathama saw that on the battlefield of Mahabharata, his friend Duryodhana was struggling with death. Breaking rule of the war he was attacked on his thigh and defeated. Ashwathama Promised Duryodhana that he would finish the Pandavas. As soon as he reached the Pandavas' camp where Ashwathama worshipped Lord Shiva and he blessed Ashwathama after which Ashwathama had cam in his Rudra form. His anger, his power had crossed all their limits. Late at night, he entered the Pandavas' camp and whoever came in his way he killed them. Ashwathama alone defeated Dhristadyumna and Shikandhi such a great warrior and destroyed the entire Pandava army. He set the fire to all the tents. Many soldiers were burned while sleeping. To avenge his father's death he killed Dhristadyumna and crushed his head. Finally he entered a small tent where five people were sleeping. in the dark Ashwathama killed those five people considering them as Pandavas. then he beheaded one of them considering him as Bheema and took his head to Duryodhana. Ashwathama covered in blood realized that he had not killed Pandavas but their sons. 

The next morning, when the Pandavas returned to their camp their soul trembled when the they saw what was happening there. Everything was in ruins. His entire army was destroyed and their sons were killed. The eyes of the five Pandavas were filled with fire of anger. The fire that wanted to destroy Ashwathama. But no one could defeat Ashwathama because of his boon. 

Then the great battle begun, ignoring his father's warning, Ashwathama decided to use the bhramastra which could destroy the entire universe. Shri Krishna also recommended Arjuna to use the Brahmastra. Both the astras were just about to collide when Ved Vyas arrived there and stopped them. He advised both of them to retreat Arjun retreated but Ashwathama didn't know how to control his weapon. Ved Vyas suggested him to turn his weapon to a mountain but Ashwathama still longed for revenge to kill the last remaining descendent of Pandavas he turned his spear towards Uttara who was pregnant. Watching this Shri Krishna came in between and stopped the weapon using his Sudarshan chakra. Ashwathama's cruelty filled Shri Krishna with unmeasurable anger and he cursed Ashwathama "because of your actions you'll be plagued with leprosy that will rot your skin, people will run away from you. you will be covered with scars from where the blood will always flow no one will help you, one one will give food , no support, you will roam like a beggar without any rest, even Death can't save you." saying this, Shri Krishna ordered Bhima to remove the gem on Ashwathama's head and since then it is believed that Ashwathama is roaming on this earth. It is also believed that he is waiting for Lord Vishnu's Last Avatar, this avatar with the help of whom he will free this world from the disease of Kalyug and himself too. 

For many years, at many different times different people have claimed to have seen Ashwathama but how much truth is there in this stories is still a deep secret.