"I have KILLED Ashwathama, O guru, I have killed him."
—Bhim
This episode of Mahabharata continues where we left off on Day 15 of the Kurukshetra war. Dronacharya is unstoppable today, killing King Viraat and his frenemy King Drupad in short order. Even the gods cannot persuade him to stop.
And then, under Krishna’s guidance, the Pandavas deploy the dirtiest trick in their arsenal to defeat him - disinformation.
I have found THESE Tropes in this episode, O guru! These Tropes
- Berserk Button: Arjun loses it when Dhrishtadyumna decapitates Dronacharya. He needs to be restrained while screaming at Dhrishtadyumna, calling him a coward and threatening to kill him.
- Cannot Tell a Lie: In this adaptation, Yudhistir is actually incapable of lying. So, when Dronacharya demands to know if Ashwathama is really dead, Yudhistir responds “Ashwathama is dead!” But then mutters too soft for Dronacharya to hear “The animal, not the human”. So Yudhistir is incapable of telling a lie, but he is capable of modulating his voice such that the whole truth isn’t audible!
- Despair Event Horizon: Dronacharya throws his arms away in despair and sits down to meditate after Yudhistir “confirms” Ashwathama’s “death”.
- Exact Words / Half-Truth: Bhim screams that “Ashwathama is dead”. This is partially true - he did kill an elephant named Ashwathama.
- I'm a Doctor, Not a Placeholder: When Duryodhan demands that Dronacharya slay the Pandavas while they sleep, Dronacharya retorts “I am a warrior, O Crown Prince, not the God of Death”
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Dronacharya impales Drupad’s chest through and through with his sword, killing him.
- Off with His Head!: Dhrishtadyumna avenges his dead father by chopping Dronacharya’s head clean off.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Draupadi gives Arjun a blistering one, when she finds him ranting about killing Dhrishtadyumna.
"What crime has my brother committed, O supreme archer? Why don’t you push me aside to get to my brother? After all, I’m not important to you at all, am I!! When I was dragged by my hair to the royal court and almost stripped off my clothes, all five sons of Kunti just sat and watched. And did nothing! And this Dronacharya, whose death has angered you so much, also was present in that court. He too just sat and watched and did nothing. And my beloved Abhimanyu was killed while disarmed by him and his army."
- This Is Unforgivable!: Drupad screams angrily at Drone that he will never forgive him for killing Drupad’s friend King Viraat. Bhishma is so shocked and saddened when Yudhistir confesses using disinformation to kill Dronacharya that he yells at him to go away and leave him alone. The Pandavas never visit Bhishma again until the very end of the story.
- You Are in Command Now: Duryodhan appoints Karna as the General of his armies, because Dronacharya is dead.
- Will Not Tell a Lie: Dronacharya believes Yudhistir to be this, and demands that he confirm Ashwathama’s “death”.
