The Drona Parva (), or the Book of Drona, is the seventh of eighteen books of the Indian epic Mahabharata. Drona Parva traditionally has 8 parts and 204 chapters. The critical edition of Drona Parva has 8 parts and 173 chapters.
Drona Parva describes the appointment of Drona as commander-in-chief of the Kaurava alliance, on the 11th day of the Kurukshetra War, the next four days of battles, and his death on the 15th day of the 18-day war. The parva recites how the war became more brutal with each passing day, how agreed rules of a just war began to be ignored by both sides as loved ones on each side were slain, how the war extended into the night, and how millions of more soldiers and major characters of the story - Abhimanyu, Jayadratha, Drona, Ghatotkacha - died during the war.
Structure and chapters
This Parva (book) traditionally has 8 sub-parvas (parts or little books) and 204 adhyayas (sections, chapters). The following are the sub-parvas:
1. Dronābhisheka Parva (Chapters: 1–16) With Bhishma fatally injured and on his death bed of arrows, Kauravas remembered the mighty warrior Karna. Karna meets Bhishma and asks his permission to join the war. Bhishma allows. Karna meets Kauravas and consoles them on the loss of Bhishma. Duryodhana appoints Drona - their teacher - as replacement commander-in-chief for the war. Thus Drona is crowned as the new chief of the Kauravas army.
11th day war
Drona arrays his army in the form of a Sakata (vehicle), while their illustrious foes, in Krauncha (crane) form. Duryodhana asks Drona to seize Yudhisthira alive. Drona promises him under limitation to divert Arjuna, from the battle field as Drona can't defeat Arjuna. King Yudhisthira learns it, through his spies, and addresses Arjuna. Arjuna tells him to not worry, as he himself with undefeated streaks will protect him, even if himself wielder of thunderbolt, or Vishnu with gods, assists them, they will not succeed. Drona starts with slaughtering Panchalas, invoking into existence many celestial weapons, within a very short time, trembling all. Dhrishtadyumna battles Drona but gets defeated and his army gets fled. Arjuna engages long duel with Drona. Drona can't defeat Arjuna and Arjuna didn't have a motive to kill his own guru. Shakuni with 100 followers, rush towards Sahadeva. Sahadeva cuts his bow and destroys his car. Sakuni hurling a mace kills his charioteer. Both comes down and fight with mace. Bhima battles Vivinsati. Shalya battles Nakula. Nakula after vanquishing him, blew his conch.Karna defeats Satyaki. Drupada battles Bhagadatta. Mastya king Virata engages battle with mighty Kritavarma and Narayani sena. Bhurisrava and Sikhandin, encountered each other and Sikhandin with his shafts caused him to tremble. Gatotkacha and Alamvusha battles. Abhimanyu knocking Purava, drags him helplessly. Jayadratha comes there to help, with shield and sword and battles him. Abhmanyu knocks Jayadratha and then battles Salya division. Salya hurls an iron dart, and Abhimanyu seizing it hurled it back slewing his driver. All applauds Abhimanyu and his foes surrounds him. Then Abhimanyu along with 22 maharathis attack Drona but Drona defeats them all. Drishtadyumna engages battle with Ashwatthama but gets defeated. Bhima joins Abhimanyu and destroy the Kaurava forces and the army fled away. Drona comes to rally his troops and rush at Yudhishthira. Drona cutting off Yudhishthira's bow, slew Kumara. Then Bhardwaja's son pierces all in his vicinity and felled Yugandhara. Then Virata, Drupada, Satyaki, Dhrishtadyumna and many others pierces Drona. Drona roared aloud and beheaded Singhasena and Vyaghradatta. All cries loud for protection. Arjuna comes, routing the Kurus, with shower of arrows. There created, caused by carnage, a river whose water were blood, with bones and bodies. At sunset, withdrawal of troops occurs on both sides. All praises Partha with speech, for vanquishing foes.