NO. S6S RS.

30
 Illustrated Classics From India

Over 86 million copies of over 400 titles sold worldwide!

Amar Chitra Katha is a collection of illustrated classics that retell stories from Indian
mythology, history folktale and legend through the fascinating medium of comics. Over
430 stories from all over India have been told in this series that has been endorsed by
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Through a masterful blend of commentary, dialogue and illustration, Amar Chitra Katha
presents complex historical facts and intricate mythology in a format that would appeal
to children. They not on|y entertain, but also provide a fitting introduction to the cultural
heritage of India. In a country so vast and varied, the series also serves as a medium
for national integration, by introducing young readers to the rich cultural diversity of
the countiy and highlighting the achievements of local heroes.

Amar Chitra Katha comics are like famijy heirlooms, passed down from generation to
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No. S65 • Rs 30

IBH
INDIA BOOK HOUSE
C India Book House Pvt. Ltd. 1974 Reprinted: September 2006 ISBN : 81-7508-066-3
Published and Printed by India Book House Pvt Ltd, Mahalaxmi Chambers,
5th Floor, 22 Bhulabhai Desai Road, Mumbai 400 026, India.
BHARAPWAJA HAP A F&ENP IN PQISHATA,
THE KINO OF PANCHALA.

PRONA^A BRILLIANT PUPIL, SOON ONE PAW 8HARAPWAJA

MASTEREP THE VEPAS AND VEPANGAS. CALLED POONA TO H IM .
PCONA,
HOW I W IS H
I WERE CLEVER.
LIKE VOU.
3
PR O M AM P DRUPAPA LIVED FOR MANW WEARS IN THE ASHRAM OF AGNIVESHA.
THEIR FRIENDSHIP GREW W ITH THEM. I
SOU ARE KIND
PR O N A ,LET M E WASH TO M E, PRUPAPA
OUR CLOTHES. VOU LISTEN T H E N .
RECITE SHLOKAS WHILE IS HAVASVA -

WEARS PASSED. THEIR STUPtES OVER,

mmsmm
THE 'SOUTHS GOT REAPV TO RETURN HOME.

PRONA, WHEN I I SHALL >

BECOME KING ALWAV5
AFTER b/H FATHER CEMEM6EC
MW PALACE SHALL VOU ANP
BE SOUR HOME YOUR KINP
I PROMISE. OFFER, >

4
THEN BHA&APWAUA TOO P /E l? A N D POONA
STAVED ON ALONE IN THE AUSTERE ASHRAM.

POONA MAOOIEP K O lPl, THE PIOUS A N P TO POONA HIS GOOWING CHILD

IN TELLIG EN T S/STEO O F KOIPA. W HEN A IA/AS A CONTINUOUS SOUOCE OF DELIGHT.
SON WAS BOON TO THEM A HEAVENLW
VOICE PO O CLAIM EP-

T H E CH ILD SHALL
BE CALLEP
A S W A TTH A M A !

5
ASWATTHAMA EVEN SUCCEEPEP IN
PtVERUNG HIM FROM HIS FAVOURITE
PASTIME, THE PURSUIT OF THE SCIENCE
OF ARMS.

PRONA MAPE HASTE TO THE ABOPE OF PARASHURAMA. M l I A PF l_A Tg.

*—----- ---------- I HAVE NOTHING
LEFT BUT THIS
BODY OF M IN E
AN O MY WEAPONS
T O OFFER.QUICK!
TE LL M E !
W H IC H W ILL
VO U HAVE?

I CHOOSE YOUR
W EA PO N S W IT H THE
! MANTRAS^EQR THEIR
USE.

ffg M m I T \ y

IB I 1 11 | ^
J I L | B | L yk

'• f t _- a S f f f 1
^ i v « f r a u t n i i 1
PA&ASHURAMA GAVE PRONA W HAT HE
W ANTEP, M AKING H IM SUPREME IN THE
S K /U O f AR M S .
M / HAVE THE BEST O F
PARASHURAMA 9S
WEALTH. / CANNOT
\W A /T TO SHARE
M J H E GOOP NEW S

T H E BEGGAR’S
l SO N W ANTS
M IL K !

TH EV /r

7
 POONA WAS M O VED A N P ASHAMEP
B Y W HAT H E SAW A ND HEARD.
r / SHALL TAKE KRlPI ANP ASWATTHAMA
TO PRUPAPA.HE WILL WELCOME US

8
9
 KRlPA WAS THE GURU OF THE PANPAVA ANP KAURAVA PRINCES A T THE KURU
IN HASTINAPURA. HE WELCOMED THEM AS PRONA HAP EXPECTED.

PEAR KRlPA, FOR

CERTAIN REASONS
] I W ANT VOU TO
KEEP M V PROWESS
IN THE SCIENCE
OF ARMS A
SECRET.

ONE PAY THE KURU PRINCES CAME OUT OF THE C IT Y TO PLAY BALL tN THE OPEN
COUNTRYSIPE.
O H ! w h a t il l luc k!
THE BALL HAS __ «
FALLEN IN . fZ Z \)

I CAN SEE IT.

B U T IT IS
PEEP PO W N

JUST THEN POONA ARRfVEP ON THE SCENE. NO ONE HAD SEEN H IM APPROACHING.

SHAME
O N VOUR
PRINCE LV
M IG H T A N P
V O U B SKILL
IN A £ M S !
 I W IL L B E IN G ^
Y O U R BALL O U T
W IT H MERE BLADES
^ O F GRASS. A

PRONA W ITH HIS SKILL

SOON HAP THE BALL
O U T. ----------------------

THE ASTONISHEP PRINCES SALUTED H IM

G O T O BHEE
W E BOW TO YO U, SIR
W E HAVE NOT SEEN LSHMA.YOUR
I g g a n d s ib e
ANYTHING LIKE TH IS.
.W H O ARE YOU ? j6 m AND
W DESCRIBE
■W HAT Y O U
■[HAVE SEEN
HE W ILL
KNOW,

11
THE PRINCES HURRIEP TO BHEESHMA BHEESHMA W EN T IN PERSON TO M EET
W ITH THE NEW S. --------------------------- t i PRONA.
vou h o n o u r us w r a n w w
IT IS N O N E B U T PR O N A . 8 V MDUR VISIT.
VO U ARE F O R T U N A T E . W O N ’T VO U COME
BECAUSE IN H IM V O U W ILL T O THE
HAVE A TEACHER B 6V O N P , palace? x In n H P B
COM PARE.

A N P POONA TOLD H IS STORY. THEN

I COM E SEEKING T MDU MAV

OBEDIENT PURLS I CONSIDER IT
W H O W IL L AVENGE/ AS ALREACV
^ M V IN S U LT. A PO NE.
bheeshma gave him a n e a t l i t t l e h o u s e w hich la ck ed n o th in g
V O U A N D V O U R FAM lLvJ
S H A L L E N .J O V
E V ER V C O M F O R T T H E KU2U
P A L A C E C A N G IV E V O U

13
ARJUNA WAS A N EXCELLENT PUPIL AND ONE N/OHT9AS ARJUNA WAS PINING,A
SOON BECAME POONA'S FAVOURITE. GUST O F W IN D BLEW O UT THE LAMP.
BUT ARJUNA CONTINUED EATING.
THE GURU IS PARTIAL
T O A R JU N A. HE POES ,
N O T LET ANV OF US
SURPASS w $

rm

SUDDENLY AN IDEA STRUCK H IM .

I CAN EAT
>IN THE DARK
____r OF HABIT •
/ CAN MAKE
J SHOOTING
I W THE PARK A ]
SIM ILAR
LHABITI i

14
 ONE PAY PRONA HEARD THE TWANG OF
HIS SOW A N P CAME TO M EET H IM .
I SHALL
TR AIN VO U
TILL NO
BOW MAN IN
TH E WORLD
IS A MATCH
FOR VO U .

ANP PRONA KEPT HIS WORD. NEWS OF ARJUNA’S SKILL SPREAD FAR A N P W IPE ANP
PRINCES A N P KINGS FROM NEIGHBOURING KINGDOMS FLOCKED TO DRONA TV
BECOME H IS PUPILS.

I AM EKALAW A,
THE N ISH A D *
PRINCE.
I W A N T TO
BECOME
YOUR
PUPIL.

15
THERE HE MAPE A CLAW IMAGE OF POONA
WORSHIPPED IT A N D .. .

ONE PAW THE KURU PRINCES CAME TO ONE OF THEIR HOUNDS SAW EKALAvWA
THAT FOREST TO HUNT. v a B n A N P BEGAN TO BARK.

W H O ARE S O U ? ] I A M E K A L A W A ,
W H O IS V O U R IA NI5HAPA PPINCE.
t. GURU ? J DRONACHARVA
IS M V G U R U .

16
WHEN THEM RETURNED TO THE PALACE.
THE PRINCES NARRATED THE WHOLE
IV
K je

HT4

ftn rS l I jll

fy j lp ^ 2 4 a P ^ |B a B B iP
A T LAST THE PRINCES HAD ALL BECOME\ ONE DAW HE ASSEMBLED ALL OF THEM.
SKILLEP WARRIORS.

THEY MOUNTED THEIR CHARIOTS AND WHEN THEY NEARED PRUPADA’S C /T Y -

RODE OUT ACCOMPANIED BY PRONA.
^ L E T T H E KAURAVAS HAVE A
C H A N C E T O PI5PLAV TH EIR SKILLS.
FOR T H E V W IL L N E V ER BE A B LE T O
C A P TU R E T H E M IG H TV PRUPA D A .
W E CAN E X E R T OURSELVES

18
•4S PLANNED, ARJUNA AND H IS BROTHERS W A IT E D AT SOME DISTANCE AWAW FROM
------- H M k 4 A J THE T0WA/-

DESTROYING THE PANCHALAS WHO CAME IN THEIR WAV, THE KAURAVA PRINCES
LAID SIEGE TO THE C IT Y . I A . M S * 1, ^ S iS S Z SSSSB

liS

— ■
■-

M EANW HILE DRUPAPA HEARING THE UPROAR, CAME O U T O F HIS P A L A C E ...

THE KAURAVAS STUNNED SV THE DEFENCE, BROKE THEIR RANKS AND FLED,

HEARING THE VMIL.THE (KNDAVAS SALUTED PRONA AND MOUNTED THEIR CHARIOTS.

20
ARJU NA . EAGER TO PLEASE H IS GURU, W E N T STR A IG H T O N A N P A TTA C K EP
ORUPADA.

21
22
THIS WAS THE MOMENT CXZONA HAP
PATIENTU-i WAITED AND WORKED FOB
 T H E O TH ER HALF
I W IL L R E T A IN .
N O W VOU NEED NOT
HESITATE TO O W N ME
AS A FR IEN D -
i FOR I T O O
§ A M A K IN G .

VO U ARE A NOBLE S O U L . I A M NOT H

SURPRISED 0 V VOUR A TTITU D E.
I AM GRATEFUL T O VO U A N D J M
L W ISH TO BE VO UR , ------
\ LIFELONG FR IEN D ... ^ -A V
X . WHICH TIME 1
1 ----------- , ,---- / <SMU.£ /WMF A */
^ REVENGE.

24
DQONA BEGAN 7 0 LIVE /A / H IS NEW LW -ACQ UIREP KINGPOM B U T CONTINUED
TO BE G U R U TO TH E KURU PRINCES.

SO HE W E N T W ITH H IS W IFE TO A VENERABLE SAG E.

W IL L V O U C A L L
FO E TH A SO N
FO R M E W H O
W IL L BE ABLE
T O K IL L

25
 THEN THE BRAHMANS GAVE THE B O /A N D THE GIRL THEIR NAM ES.
T H IS GLORIOUS SO N A N P THIS
O F PRUPAPA DAUGHTER
SHALL BE CALLED KRlSHNAAi
PHRISHTADVUMNAJ A

'LATER KNOW N AS PRAUMDI OR RANCHALL

DBAUPADI BECAME THE WIFE OF THE PANCAVAS. THE KAURAMS SUCCEEPEP, 6V

UNFAIR MEANS, IN PEPRMNG THEIR COUSINS OF THEIR KINGDOM AND SENDING
THEM INTO EXILE. AFTER THIRTEEN WEARS ANP MANV ADVENTURES, THE PANOAVAS
RETURNED TOASK FOR THEIR KINGDOM. PURVOPHANA, THE ELDEST KAURAVA,
REFUSEP TO FART W ITH El/EN A SINGLE ULLAGE. WAR WAS PECLARED-THE GREAT
18-CAY WAR OF THE MAHABHARATA.
PRONA FOUGHT FOR THE KAURAMS. PRUfADA ANP PHRISHTAPVUMNA NATURALLY
.BECAME THE ALLIES OF PRAUPAPt’S HUSBANDS, THE FANPAi/AS.

27
THEIR GRANPSIRE, BHEESHMA, LE P THE KAURAVA ARM IES FOR THE FIR ST TEN
P A S S . ON THE TENTH PAW BHEESHMA F E LL. ________

L E T PCONACHARVA
C O M M A N D OUR j
_ FOR CES!

PRONA FIU LEP THE PANPAVA A R M IE S W IT H TERROR A N D K ILLE P M A M W O F

---- -- 1 X m I TH EM .

28
O N THE FOURTEENTH DOS POONA [A/AS ATTACKED 6 V D Q U PA D A .
DHQISHTADWUMNA WAS GRIEF-STRICKEN &4 HIS FATHER’S PEATH. WUPHISHTHIRA
CONSOLEP H IM . r—r — --- --------------------- 5 :— r ~ --- S .
f TA K E H E A R T ,
BRAVE O N E .
V O U R F A TH E R ’S
DEATH SH A LL
BE AVEN GED. ,
V O U ARE A
BORN T O
L SLAV
^ DRONA .Jgm

" t e l l h im t h a t N O ! N O! T H A T
A S W A TTH A M A A W O U L D BE A LIE
IS D E A D ... A
DRONACHARVA W ILL
L BE DISABLED B V
L GRIEF.
 &&/VO/ IT CAN’T 6 6
A5WATTHAMA^ ^ z n m u E . i k n o w
HAS BEEN \H O W S K iL - IS THIS TR UE,
^ k il l e p i >' C .T J \^ R J L MW V U P H ISH TH IR A ?,
- ^ ^ O to 3 C > /\/

mzMm
rA S W AveT Ts.H A M^A
TH E E L E G A N T
IS P E A P .
H E L A /P POW N H IS WEAPONS A N P PQEPHREP H IM SELF FOR SAMAPHI.

PHRkSHTAPYUMNA S E IZE P THE OPPORTUNITY A N P W ITH ONE STROKE O F H IS

SW ORP SLEW H IM . BUT HE HAP ONLY KIULEP A LIFELESS BOPY. FOR UNKNOW N
TO PHRtSHTAPWUMNAf POONA'S SOUL WAS ALREAPY O N IT S UPWARP JOURNEY
W HEN HE STRUCK.

32
 Illustrated Classics From India

Drona
Drona, the valiant archer, was second only to Bheeshma among the respected elders of the Mahabharata.

Drona had studied together with Drupada, who later became the king of Panchala, in the ashram of
Agnivesha. When he was unable to buy a glass of milk for his beloved son, he turned to his friend for help.
But when Drupada humiliated him, he went to Hastinapura and became the teacher of military science to the
Pandavas and Kauravas, believing that Arjuna alone, amongst all the Kuru princes, could avenge his shame.

He bestowed special attention on Arjuna, and, succumbing to his own motives of personal vendetta, he even
demanded the thumb of Ekalavya, the great archer, despite the cruelty of this dastardly act.

Editor: Anant Pai

Script: Kamala Chandrakant Illustrations: P. B. Kavadi Cover: P. B. Kavadi

Related Titles
Bheeshma • Mahabharata • Tales of Arjuna • Abhimanyu
Kama • Draupadi • The Pandava Princes
Bheema and Hanuman

ISBN 81-7508-066-3

9*788175 080669
m
INDIA BOOK HOUSE