In the Mahabharata, Drona taught both the Pandavas and the Kauravas martial arts.
Drona, also called Dronacharya, was a renowned Brahmin teacher and master of military science. He became the instructor of the Kuru princes at Hastinapura, training the five Pandavas and the one hundred Kauravas in archery, weaponry, and battlefield techniques. Arjuna became his most celebrated pupil and was especially skilled with the bow.
Drona’s teaching shaped the later conflict between the two branches of the Kuru family. He demanded a special fee from his students after their training: the capture of King Drupada. This episode intensified the hostility between Drona and Drupada, whose daughter Draupadi later became central to the Pandavas’ story.
Drona is sometimes confused with Kripa, another martial instructor and elder at the Kuru court. Kripa taught the princes before Drona’s appointment, while Drona is the teacher most closely associated with Arjuna’s training and the princes’ advanced military education.