Who was the military teacher of the Kuru princes?

Dronacharya was the military teacher of the Kuru princes. Also called Drona, he trained both the Pandavas and the Kauravas in archery, warfare, strategy, and the use of divine weapons.

Drona became the princes’ instructor after Bhishma recognized his exceptional martial knowledge. His most famous pupil was Arjuna, whom he considered an extraordinarily gifted archer. Duryodhana and Bhima excelled with the mace, while other princes developed skill in charioteering, swordsmanship, and celestial weapons.

A common mix-up is Kripacharya, who was also a respected teacher and royal preceptor in Hastinapura. Kripa helped educate the princes, but Drona is the figure traditionally identified as their principal military instructor. Vyasa was the epic’s sage and narrator, while Bhishma was the Kuru elder and statesman.

Drona later became a commander of the Kaurava army during the Kurukshetra War. His demand that the princes capture King Drupada as their teacher’s fee, or gurudakshina, helped shape later conflicts in the Mahabharata.