Book excerpt: The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. It is an epic narrative of the Kurukshetra War and the fates of the Kauravas and the Pandava princes as well as containing philosophical and devotional material, such as a discussion of the four goals of life. Here we have Drona Parva, the seventh, is the major book of the Kurukshetra war with Drona as commander. The narration is on most of the great warriors who served on respectively to the Kauravas and the Pandavas in the battle. Drona or Dronacharya is portrayed as the royal guru to the Kauravas and the Pandavas. He was skilled in advanced military arts. Vyasa is a revered figure in Hindu traditions. He is a kala-Avatar or part-incarnation of God Vishnu. Vyasa is sometimes conflated by some Vaishnavas with Badarayana, the compiler of the Vedanta Sutras and considered to be one of the seven Chiranjivins. He is also the fourth member of the Rishi Parampara of the Advaita Guru Parampar of which Adi Shankara is the chief proponent.