Editing Rudras (section)

==Ashwatthama==

[[Ashwatthama]], the son of [[Drona]], is the avatara of the eleven Rudras, along with being one of the eight [[Chiranjivi]] (the immortals). [[Drona]] performed many years of severe penances to please Shiva in order to obtain a son who possessed the same valiance as the latter. Ashwatthama, the powerful son of [[Drona]], though known as the part incarnate of Rudra, was really born of the four parts of [[Yama]] (death), [[Rudra]] (destruction), [[Kamadeva]] (love), Krodha (anger). Just before [[Mahabharata]] war, [[Bhishma]] himself declared that it would be virtually impossible for anyone to kill or defeat Ashwatthama in battle as he was the part incarnate of Rudra. [[Bhishma]] stated that when Ashwatthama becomes angry, it would become impossible to fight him as he would become "a second [[Shiva]]". The dishonoured deaths of [[Drona]], [[Karna]], [[Duryodhana]] left Aswathama infuriated, and this event led directly and in an unwary-like manner, to the annihilation of most of the [[Pandava]] lineage by the hands of Ashwatthama himself, who killed all of them.<ref>J.L Shastri. "The Shiva Purana - The Complete Set in 4 Volumes". Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt Ltd; 2008 Edition</ref> As a result, [[Krishna]] curses him as being unable to heal his bleeding sores without facing death until the end of the [[Kali Yuga]]. It is said that one can hear him wailing at [[Night|nights]] in the [[Kurukshetra]] region.