Earlier, King Shantanu had found a pair of twins—a boy and a girl placed on a tiger skin. The king found that the children were abandoned in the forest. He also found that they are the children of a sage, since a trident and a pot is placed near them. Actually they were the children of sage Sharadwana and an Apsara called Janpadi. Shantanu named the twins, Kripa and Kripi and raised them in the palace itself. Kripa raised in the palace as a teacher. Bhishma appointed Kripa as the tutor of Pandavas and Kauravas in their younger ages; Whereas Kripi married Drona, who was the son of sage Bharadvaja. Drona and Kripi had a son named Ashwatthama.

Drona spent his youth in poverty, but studied vedas and martial arts such as archery together with the then prince of Panchala, Drupada. Drupada and Drona became close friends. But after years Drupada became the king of Panchala, but Drona was still going through poverty. He did not have a cow in his house. The Ashwatthama, son of Drona grew up without ever having tasted milk.

Unable to bear the poverty, Kripi convinced Drona to go to his childhood friend, Drupada and ask him for a cow. As per kripi’s advice, he went to his childhood friend Drupada, but Drupada burst out laughing and even said to drona that “you may be a childhood friend, but now the status of both of them were different and Friendship only exists among equals”. He even added that he can’t give cows in the name of friendship, but can give the cow as alms in charity. Drona was hurt with the words of Drupada. He stormed out of Panchala, with a determination in mind that one day he becomes equal to Drupada.