Ashwatthama is a character in the Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He was the son of Dronacharya, the teacher of the Pandavas and Kauravas. Ashwatthama fought on the side of the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra war and is known for his exceptional fighting skills and loyalty towards his friend Duryodhana. After the war, he was deeply humiliated by the Pandavas, and in revenge, he killed the five sons of the Pandavas and attempted to kill their unborn child. As a result, he was cursed by Krishna to wander the earth for eternity with a painful and festering wound on his forehead.