The birth of Dronacharya, the Guru of the Pandavas and Kauravas in the Mahabharata, is very interesting. It would not be wrong to say that Dronacharya is the first test tube baby in the world. Rishi Bharadwaja is the father of Dronacharya and mother is an Apasara name Krithaji.
One evening Rishi Bharadwaja was getting ready to do his evening prayers. He went to the Ganga River to take his usual bath but was amazed to find a beautiful woman bathing at his usual spot in the river.On seeing Rishi Bharadwaja, the beautiful Apsara Krithaji got out of the Ganga River wearing a single loin cloth.
Rishi Bharadwaja was moved by the heavenly beauty of the Apsara. Suddenly the most unthinkable happened - Apsara Krithaji slipped on the banks of the river and the loin cloth slipped from her body.
Rishi Bharadwaja was overpowered by the moment and he involuntarily emitted his semen. The Rishi collected this sperm in a clay pot and stored it in a dark place in his Ashram. Drona was born in this pot.
Dronam means pot and Dronar is one who was born from the pot.