Encyclopedia for Epics of Ancient India

A - B - C - D - E - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - P - R - S - T - U - V - Y


Drupada

Read about Drupada at Wikipedia

DRUPADA. [Source: Dowson's Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology] King of Panchala and son of Prishata. Also called Yajnasena.

He was schoolfellow of Drona, the preceptor of the Kaurava and Pandava princes, and he mortally offended his former friend by repudiating his acquaintance. Drona, in payment of his services as preceptor, required his pupils to make Drupada prisoner. The Kauravas attacked him and failed, but the Pandavas took Drupada captive and occupied his territory. Drona spared his life and restored the southern half of his kingdom to him.

Drupada returned home burning for revenge, and, to procure it, he prevailed upon two Brahmans to perform a sacrifice, by the efficacy of which he obtained two children, a son and a daughter, who were called "the altar-born," because they came forth from the sacrificial fire. These children were named Dhrishtadyumna and Krishna, but the latter is better known by her patronymic Draupadi.

After she had chosen Arjuna for her husband at her swayamvara, and she had become, with Drupada's consent, the wife of the five Pandavas, he naturally became the ally of his sons-in-law. He took an active part in the great battle, and on the fourteenth day he was killed and beheaded by Drona, who on the following day was killed by Dhrishtadyumna, the son whom Drupada had obtained for wreaking his vengeance on Drona.

Besides the two children mentioned, Drupada had a younger son named Sikhandin and a daughter Sikhandini.


Modern Languages MLLL-4993. Indian Epics. Laura Gibbs, Ph.D. The textual material made available at this website is licensed under a Creative Commons License. You must give the original author credit. You may not use this work for commercial purposes. If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under a license identical to this one. No claims are made regarding the status of images used at this website; if you own the copyright privileges to any of these images and believe your copyright privileges have been violated, please contact the webmaster. Page last updated: October 16, 2007 12:22 PM