Drupada
Encyclopedia
Drupada also known as Yajnasena, is a character in the Mahābhārata
. He is king of the land of Panchala
.
In his youth he studies with, and becomes a friend of Drona
. Drupada makes him promise to share all his fortunes with him. Later, when Drupada becomes king of Panchaladesa, Drona reminds him of his promise and asks for wealth. Drupada mocks Drona for taking a promise made in their irresponsible days of youth. Deeply angered, Drona becomes the teacher of the Kuru princes of Hastinapura. After their education is complete, Drona asks them to defeat Drupada. In a surprise attack, Arjuna, the Pandava, disarms Drupada and forces him to surrender a part of his kingdom.
Drupada is father to the reborn Amba, who in her next reincarnation
took birth as a woman called Shikhandi
. Because Sikhandi remembered his previous birth as a woman he was sometimes known as Shikhandini.
In his quest to gain revenge on Drona, Drupada, with the aid of the devas
, fathers Draupadi
and Dhrishtadyumna, the latter finally killing Drona.Draupadi gets married to arjuna and finally the pandavs . Drupada himself is killed by Drona during the great Mahābhārata war.
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
. He is king of the land of Panchala
Panchala
Panchala is an ancient region of northern India, which corresponds to the geographical area around the Ganges River and Yamuna River, the upper Gangetic plain in particular. This would encompass the modern-day states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. During the ancient times, it was home to a...
.
In his youth he studies with, and becomes a friend of Drona
Drona
In the epic Mahābhārata, Drona or Dronacharya was the royal guru to Kauravas and Pandavas. He was a master of advanced military arts, including the Devastras. Arjuna was his favorite student. Dronas love for Arjuna was second only to his love for his son Ashwatthama...
. Drupada makes him promise to share all his fortunes with him. Later, when Drupada becomes king of Panchaladesa, Drona reminds him of his promise and asks for wealth. Drupada mocks Drona for taking a promise made in their irresponsible days of youth. Deeply angered, Drona becomes the teacher of the Kuru princes of Hastinapura. After their education is complete, Drona asks them to defeat Drupada. In a surprise attack, Arjuna, the Pandava, disarms Drupada and forces him to surrender a part of his kingdom.
Drupada is father to the reborn Amba, who in her next reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
took birth as a woman called Shikhandi
Shikhandi
Shikhandi is a character in the Hindu epic, the Mahābhārata. He was originally born as a girl child named 'Shikhandini' to Drupada, the king of Panchala...
. Because Sikhandi remembered his previous birth as a woman he was sometimes known as Shikhandini.
In his quest to gain revenge on Drona, Drupada, with the aid of the devas
Deva (Hinduism)
' is the Sanskrit word for god or deity, its related feminine term is devi. In modern Hinduism, it can be loosely interpreted as any benevolent supernatural beings. The devs in Hinduism, also called Suras, are often juxtaposed to the Asuras, their half brothers. Devs are also the maintainers of...
, fathers Draupadi
Draupadi
In the epic Mahābhārata, Draupadi, also known as ' is the "emerged" daughter of King Drupada of Panchāla and the wife of the five Pandavas. When Yudhisthira becomes the king of Hastinapura at the end of the war, Draupadi becomes the queen of Indraprastha...
and Dhrishtadyumna, the latter finally killing Drona.Draupadi gets married to arjuna and finally the pandavs . Drupada himself is killed by Drona during the great Mahābhārata war.