Word

Drupada

Sanskrit

द्रुपद

IAST

drupada

In General

The panchala King and father of Panchali. He was also called Yajnasena. During the great battle of Mahabharata Drupada was killed by Drona.

He conducted a yajna and accordingly,tTo him was born in a yajna panchali and Drishtadyumna to avenge the humiliation he suffered from Drona. Kurukshetra war was actually a war between Kuru kingdom and panchala kingdom with Drishtadyumna, son of Drupatha commanding one side of army.

Geneology: Puru - Janamejaya – Pracinvan – Pravira – Namasyu – Vitabhaya – Sundu – Bahuvidha – Sarhyati - Rahovadi – Raudrasva- Matinara - Santurodha - Dushyanta – Bharata - Suhotra – Suhota – Gala – Garda - Suketu - Brhatksatra - Hasti – Ajamidha – Nila - Santi -Susanti - Puruja - Arka – Bharmyasva – Pancala – Mudgala – Divodasa – Mitrayu - Prsata -Sudasa - Sahadeva – Somak - Drupada - Drishtadyumna , Panchali

Purana

Drupata and Dronna had their education at the hermitage of Bharadvaja and were very good friends. Drupata was anointed as King of Pancala immediately after education. Drona was a Brahmin from poor background and he did not get any appointment immediately after education and lead a poor mans life. When the son Asvatthama was born to Drona he find it difficult even to feed his son properly.

Once, the friends of Asvatthama mixed flour in water and made Asvatthama to drink it saying that it was milk. Asvatthama drank it without knowing that it was not milk. Thinking that he had become energetic by drinking milk he began to run with the other boys. At last they told him of the truth and teased him. Drona felt sorry for his misfortune and went to Drupada for help. But Drupata, now a king did not care to recognize him as a friend. Drona tried to remind him of their former friendship. But Drupada shunned him and said, "If I had friendship with you, it was to achieve certain ends. There is no friendship between the rich and the poor, the learned and the illiterate, the brave and the coward. So if there was any friendship at all it was not real. You, who are slow of brain ! Kings of high status cannot have friendship with such people especially the poor. A Brahmin learned in Vedas won't befriend a Brahmin who is not learned in Vedas, a man seated in a chariot cannot befriend a man who is not seated in a chariot and a King cannot befriend one who is not a King. So a friendship of bygone days is no friendship at all".

Drona felt humiliated and vowed to avench the insult. He approached Hastinapura for a job and instantly Bhishma appointed him as the teacher or martial arts for the Kauravas and Pandavas. With the new appointment Drowna grow bold. On the completion of the education course he asked his student to bring his bitter enemy, the Drupata tied by rope as gurudakshina. The company of Duryodhana went for the task first but got defeated by Panchala warriors. Then Arjuna went alone straight to Drupata, the other pandavas guarded him and in few second caught hold of Drupata and brought him before the guru.

Drona scorned Drupata "I have destroyed your country. Now you are at my mercy. Is not the former friendship a friendship?" Drupada requested that they should be friends in future. Accordingly Drupada was set free. The country of Pancala was divided into two, and giving Uttara Pancala to Drupada, Drona took Daksina Pancala. Thus because of the revenge of Drona, Drupada lost half of his kingdom.

Though Drona and Drupada were on friendly terms then, Drupada could not forget the defeat he had incurred at the hands of Drona. So, Drupada desired to have a son who would become powerful enough to take revenge on Drona. He began a yajna with help of two hermit brothers’ yaja and Upayaja who lived on the bank of the Ganges.

A boy and a girl arose from the sacrificial fire. The boy was named Dhrstadyumna and the girl was named Krisna ( Pancali) . There was a celestial voice that the boy would kill Drona when he grew up.

The marriage of Pancali: When Pancali grew up. Drupada wished to give her in marriage to Arjuna. But at that time the news was spread everwhere that all the Pandavas are burned to death by a fire in the house they had resided in a remote village. Actually when the lac-house Duryodhana built for pandava caught fire, the Pandavas had escaped by a tunnel and was hiding.

Drupada was desperate for the incidence but thought that, by any sheer luck Arjuna might have escaped death, he should be traced. So, he set certain very tricky archery tests in the Svayarhvara of his daughter Krishna.

Many princes including Duyodhana came but faild in the test. When Karna came up for the test, Krishna, the princess said that she don’t prefer a suta putra as husband; Karna got insulted and had this hatred for Panchali for the whole life.

At last the Pandavas appeared in the svayarmvara disguised as Brahmana youth. Arjuna came forward for the archery test and passed all the event. Then pandavas suddenly disappeared with Panchali. To make their mother Kunti surprised at the coming of Panchali. The Pandavas asked their mother from door that they got a precious gift and what to do with that. Kunti without knowing what the gift is, told their children to share the gift equally amoung them. Panchali thus become wife of all the Pandavas.

Drupata when sent his men in search for the his daughter and her husband found that she is living with the five Pandavas. Drupada did not like the idea of his daughter becoming the wife of more than one husband. Then Vyasa appeared there and informed Drupada of the previous births of the Pandavas and Pancali. Drupada was much pleased and he gave the Pandavas a good deal of wealth and offer to give any help them in their difficult time.