Dhrishtadyumna

Dhrishtadyumna (Sanskrit: धृष्टद्युम्न, dhṛṣṭadyumna, meaning "daring [and having] splendor" or similar), also known as Draupada, was the son of Drupada and brother of Draupadi and Shikhandi in the epic Mahābhārata. He was the commander of the Pandava army during the great battle, and he killed Drona.

Birth

Dhristadyumna in Javanese Wayang

The king of Panchala, Drupada undertook a putrakami yagna, a sacrifice to please the gods and obtain offspring by their blessing. Drupada desired a son who could kill Drona who had humiliated him in battle and taken half his kingdom.

With the help of two brahmins, Drupada undertook the sacrifice. After his wife made the sacrificial offerings, Dhrishtadyumna emerged from the fire, a fully grown powerful young and armed man, together with his sister Draupadi. He already had martial and religious knowledge.

Even though he was the prophesied killer of Drona, he was accepted as a student by Drona, and he learns the advanced military arts.

In the war

When his sister Draupadi was won in an archery competition by a young brahmin at her swayamvara, a ritual by which a Royal Hindu Princess could choose her own husband in court, in front of all the princes and nobility. Dhristadyumna, Draupadi's brother secretly followed the brahmin and his sister, only to discover that the brahmin was in fact Arjuna, one of the five Pandava brothers.

At the great battle of Kurukshetra, on the advice of Krishna and Arjuna, Dhristadyumna was appointed the commander of the Pandava army.

The killing of Drona

At a point when Drona, as the Kuru commander was killing numbers of Pandava troops, Krishna advised Yudhisthira to adopt a plan to kill him. As it is known that as long as Drona has raised his weapons he is invincible to all other warriors, Krishna advised that it be proclaimed that Drona's son, Ashwathama had just died in the battle. It is known that out of the grief of such an eventuality, Drona will at least temporarily drop his arms.

Krishna justified this lie to Yudhisthira as necessary to the victory of morality in the war. As Yudhisthira hesitated, his brother Bhima killed an elephant in the Kuru army named Ashwathama and celebrated, shouting "Ashwathama is dead! Ashwathama is dead!".

Shocked with disbelief when the news reaches him, Drona sought out Yudhisthira to ascertain the news, believing that he would never speak a lie. Yudhisthira told him that Ashwathama is dead, but muttered "(I wonder) whether the man or the elephant...." ( Aswathama Hatah... naro waa Kunjarovaa) in an inaudible voice to prevent telling a whole lie or as another version tells us that he said it equally loud but Krishna had planned to blow his conch at that exact moment so that Drona is unable to hear that part.

Now convinced, Drona laid down his arms and sat in meditation. Dhristadyumna took this opportunity, and beheaded him.

Death

After the killing of Drona, Dhristadyumna was abused by Satyaki and Arjuna, who were devoted students of Drona, but was defended by Krishna.

After the war was over, Ashwathama attacked the Pandava camp during the night, killing Dhristadyumna among others in revenge.