# Draupadeyas

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Sons of Pandavas and Draupadi in the Hindu epic Mahabharata

***Draupadeyas*** ([Sanskrit](/source/Sanskrit_language): द्रौपदेयाः, [romanized](/source/Romanization_of_Sanskrit): *draupadeyāḥ*, [lit.](/source/Literal_translation) 'sons of Draupadi') is a [matronymic](/source/Matronymic) term referring to the five sons of [Draupadi](/source/Draupadi)—Prativindhya, Sutasoma, Shrutakarma, Shatanika, and Shrutasena—who are characters in the ancient Hindu epic, the *[Mahabharata](/source/Mahabharata)*. Each of these sons was born to Draupadi through one of the five [Pandava](/source/Pandava) brothers, making them half-brothers to one another.[1][2][3][4][5] The Draupadeyas are portrayed as valorous warriors, described as *Maharathis*, or great chariot-warriors. They align themselves with the Pandavas during the [Kurukshetra War](/source/Kurukshetra_War), where they are said to have slain numerous enemy combatants. While the text attributes to them the strength and ferocity of their fathers, the epic offers relatively limited individual characterisation for each of the brothers. Nonetheless, they are depicted as formidable figures on the battlefield, with only a select few warriors from the [Kaurava](/source/Kaurava) side shown as capable of overcoming them.[6]

## Prativindhya

Prativindhya ([IAST](/source/IAST): *Prativindhya*, [Sanskrit](/source/Sanskrit_language): प्रतिविन्ध्य, lit. *shining like the sun* *towards the [Vindhyas](/source/Vindhya_Range)*) or Shrutavindhya ([IAST](/source/IAST): *Śrutavindhya*, [Sanskrit](/source/Sanskrit_language): श्रुतविन्ध्य, lit. *related to the Buddhi*[7]) was son of [Yudhishthira](/source/Yudhishthira) and Draupadi and was the eldest of the Draupadeyas. He was described to be a skilled fighter, known to face troops like "the thunder-wielding Shakra ([Indra](/source/Indra))".[8] In the [Kurukshetra War](/source/Kurukshetra_War), Prativindhya fought [Shakuni](/source/Shakuni).[9] On the 9th day, Prativindhya struck Alambusha unconscious. He also rescued his father [Yudhishtira](/source/Yudhishthira) from Drona showing his courage.

On 12th day, he repelled Drona who was trying to capture Yudhishthira alive.

On 14th day, he killed Dushasana's son Durmasena, who had killed Abhimanyu and took revenge. On the 14th night, he fought some of the Kauravas along with Sutasoma. On the 15th day, he stopped Ashwatthama's advance by holding him off long enough but ultimately had to retreat from the battle after being overpowered by Ashwatthama. He killed Chitra, the king of Abhisara, on the 16th day.[10]

According to the Matsya Purana, Prativindhya had a son named Yaudheya from his first wife Subala, however he does not succeed Yudhishthira to the throne of Hastinapura as he inherits his maternal kingdom of Yaudheya.

## Sutasoma

**Sutasoma** ([Sanskrit](/source/Sanskrit_language): सुतसोम, lit. *one who has extracted* [soma](/source/Soma_(drink)) or *the one who has the beauty of the moon*[11]) was son of [Bhima](/source/Bhima) and Draupadi, second of the Draupadeyas. He also handled the troops in the war. He excelled in [Mace](/source/Gada_(mace)) fighting and archery. He battled the Kaurava prince [Vikarna](/source/Vikarna) on the first day of the war. He played a major role in the battle by nearly killing [Shakuni](/source/Shakuni). Sutasoma, on the 12th day, stopped the advance of the mighty Kaurava Vivismati, towards [Drona](/source/Drona). He also battled some of the Kauravas on the 14th night, accompanied by his half-brother Prativindhya.[12] He played a major role along with Yudhishthira and other Draupadeyas in holding off [Dushasana](/source/Dushasana) and the other Kauravas on the 15th day.[13]

## Shatanika

Shatanika ([IAST](/source/IAST): *Śatānīka*, [Sanskrit](/source/Sanskrit_language): शतानीक, lit. *he who has hundred troops*) was the son of [Nakula](/source/Nakula) and Draupadi. He was the third of the Draupadeyas. He was named after a famous Rajarshi in the [Kuru](/source/Kuru_kingdom) [lineage](/source/Lineage_(anthropology)) who was considered to be an avatar of [Visvedevas](/source/Visvedevas). He was nominated as a deputy [commander-in-chief](/source/Commander-in-chief) under his maternal uncle and teacher [Dhrishtadyumna](/source/Dhrishtadyumna), in was charge of Vyuha planning.[14] He was the strongest among the Draupadeyas. He massacred the army of Kaurava ally Bhutakarma, as well as Bhutakarma.[15] Shatanika also defeated Kaurava prince Dushkarna on the 6th day. On the 11th day he defeated by Karna’s son Vrihasena.[16] He defeated the Kauravas Jayatsena, Chitrasena and Shrutakarman and killed a prince of [Kalinga](/source/Kalinga_(Mahabharata)). Shatanika caused huge destruction of the Kaurava army on the 17th day too.[17]

## Shrutasena

Shrutsena ([IAST](/source/IAST): *Śrutasena*, [Sanskrit](/source/Sanskrit_language): श्रुतसेन, lit. *the commander of the army of celestials*) was son of [Sahadeva](/source/Sahadeva) and Draupadi and the fourth of the Draupadeyas; like his father he was smart and intelligent. In the Chatahurdi analysis of the Mahabharata, he was defeated by Shakuni during the battle; he killed Shala, the younger brother of [Bhurishravas](/source/Bhurishravas) on the 14th day of the war.[18] He fought with other warriors like Dushmanara and Durmukha and defeated them. He also killed the son of Kaurava warrior Devavraddha.[19]

## Shrutakarma

Shrutakarma ([IAST](/source/IAST): *Śrutakarma*, [Sanskrit](/source/Sanskrit_language): श्रुतकर्म, lit. *he who is known for his good deeds*) was the son of [Arjuna](/source/Arjuna) and Draupadi,[20] and the youngest of the Draupadeyas. His horses were supposed to bear the colour of kingfishers.[21] He was a capable [archer](/source/Archery) like his father and defeated Kamboja ruler [Sudakshina](/source/Sudakshina) on the first day. He also defeated the Kaurava Jayatsena on the 6th day.[22] He fought against [Dushasana](/source/Dushasana) and [Ashvathama](/source/Ashvatthama) in an archery duel in the battle and gave them a good fight. He killed King Chitrasena, another king of Abhisara, on the 16th day.

## Death

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Ashwatthama prays Shiva before making a night attack on the Pandava camp

On the last night of the war after [Duryodhana](/source/Duryodhana)'s death and the [Kauravas](/source/Kaurava)' defeat, [Ashvatthama](/source/Ashvatthama) gathered the only other surviving [Kaurava](/source/Kaurava) warriors - [Kritavarma](/source/Kritavarma) and [Kripa](/source/Kripa), and attacked the Pandava camp. He killed [Dhrishtadyumna](/source/Dhrishtadyumna) and many other prominent warriors of the Pandava army while they were sleeping or tried to fight him back.

[Ashvatthama](/source/Ashvatthama) killed all the Draupadeyas who were awake by then along with [Shikhandi](/source/Shikhandi) when they came out of their chambers after hearing the screams of other soldiers to fight [Ashvatthama](/source/Ashvatthama). In some versions of the story, he believes them to be the five Pandava brothers due to darkness; in others, he purposefully attacks the Pandavas' [heirs](/source/Inheritance) in order to hurt the Pandavas emotionally by destroying their lineage.

Ashwatthama was eventually cursed by [Krishna](/source/Krishna) for his heinous act of attempting to kill the baby [Parikshit](/source/Parikshit) in the womb of Uttara, to roam the world for 3000 years with loneliness, incurable bruises and ulcers.

In the Jataka tales version of the Mahabharata, Parikshit's mentors included Sutasoma. Prativindhya, Shrutakarma, and Shatanika at least (who even in Sauptika Parva is shown as wounded not dead) have definite longer lives in Jatakas.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Citations

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Sørensen, Søren (1904). [*An Index to the Names in the Mahabharata: With Short Explanations and a Concordance to the Bombay and Calcutta Editions and P. C. Roy's Translation*](https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/An_Index_to_the_Names_in_the_Mahabharata/c1ROAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=draupadeyas&pg=PA192&printsec=frontcover). Williams & Norgate.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Brodbeck, Simon Pearse (2 March 2017). [*The Mahabharata Patriline: Gender, Culture, and the Royal Hereditary*](https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/The_Mahabharata_Patriline/wapBDgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=draupadeyas&pg=PT199&printsec=frontcover). Routledge. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-351-88630-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-351-88630-7).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Institute, Bhandarkar Oriental Research (1994). [*Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona*](https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Annals_of_the_Bhandarkar_Oriental_Resear/rGljAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=draupadeyas&dq=draupadeyas&printsec=frontcover). The Institute.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Katz, Ruth Cecily (1989). [*Arjuna in the Mahabharata : where Krishna is, there is victory*](http://archive.org/details/arjunainmahabhar0000katz). Internet Archive. Columbia, S.C. : University of South Carolina Press. p. 60. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-87249-542-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-87249-542-5).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Menon, Ramesh (2006). *The Mahabharata : a modern rendering*. New York: iUniverse, Inc. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780595401888](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780595401888).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** van Buitenen, J.A.B., ed. (1981). [*The Mahābhārata*](https://archive.org/details/mahabharata03buit). Translated by van Buitenen (Phoenix ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780226846644](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780226846644).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** N.V., Thadani. *The Mystery of the Mahabharata: Vol.4*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Prativindhya - AncientVoice"](http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/mbh:prativindhya).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [*Mahabharata Book Six (Volume 1): Bhishma*](https://books.google.com/books?id=BjP7CwAAQBAJ&q=subala+prativindhya+mahabharata&pg=PA349). October 2016. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781479852123](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781479852123).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["The Real Mahabharat of Sage Vyasa on Facebook"](https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/440861902693364/663235267122692). *[Facebook](/source/Facebook)*. Archived from [the original](https://www.facebook.com/MahabharatKiGalatiyan/posts/chitrasena-chitrasena-who-art-thou-chitrasenathe-other-son-of-dhritrashtrachitra/663235267122692/) on 30 April 2022.[*[user-generated source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Identifying_reliable_sources#User-generated_content)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** N.V., Thadani. *The Mystery of the Mahabharata: Vol.4*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["The Mahabharata, Book 7: Drona Parva: Ghatotkacha-badha Parva: Section CLXVIII"](https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m07/m07165.htm).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Roy, Pratāp Chandra (14 June 2015). *The Mahabharata*. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781451015799](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781451015799).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Parmeshwaranand, Swami (2001). [*Encyclopaedic dictionary of Purāṇas*](https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_6F0ZIBIL2ZAC) (1st ed.). New Delhi: Sarup & Sons. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9788176252263](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9788176252263).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Parmeshwaranand, Swami (2001). *Encyclopaedic dictionary of Purāṇas* (1st ed.). New Delhi: Sarup & Sons. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9788176252263](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9788176252263).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** ["The Fifth and Sixth Days of the Great Battle \[Chapter 6\]"](https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/mahabharata/d/doc118436.html). 9 January 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** [*The Mahabharata: Volume 7*](https://books.google.com/books?id=RWQ-AAAAQBAJ&q=shatanika+bhojas&pg=PT295). June 2015. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9788184759440](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9788184759440).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** Parmeshwaranand, Swami (2001). [*Encyclopaedic dictionary of Purāṇas*](https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_6F0ZIBIL2ZAC) (1st ed.). New Delhi: Sarup & Sons. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9788176252263](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9788176252263).,

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** ["Shrutakarma, Śrutakarmā: 3 definitions"](https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/shrutakarma). 21 September 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** John Dececco, [Devdutt Pattanaik](/source/Devdutt_Pattanaik) (2014). [*The Man Who Was a Woman and Other Queer Tales from Hindu Lore*](https://books.google.com/books?id=Ky3GBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT154). Routledge. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781317766308](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781317766308).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** *The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa*. 2012. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781451018264](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781451018264).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** ["The Fifth and Sixth Days of the Great Battle \[Chapter 6\]"](https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/mahabharata/d/doc118436.html). 9 January 2015.

v t e Mahabharata Traditional author and narrators Vyasa Vaisampayana Ugrashrava Sauti Books (parvas) Adi Sabha Vana Virata Udyoga Bhishma Bhagavad Gita Drona Karna Shalya Sauptika Stri Shanti Anushasana Ashvamedhika Ashramavasika Mausala Mahaprasthanika Svargarohana Kingdoms and Tribes Kuru Hastinapur Indraprastha Kurukshetra Panchala Kampilya Ahichchhatra Anarta Dvaraka Gandhara Matsya Upaplavya Madra Kunti Magadha Chedi Kashi Kosala Sindhu Shalva Avanti Anga Kekaya Kalinga Vidarbha Pandya Trigarta Bahlikas Kambojas Yadavas Vrishni Bhoja Nishadas more Major Events Sarpa Satra Lakshagriha Svayamvara Mayasabha Rajasuya Vanavasa Ghoshyatra Ajnatavasa Kurukshetra War Vishvarupa Chakravyūha Ashvamedha Characters Pandava Alliance Pandavas Yudhishthira Bhima Arjuna Nakula Sahadeva Krishna Role in the Mahabharata Dhrishtadyumna Drupada Virata Satyaki Abhimanyu Shikhandi Dhrishtaketu Ghatotkacha Uttamaujas and Yudhamanyu Draupadeyas Yuyutsu Iravan Uttara Sahadeva Jayatsena Kaurava Alliance Kauravas Duryodhana Dushasana Vikarna 97 more Bhishma Drona Karna Shalya Ashvatthama Shakuni Kripa Jayadratha Kritavarma Bahlika Bhurishravas Bhagadatta Vinda and Anuvinda Susharma Sudakshina Shrutayudha Lakshmana Uluka Vrishasena Remaining Kuru Family Shantanu Satyavati Chitrangada Vichitravirya Ambika Ambalika Dhritarashtra Gandhari Pandu Kunti Madri Vidura Draupadi Subhadra Ulupi Chitrāngadā Babhruvahana Uttarā Parikshit Janamejaya Dushala Other notable Amba Balarama Chitrasena Deva Agni Ashvins Brahma Dharma Indra Shiva Surya Varuna Vayu Vishnu Dhaumya Durvasa Ekalavya Ganga Hanuman Hidimba Hidimbi Jarasandha Jatasura Kichaka Kindama Lomasha Narada Parashurama Purochana Rukmi Samvarana Sanjaya Satyabhama Shishupala Sudeshna Tapati Vyasa more Upakhyana (minor episodes) Nala Upakhyana Nala Damayanti Pushkara Rama Upakhyana Rama Sita Lakshmana Ravana Savitri Upakhyana Shakuntala Dushyanta Bharata Kanva Yayati Devayani Sharmishtha Madhavi Related Avatars Kingdoms Vedic era Epic-Puranic chronology Harivamsha Sarasvati River Category

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Draupadeyas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draupadeyas) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draupadeyas?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.