Draupadeyas
{{short description|Sons of Pandavas and Draupadi in the Hindu epic Mahabharata}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2016}}
Draupadeyas ({{langx|sa|द्रौपदेयाः|draupadeyāḥ|sons of Draupadi}}) are the five sons of Queen Draupadi from each of the five Pandavas in the Hindu epic Mahabharata.{{Cite book |last=Sørensen |first=Søren |url=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 |title=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 |date=1904 |publisher=Williams & Norgate |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Brodbeck |first=Simon Pearse |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/The_Mahabharata_Patriline/wapBDgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=draupadeyas&pg=PT199&printsec=frontcover |title=The Mahabharata Patriline: Gender, Culture, and the Royal Hereditary |date=2017-03-02 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-351-88630-7 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Institute |first=Bhandarkar Oriental Research |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Annals_of_the_Bhandarkar_Oriental_Resear/rGljAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=draupadeyas&dq=draupadeyas&printsec=frontcover |title=Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona |date=1994 |publisher=The Institute |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Katz |first=Ruth Cecily |url=http://archive.org/details/arjunainmahabhar0000katz |title=Arjuna in the Mahabharata : where Krishna is, there is victory |date=1989 |publisher=Columbia, S.C. : University of South Carolina Press |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-87249-542-5 |pages=60}} They are Prativindhya, Sutasoma, Shrutakarma, Shatanika and Shrutasena.{{cite book |last=Menon |first=Ramesh |title=The Mahabharata : a modern rendering|year=2006|publisher=iUniverse, Inc.|location=New York|isbn=9780595401888}} They were Maharathis, as mentioned by Bhishma, and fought the Kurukshetra War on the side of the Pandavas and slew many enemy warriors. They were as ferocious as their fathers but other than that, not much is said in the Mahabharata about the brothers. They were very strong and they were only defeated by remarkably few Kaurava warriors.{{cite book |title=The Mahābhārata|url=https://archive.org/details/mahabharata03buit|url-access=registration|year=1981|publisher=University of Chicago Press|location=Chicago|isbn=9780226846644|edition=Phoenix|editor=van Buitenen, J.A.B. |translator=van Buitenen}}
They had half and full paternal brothers, 3 of whom - Abhimanyu, Ghatotkacha and Iravan, also fought in the War. All 8 of these brothers perished in the battle. The Draupadeyas, along with Abhimanyu, also battled the demon king Alambusha.
Prativindhya
Prativindhya ({{IAST3|Prativindhya}}, {{langx|sa|प्रतिविन्ध्य}}, lit. shining like the sun or towards Vindhya) or Shrutavindhya ({{IAST3|Śrutavindhya}}, {{langx|sa|श्रुतविन्ध्य}}, lit. related to the Buddhi{{cite book|last=N.V.|first=Thadani|title=The Mystery of the Mahabharata: Vol.4}}) was son of 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)".{{Cite web|url=http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/mbh:prativindhya|title=Prativindhya - AncientVoice}} In the Kurukshetra War, Prativindhya fought Shakuni.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BjP7CwAAQBAJ&q=subala+prativindhya+mahabharata&pg=PA349|title=Mahabharata Book Six (Volume 1): Bhishma|date=October 2016|isbn=9781479852123}} On the 9th day, Prativindhya struck Alambusha unconscious. He also rescued his father Yudhishtira 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.{{cite web | url-access=limited |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/440861902693364/663235267122692 |archive-date = 2022-04-30| url = https://www.facebook.com/MahabharatKiGalatiyan/posts/chitrasena-chitrasena-who-art-thou-chitrasenathe-other-son-of-dhritrashtrachitra/663235267122692/ |title = The Real Mahabharat of Sage Vyasa on Facebook |website=Facebook}}{{cbignore}}{{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}}
According to the Matsya Purana, Yuddhishtira 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
{{IAST|Sutasoma}} ({{langx|sa|सुतसोम}}, lit. one who has extracted soma or the one who has the beauty of the moon{{cite book|last=N.V.|first=Thadani|title=The Mystery of the Mahabharata: Vol.4}}) was son of Bhima and Draupadi, second of the Draupadeyas. He also handled the troops in the war. He excelled in Mace fighting and archery. He battled the Kaurava prince Vikarna on the first day of the war. He played a major role in the battle by nearly killing Shakuni. Sutasoma, on the 12th day, stopped the advance of the mighty Kaurava Vivismati, towards Drona. He also battled some of the Kauravas on the 14th night, accompanied by his half-brother Prativindhya.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m07/m07165.htm|title = The Mahabharata, Book 7: Drona Parva: Ghatotkacha-badha Parva: Section CLXVIII}} He played a major role along with Yudhishthira and other Draupadeyas in holding off Dushasana and the other Kauravas on the 15th day.{{cite book|title=The Mahabharata|isbn=9781451015799|last1=Roy|first1=Pratāp Chandra|date=14 June 2015}}
Shatanika
Shatanika ({{IAST3|Śatānīka}}, {{langx|sa|शतानीक}}, lit. he who has hundred troops) was the son of Nakula and Draupadi. He was the third of the Draupadeyas. He was named after a famous Rajarshi in the Kuru lineage who was considered to be an avatar of Visvedevas. He was nominated as a deputy commander-in-chief under his maternal uncle and teacher Dhrishtadyumna, in was charge of Vyuha planning.{{cite book|last=Parmeshwaranand|first=Swami|title=Encyclopaedic dictionary of Purāṇas|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_6F0ZIBIL2ZAC|year=2001|publisher=Sarup & Sons|location=New Delhi|isbn=9788176252263|edition=1st}} He was the strongest among the Draupadeyas. He massacred the army of Kaurava ally Bhutakarma, as well as Bhutakarma.{{cite book|last=Parmeshwaranand|first=Swami|title=Encyclopaedic dictionary of Purāṇas|year=2001|publisher=Sarup & Sons|location=New Delhi|isbn=9788176252263|edition=1st}} Shatanika also defeated Kaurava prince Dushkarna on the 6th day. On the 11th day he defeated by Karna’s son Vrihasena.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/mahabharata/d/doc118436.html|title = The Fifth and Sixth Days of the Great Battle [Chapter 6]|date = 9 January 2015}} He defeated the Kauravas Jayatsena, Chitrasena and Shrutakarman and killed a prince of Kalinga. Shatanika caused huge destruction of the Kaurava army on the 17th day too.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RWQ-AAAAQBAJ&q=shatanika+bhojas&pg=PT295|title = The Mahabharata: Volume 7|date = June 2015|isbn = 9788184759440}}
Shrutasena
Shrutsena ({{IAST3|Śrutasena}}, {{langx|sa|श्रुतसेन}}, lit. the commander of the army of celestials) was son of 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 on the 14th day of the war.{{cite book|last=Parmeshwaranand|first=Swami|title=Encyclopaedic dictionary of Purāṇas|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_6F0ZIBIL2ZAC|year=2001|publisher=Sarup & Sons|location=New Delhi|isbn=9788176252263|edition=1st}}, He fought with other warriors like Dushmanara and Durmukha and defeated them. He also killed the son of Kaurava warrior Devavraddha.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/shrutakarma|title=Shrutakarma, Śrutakarmā: 3 definitions|date=21 September 2015}}
Shrutakarma
Shrutakarma ({{IAST3|Śrutakarma}}, {{langx|sa|श्रुतकर्म}}, lit. he who is known for his good deeds) was the son of Arjuna and Draupadi,{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ky3GBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT154 | title=The Man Who Was a Woman and Other Queer Tales from Hindu Lore | publisher=Routledge | author=John Dececco, Devdutt Pattanaik | year=2014 | isbn=9781317766308}} and the youngest of the Draupadeyas. His horses were supposed to bear the colour of kingfishers.{{cite book|title=The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa | year=2012 |isbn=9781451018264}} He was a capable archer like his father and defeated Kamboja ruler Sudakshina on the first day. He also defeated the Kaurava Jayatsena on the 6th day.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/mahabharata/d/doc118436.html|title = The Fifth and Sixth Days of the Great Battle [Chapter 6]|date = 9 January 2015}} He fought against Dushasana and Ashwathama 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
{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2017}}
File:Arastthaman propitiates Śiva before making a night attack on the Pandava camp.jpg
On the last night of the war after Duryodhana's death and the Kauravas' defeat, Ashwathama gathered the only other surviving Kaurava warriors - Kritavarma and Kripacharya, and attacked the Pandava camp. He killed Dhrishtadyumna and many other prominent warriors of the Pandava army while they were sleeping or tried to fight him back.
Ashwatthama killed all the Draupadeyas who were awake by then along with Shikhandi when they came out of their chambers after hearing
the screams of other soldiers to fight Ashwatthama. 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 in order to hurt the Pandavas emotionally by destroying their lineage.
Ashwatthama was eventually cursed by Krishna for his heinous act of attempting to kill the baby 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.