( The D in the beginning and end of this name is pronounced like 'th' in 'brother')
Drupada was one of the principal characters in the Mahaabhaarataham. He was son of Prishatha, the king of Paanchaala. He was a fellow to Drona as a student at hermit Agnivesha. During those days of friendship, he promised wealth to Drona but when Drona asked for pecuniary help during his rule, he illtreated him. That made Drona bear a grudge against him. Eventually Drona got him captive by his disciples Paandavas but let him free.
Drupada too wanted to pay Drona in the same coin and propitiated the Gods with sacrificial rites to beget a son Dhrishtadyumna to kill Drona and a daughter Droupadi to become wife to Arjuna. By that time, he received news that the Paandavas were burnt in the wax house. But he was sure that they were safe somewhere. He planned to attract them to the svayamvaram of his daughter. Accordingly, he devised a revolving fish-target mounted on a high mast and declared that his daughter would marry him who can hit the target aiming at its image in the water right under that. Paandavas attended the occasion in the guise of braahmanas and Arjuna won the test. He also defeated the jealous losers who got associated and attacked Drupada charging him with the blame of insulting them. Later , Drupada investigated the whatabouts of the winning braahmana and learnt that the winner was the very Arjuna of his choice. Drupada was pleased that he could have Arjuna as husband to his daughter. He was ready to give his daughter to him, but due to some mysterious reasons, he was to give Droupadi in marriage to all the Paandavas, not to Arjuna alone, upon being convinced by Vyaasa himself about its validity.
After the exile of the Paadavas, Drupada took the initiative of sending messengers to a number of kings for gaining their support to the paandavas. He also sent his priest to Dhritharaashtra for demanding half the kingdom for the paandavas. The effort, however didn't come to frution due to Dhritharaashtra's cunning partiality.
In the war, he was one of the seven generals on the Paandava-sde, while his son Dhrishtadyumna was the general-in-chief . His forces formed the major part of the paandavas. Drupada fought gallantly despite his old age but was killed by Drona on the 15 th day of the war. Dhrishtadyumna cut the throat of Drona when he laid the arms and went into meditation. Drupada's another son, Shikhandi, was shielding Arjuna when the latter shot Bheesma to fall to his arrows. Both Dhrishtadyumna and Shikhandi were latter killed by Drona's son Asvaththaama on the night of
18 th day when they were asleep.
"After praying to Naaraayana, Nara, Sarasvathi and Vyaasa, then one should read the Jayam."
DEDICATED TO MY DEAR NIECE VYSHNAVI KRISHNA