Drupada
By Jit Majumdar
- firm footed
- pillar; coloum; monument
- the king of the Pāñcālas, who was the son of Pŗşata, and the father of Dhŗşţadyumna, Śikhandi, and Draupadī, and the father-in-law of the five Pāndavas through their marriage to Draupadī. He was a childhood friend of Droņa, who had insulted and refused to acknowlewdged the latter when he grew up became king, which resulted in abitter enemity between them, starting a cycle of revenge-and-retribution that ultimately led to Drupada’s death at the hands of Droņa in the Bharata War, followed by Droņa’s slaying by Dhŗşţadyumna, and ultimately the slaying of Dhŗşţadyumna, Śikhandi andf the five sons of Draupadī by Droņa’s son Aśvatthāmā in a nighttime stealth attack the day after the war ended.