Upapandavas

In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, the Upapandavas (IAST: Upapāṇḍava, Sanskrit: उपपण्डव, lit. junior Pandavas), also known as Pandavaputras (IAST: Pāṇḍavaputra, Sanskrit: पाण्डपुत्र, lit. sons of Pandavas) or Panchakumaras (IAST: Pañcakumāra, Sanskrit: पञ्चकुमार, lit. five sons) are the five sons born to Draupadi from each of the five Pandavas. They are Prativindhya, Shatanika, Sutasoma, Shrutasena and Shrutakarma.[1][2] They fought the battle on the side of the Pandavas, but not much is said in the Mahabharata about the brothers except for fleeting mentions during the battle. However all five of them were killed by Ashwathama on the night of the last day of the war.

Prativindhya

Prativindhya (IAST: Prativindhya, Sanskrit: प्रतविन्ध्य, lit. towards hunter or towards Vindhya) or Shrutavindhya (IAST: Śrutavindhya, Sanskrit: श्रुतविन्ध्य, lit. related to the Buddhi[3]) was born to Yudhishthira and Draupadi and was the eldest of the Upapandavas.

Shatanika

Shatanika (IAST: Śatānīka, Sanskrit: शतानीक, lit. he who has hundred troops) was born to Nakula and Draupadi. He was second of the Upapandavas. He was named after a famous Rajarshi in the Kuru lineage who had that name and he was considered to be an avatar of Visvadevas. He being the second oldest of the Upapandavas in the Kurukshetra War is also nominated as a deputy commander-in-chief of forces under Dhrishtadyumna, in charge of Vyuha planning.[4] He killed the Kaurava king / ally Bhutakarma.[5]

Sutasoma

Sutasoma (Sanskrit: सुतम, lit one who has extracted soma or manifestation of the mind[6]) was son of Bhima and Draupadi, third of the Upapandavas. He played a major role in the battle by nearly killing Shakuni. He played a major role along with Yudhishthira and other Upapandavas in holding off Arjuna and Bhima on the 15th day.[7]

Shrutakarma

Shrutakirti (IAST: Śrutavarma, Sanskrit: श्रुतवर्मा , lit. whose art is famous and well-heard) was born to Sahadeva and Draupadi and the fourth of the Upapandavas. In the Chatahurdi analysis of the Mahabharata, he was defeated by Shakuni during the battle; he killed Shala, the younger brother of Bhurishravas.[8]

Shrutakirti

Shrutakarma(n)[9](IAST: Śrutakarmā, Sanskrit: श्रुतक, lit. he whose deeds are famous) or Shrutakirti (IAST: Śrutakīrti, Sanskrit: श्रुतकीर्ति, lit. he whose fame is heard about) was the son born to Arjuna and Draupadi,[10] the youngest of the Upapandavas, he was born definitely after the Arjuna's return from adventures and would be very young at time of battle. His horses were supposed to bear the colour of kingfishers.[11] He fought against Dushasana and Ashwathama in the battle.

Ruth C. Katz notes that both Shrutakirti and Shrutakarman appear as different characters.[12]

Death

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

On the last night of the war after Duryodhana's death and Kaurava defeat, a Ashwathama gathered the only other surviving Kaurava warriors - Kritavarma and Kripacharya attacked the Pandava camp on the 18th night of the Kurukshetra war. He killed Dhrishtadyumna, Shikhandi, and many other prominent warriors of Pandava army while they were sleeping.

Ashwatthama killed all the five Upapandavas during their sleep. In some versions of the story, he believes them to be the five Pandava brothers; in others, he purposefully attacks the Pandavas' heirs in order to hurt the Pandavas emotionally.

In the Jataka tales version of the Mahabhartha, Parikshit's mentors included both Sutasoma. Prativindhya, Shrutakarma and Shatanika at least(who even in Sauptika Parva is shown as wounded not dead) have definite longer lives in Jatakas. In this version it is implied that Ashwathama killed other children, like:

Citations

  1. ↑ Menon, Ramesh (2006). The Mahabharata : a modern rendering. New York: iUniverse, Inc. ISBN 9780595401888.
  2. ↑ van Buitenen, J.A.B., ed. (1981). The Mahābhārata. Translated by van Buitenen (Phoenix ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226846644.
  3. ↑ N.V., Thadani. The Mystery of the Mahabharata: Vol.4.
  4. ↑ Parmeshwaranand, Swami (2001). Encyclopaedic dictionary of Purāṇas (1st ed.). New Delhi: Sarup & Sons. ISBN 9788176252263.
  5. ↑ Parmeshwaranand, Swami (2001). Encyclopaedic dictionary of Purāṇas (1st ed.). New Delhi: Sarup & Sons. ISBN 9788176252263.
  6. ↑ N.V., Thadani. The Mystery of the Mahabharata: Vol.4.
  7. ↑ The Mahabharata. ISBN 9781451015799.
  8. ↑ Parmeshwaranand, Swami (2001). Encyclopaedic dictionary of Purāṇas (1st ed.). New Delhi: Sarup & Sons. ISBN 9788176252263.
  9. ↑ Roshen Dalal (2014). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin UK. ISBN 9788184752779.
  10. ↑ John Dececco, Devdutt Pattanaik (2014). The Man Who Was a Woman and Other Queer Tales from Hindu Lore. Routledge. ISBN 9781317766308.
  11. ↑ . ISBN 9781451018264. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ↑ Ruth C. Katz (1989). Arjuna in the "Mahabharata": Where Krishna Is, There Is Victory. University of South Carolina Press. p. 68.
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