Drupada

Drupada
Upyaz showing his elder brother to Drupada
Information
Children	Shikhandi, Dhrishtadyumna and Draupadi

Drupada (Sanskrit: द्रुपद, lit. firm-footed or pillar), also known as Yajnasena (Sanskrit: यज्ञसेन, lit. father of Draupadi), is a character in the Mahābhārata. He was the king of the land of Southern Panchala. His capital was known as Kampilya. His father's name was Prishata.

Drupada, son of the king Prishata, and Drona studied together under the tutelage of Rishi Bhardwaja, Drona's father. They became great friends and Drupada assured Drona that once he became a king, he would share half of his kingdom with him. While Drupada became a king after the death of his father, Drona lived a life of poverty. Unable to feed his son, Drona approached Drupada for help. Drupada, now conscious of the difference of status between them, refused to acknowledge Drona's friendship and shunned Drona calling him a beggar. Drona was later employed by Bhishma to train the sons of Pandu and Dhritarashtra. After the military education of the Kauravas and the Pandavas ended, as his gurudakshina , Drona asked the princes to defeat and capture Drupada. The Pandavas, led by Yudhisthira and Arjuna(as he was a great archer and fighter), defeated Drupada, bound him in ropes and brought him to Drona. Drona set Drupada free, but retained half of the kingdom that had been promised to him. Humiliated Drupada sought vengeance against Drona, but he realized that he could not match Drona's might. So, Drupada performed a great yajna called Putrakameshti yajna (vedic ritual of fire sacrifice) to beget a son who could slay Drona. From the fire of the yajna, twins Dhrishtadyumna and Draupadi were born. Years later, in the Mahabharata war, Dhrishtadyumna beheaded Drona.