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 Queen Draupadi from each of the five Pandavas. They are Prativindhya, Sutasoma, Shrutakarma, Shatanika and Shrutasena.[1][2] They fought the battle on the side of the Pandavas, and all were single Rathis as said by Bhishma but not much is said in the Mahabharata about the brothers.

Prativindhya, Shatanika, Sutasoma, Shrutsena and Shrutkarma
In-universe information
FamilyDraupadi (Mother), Pandavas (Fathers) - Yudhishitra, Nakula, Bhima, Sahadeva and Arjuna respectively, Pandu (grandfather), Kunti (grandmother), Madri (grandmother)

The Upapandavas had an elder sister called Suthanu (the daughter of Yudhishthitira and Draupadi). After the Kurukshetra War, Suthanu was married to Satyabhama's eldest son Bhanu.[3]They also had many other brothers from their fathers. 3 of the other brothers took part in the War - Abhimanyu, Ghatotkacha and Iravan. All 8 of these brothers perished in the War.


On the 11th day, they together encountered Vrishasena, the son of Karna, and defeated but was rescued by Bhima.[4]

Prativindhya

Prativindhya was the eldest of the Upapandavas (IAST: Prativindhya, Sanskrit: प्रतविन्ध्य, lit. towards hunter or towards Vindhya) or Shrutavindhya (IAST: Śrutavindhya, Sanskrit: श्रुतविन्ध्य, lit. related to the Buddhi[5]) was born to Yudhishthira and Draupadi and was the eldest of the Upapandavas. In the Kurukshetra War, Prativindhya fought Shakuni.[6] On the 15th day, he stopped Ashwatthama's advance towards Dronacharya. He killed Chitra, a king of Abhisares, on the 16th day.[7]

Prativindhya had a son, Yaudheya, but he could not succeed Yudhishthira as he inherited his maternal kingdom.[8]

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 youngest in the Kurukshetra War is also nominated as a deputy commander-in-chief of forces under Dhrishtadyumna, in charge of Vyuha planning.[9] He massacred the army of Kaurava ally Bhutakarma, as well as Bhutakarma.[10]Shatanika also defeated Jayatsena, one of the kings of Magadha. Shatanika also killed the prince of Kalinga.

Sutasoma

Sutasoma (Sanskrit: सुतसोम, lit one who has extracted soma or manifestation of the mind[11]) was son of Bhima and Draupadi, third of the Upapandavas. He combatted 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 Dronacharya. He played a major role along with Yudhishthira and other Upapandavas in holding off Arjuna and Bhima on the 15th day.[12]

Shrutsena

Shrutsena also known as Srutsena 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 on the 14th day of the war.[13] He also killed Dushasana's son in the war, thus avenging his cousin Abhimanyu's death, in which Dushasana's son was involved.

Shrutakarma

Shrutakarma(n)[14](IAST: Śrutakarmā, Sanskrit: श्रुतकर्मा, 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,[15] the youngest of the Upapandavas. His horses were supposed to bear the colour of kingfishers.[16] He fought against Dushasana and Ashwathama in the battle. He killed King Chitrasena, another king of Abhisares, on the 16th day.[17][18]

Order of their birth

Draupadi had five sons. Their order of birth is

1. Prativindhya- Yudhishthira and Draupadi's son

2. Shatanika- Nakula and Draupadi's son

3. Sutasoma- Bhima and Draupadi's son

4. Srutsena- Sahadeva and Draupadi's son

5. Srutkarma- Arjuna and Draupadi's son

This is because after, Pandu had two queens Kunti and Madri so to balance both the generations, After Yudhishthira, who is the eldest son of Kunti. It is Nakula's turn, the eldest son of Madri to enter Draupadi's chambers. After him comes Bhima, second son of Kunti. After him comes Sahadeva, second son of Madri. After he comes, Arjuna last son of Kunti.

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, Ashwathama gathered the only other surviving Kaurava warriors - Kritavarma and Kripacharya, and attacked the Pandava camp on the 18th night of the Kurukshetra war. He killed Dhrishtadyumna, Shikhandi, and many other prominent warriors of the 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 Mahabharata, 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.

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. https://www.facebook.com/MahabharatKiGalatiyan/posts/questions-to-admin-22-or-24-or-even-26-avatars-of-vishnu-and-mahabharata-charact/514449218667965/
  4. http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m07/m07016.htm
  5. N.V., Thadani. The Mystery of the Mahabharata: Vol.4.
  6. https://books.google.co.in/books?id=BjP7CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA349&lpg=PA349&dq=subala+prativindhya+mahabharata&source=bl&ots=aRIbzE6zwn&sig=ACfU3U0a8k-sBVa8dL-iP72SA5koSx1frA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiT_tffvJ_qAhX_4zgGHcm9CCkQ6AEwBnoECAwQAQ#v=onepage&q=subala%20prativindhya%20mahabharata&f=false
  7. https://www.facebook.com/MahabharatKiGalatiyan/posts/chitrasena-chitrasena-who-art-thou-chitrasenathe-other-son-of-dhritrashtrachitra/663235267122692/
  8. https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/yaudheya
  9. Parmeshwaranand, Swami (2001). Encyclopaedic dictionary of Purāṇas (1st ed.). New Delhi: Sarup & Sons. ISBN 9788176252263.
  10. Parmeshwaranand, Swami (2001). Encyclopaedic dictionary of Purāṇas (1st ed.). New Delhi: Sarup & Sons. ISBN 9788176252263.
  11. N.V., Thadani. The Mystery of the Mahabharata: Vol.4.
  12. The Mahabharata. ISBN 9781451015799.
  13. Parmeshwaranand, Swami (2001). Encyclopaedic dictionary of Purāṇas (1st ed.). New Delhi: Sarup & Sons. ISBN 9788176252263.
  14. Roshen Dalal (2014). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin UK. ISBN 9788184752779.
  15. John Dececco, Devdutt Pattanaik (2014). The Man Who Was a Woman and Other Queer Tales from Hindu Lore. Routledge. ISBN 9781317766308.
  16. . ISBN 9781451018264. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. Ruth C. Katz (1989). Arjuna in the "Mahabharata": Where Krishna Is, There Is Victory. University of South Carolina Press. pp. 68. ISBN 9780872495425.
  18. https://www.facebook.com/MahabharatKiGalatiyan/posts/chitrasena-chitrasena-who-art-thou-chitrasenathe-other-son-of-dhritrashtrachitra/663235267122692/
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