Upapandavas


In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, the Upapandavas, also known as Pandavaputras, Draupadeyas or Panchakumaras are the five sons born to Queen Draupadi from each of the five Pandavas. They are Prativindhya, Sutasoma, Shrutakarma, Shatanika and Shrutasena. They fought the battle on the side of the Pandavas, and all were Atirathis as said by Bhishma but not much is said in the Mahabharata about the brothers.
The Upapandavas had an elder sister Suthanu .
After the Kurukshetra War, Suthanu was married to Satyabhama's eldest son Bhanu. They 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 and were defeated by Vrishasena, the son of Karna, who is later rescued by Ashwatthama.
The Upapandavas, along with Abhimanyu, also battled demon king Alambusha.

Prativindhya

Prativindhya was the eldest of the Upapandavas or Shrutavindhya was born to Yudhishthira and Draupadi and was the eldest of the Upapandavas. He had an elder sister, Suthanu.
He was described to be a skilled fighter, known to face troops like "the thunder-wielding Shakra ".
In the Kurukshetra War, Prativindhya fought Shakuni.
On the 15th day, he stopped Ashwatthama's advance towards Dronacharya. He killed Chitra, a king of Abhisara, on the 16th day.

Sutasoma

was son of Bhima and Draupadi, second of the Upapandavas. He had a sister, Samyukthana. He was excelled in Mace fighting like his father. 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.

Shatanika

Shatanika was born to Nakula and Draupadi. He had a sister, Printha. He was the third 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. He was skilled in Sword-fighting like his father. He massacred the army of Kaurava ally Bhutakarma, as well as Bhutakarma. Shatanika also defeated Jayatsena, one of the Kauravas. Shatanika also killed the prince of Kalinga.

Shrutsena

Shrutsena also known as Srutsena was born to Sahadeva and Draupadi and the fourth of the Upapandavas. He had a sister, Sumithra. He was Axe fighter like his father. 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. 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 or Shrutakirti was the son born to Arjuna and Draupadi, the youngest of the Upapandavas. He had two sisters, Pragya and Pragathi. His horses were supposed to bear the colour of kingfishers. He was a capable archer like his father. He fought against Dushasana and Ashwathama in the battle. He killed King Chitrasena, another king of Abhisara, on the 16th day.

Order of their birth

had five sons. Their order of birth was not same as that of their fathers, as there is a slight change -
1. Prativindhya- Yudhishthira and Draupadi's son
2. Sutasoma - Bhima and Draupadi's son
3. Shatanika - Nakula and Draupadi's son
4. Shrutasena - Sahadeva and Draupadi's son
5. Shrutakarma - Arjuna and Draupadi's son
This is because, the first 4 children of Draupadi were born during the 12 year-exile of Arjuna, so, after begotting sons from the first 2 brothers, it is Nakula's turn to enter Draupadi's chambers in Arjuna's absence, and after him, comes Sahadeva. After Arjuna returns from his exile, he fathers his son Shrutakarma, from Draupadi.

Death

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.
Ashwatthama was eventually cursed by Krishna for his heinous act of mercilessly the young Upapandavas and the in-womb Parikshit, to be immortal with incurable bruises and ulcers.
In the Jataka tales version of the Mahabharata, Parikshit's mentors included both Sutasoma. Prativindhya, Shrutakarma, and Shatanika at least have definite longer lives in Jatakas.
Ashwatthama killed the sons of all Panadavas when they are sleeping after the win of war against Kauravas.

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