Dhrishtadyumna
| Dhrishtadyumna | |
|---|---|
| Mahabharata character | |
A folio from the Razmnama (Persian translation of the Mahabharata) depicting a youthful Dhrishtadyumna emerging from fire | |
| Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Title | Sarvasenapati |
| Weapon | Bow and arrows, sword |
| Family | |
| Children |
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| Origin | Kampilya, Panchala Kingdom |
Dhrishtadyumna (Sanskrit: धृष्टद्युम्न, romanized: Dhṛṣṭadyumna, lit. 'the courageous and splendid one') is a pivotal character in the ancient Hindu epic Mahabharata. He is the son of Drupada—the king of the Panchala kingdom—and the brother of Draupadi—the wife of the five Pandavas.
Dhrishtadyumna is born from a yajna (fire-sacrifice) organised by Drupada, who wanted a son capable of killing his enemy, Drona. When the Pandava prince Arjuna—disguised as a Brahmana—won the hand of Draupadi in marriage, Dhrishtadyumna realised his identity. In the Kurukshetra War, Dhrishtadyumna joins the Pandavas, and becomes the supreme commander-in-chief of the Pandava forces. On the fifteenth day of the war, he beheads Drona, fulfilling the mission of his birth.