Gita 01.18 The Pandavas lost Pandu but gained Drupada as a father figure

 

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drupado draupadeyāś ca

sarvaśaḥ pṛthivī-pate

saubhadraś ca mahā-bāhuḥ

śaṅkhān dadhmuḥ pṛthak pṛthak 

 

Word-for-Word:

drupadaḥ — Drupada, the King of Pāñcāla; draupadeyāḥ — the sons of Draupadī; ca — also; sarvaśaḥ — all; pṛthivī-pate — O King; saubhadraḥ — Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadrā; ca — also; mahā-bāhuḥ — mighty-armed; śaṅkhān — conchshells; dadhmuḥ — blew; pṛthak pṛthak — each separately.

 

Translation:

Drupada, the sons of Draupadī, and others, O King, such as the mighty-armed son of Subhadrā, all blew their respective conchshells.

 

Explanation:

Sañjaya continues the description of specific Pāṇḍava warriors who are blowing their conches in response to Bhīṣma’s signaling the beginning of hostilities by blowing his conch, followed by other Kauravas also blowing their conches.

 

The people mentioned here are Drupada and Draupadeya—a clever play on words in this verse. Drupada is the grandfather, while Draupadeya refers to his grandsons, the sons of Draupadī. Draupadī had five sons, one from each of her husbands, the Pāṇḍavas. They were all great kings (sarvaśaḥ pṛthivī-pate). Additionally, Saubhadraś ca mahā-bāhuḥ refers to Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadrā, who was especially heroic.

 

The words “śaṅkhān dadhmuḥ pṛthak pṛthak” apply to the previous two verses as it represents a continuous thought expressed here. This verse highlights the vast number of people fighting in the war, spanning three generations of warriors. By examining the words “Drupada” and “Draupadeya,” we can appreciate the poetic beauty of the Bhagavad-gītā, where the phonetic similarity of these words also emphasizes the familial bond between the grandfather and his grandsons. Moreover, the battlefield included warriors from even older and younger generations, all assembled to fight.

 

It is interesting to note that when the war took place, it was not just a small regional conflict; it was a massive war involving the strongest forces across the universe. As they fought, all participants recognized that life itself is complex. For the Kṣatriyas, choosing sides in this battle was difficult. At one level, most of them agreed that the Pāṇḍavas’ cause was more virtuous. However, during those times, alliances were often solidified by intertwining bloodlines with political ties. This meant that when two kingdoms formed an alliance, they would arrange the marriage of a son or daughter, thereby strengthening their bond. While this was a significant factor, it was not the only one.

 

In this case, Draupadī, the daughter of Drupada, was also the Pāṇḍavas’ queen, so naturally, Drupada’s support was fully with the Pāṇḍavas. After the Pāṇḍavas completed their exile, including their incognito year in Virāṭa, Drupada immediately came to meet them, and they had detailed discussions. The Pāṇḍavas held Drupada in high regard, respecting him as a father figure, and Drupada strongly believed that the Pāṇḍavas needed to stake their claim. However, there was no response from the Kauravas even after the exile was over. The Pāṇḍavas were staying in the Kingdom of Virāṭa, and Drupada also came there because Abhimanyu was married to Uttarā. During this time, Drupada discussed the situation with the Pāṇḍavas and sent his own brāhmaṇa priest to deliver a strong message to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, reminding him to honor the agreement that the Pāṇḍavas would regain their kingdom after their 13-year exile. When the Kauravas refused to return the kingdom, war became inevitable.

 

Drupada is a prominent figure in the Mahābhārata for multiple reasons. He was notably mentioned earlier by Duryodhana to antagonize Droṇa, as there were longstanding tensions between Droṇa and Drupada. Eventually, Droṇa killed both Drupada and Virāṭa. Drupada fought fiercely in the battle, and later, his son Dhṛṣṭadyumna fulfilled the destiny for which he was born by killing Droṇa.

 

Drupada is mentioned in this verse because he was a prominent figure on the Pāṇḍava side, both due to his age and his prowess. The Pāñcāla kingdom was a powerful kingdom at that time, and having Drupada as a powerful ally was important for the Pāṇḍavas once war became inevitable. Drupada had supported them for a long time, even before Arjuna won Draupadī’s hand in an archery competition. Long before that, Drupada had witnessed the valor of the Pāṇḍavas, especially Arjuna, on the battlefield, and he had desired Arjuna as his son-in-law. He was immensely grief-stricken when he heard that the Pāṇḍavas had reportedly died in the fire at Vāraṇāvata, although lingering rumors persisted that they had survived and were living incognito. When Drupada arranged Draupadī’s svayaṁvara, he set the conditions in such a way that only Arjuna would be able to meet them. Arjuna was renowned worldwide as a champion archer, and the idea was that, even incognito, Arjuna would attend the svayaṁvara because an archery contest was something which he would naturally want to participate in. When Arjuna indeed won Draupadī’s hand, Drupada fully supported the Pāṇḍavas in reclaiming their rightful half of the kingdom.

 

For a father to see his daughter, whom he has cared for throughout her life and who is a royal princess, subjected to the immense austerities and anxieties of forest life, must have been very painful. At the same time, he would have felt proud of her dutifulness in staying by her husbands’ side even amidst such duress.

 

Hence, when he saw that the Pāṇḍavas were still being deprived of their rights, Drupada felt deeply incensed, as a lot was personally at stake for him. It was not merely a matter of political alliance with a particular group; he understood that the main rival to the Pāñcāla kingdom at that time was the Kuru kingdom. Under the Pāṇḍavas, the Kuru kingdom would become far more powerful than it was under the Kauravas. The Kauravas were not loved by anyone; they were feared and used by others depending on the shifting political winds. Drupada knew that if the Pāṇḍavas came to power, he might have to pay tribute to them, as he had earlier when Yudhiṣṭhira performed the Rājasūya-yajña. Although Drupada’s might was no match for the Pāṇḍavas, he was concerned about the well-being of his daughter, the cause of dharma, and his own political position. He also knew that Duryodhana might attack him, as Duryodhana had nothing to lose, whereas the Pāṇḍavas, who were related to him lovingly, would not. Thus, Drupada, with his full forces, was present on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra to assist the Pāṇḍavas. He also blew his conch shell with full determination, signifying his intent to fight fiercely on behalf of the Pāṇḍavas.

 

Thank you.