(Other names: Dhrustadyuman, Dhrustadyumna)
Dhristadyumna was the son of Panchal King Drupad and brother of Draupadi and Shikhandi. The king of Panchal, Drupad undertook a Putrakami Yagna, a sacrifice to please the gods and obtain offspring by their blessing.
Drupad desired a son who could kill Drona who had humiliated him in battle and taken half his kingdom.
With the help of two Brahmins, Drupad undertook the sacrifice. After his wife made the sacrificial offerings, Dhristadyumna emerged from the fire, a fully grown powerful young and armed man, together with his sister Draupadi. He already had martial and religious knowledge.
Even though he was the prophesied killer of Drona, he was accepted as a student by Drona, and he learnt the advanced military arts.
Dhristadyumna was believed to be a great warrior of his time. Guru Dronacharya and King Drupad were classmates.
After he became the King, Drupad had insulted poor Dronacharya.
To take the revenge of this, after teaching archery to Kauravas and Pandavas, Droncharya asked for an honorarium as a teacher to tie up Drupad and bring him in front of Drona.
Pandavas tied him up and brought him. Dhrustdhuman was very angry with this insult of his father and he became the enemy of Dronacharya.
In the war of Mahabharata, Dhristadyumna fought as the army chief on behalf of the Pandavas.
His father Drupad also fought from the side of the Pandavas. In the war, Drona killed Drupad.
Since then, Dhristadyumna had made up his mind to kill Dronacharya. During the war, when Dronacharya heard about his son Ashwathama’s death from Yudhishthir, he was sitting mused and flaccid. At that time Dhristadyumna beheaded him.
After the war of Mahabharata, one night, when Pandavas were not there in their camp, Dhrustdhruman and sons of the Pandavas were sleeping.
Ashwathama attacked their camp and killed Pandavas’ sons.
To take the revenge of the death of his father Dronoacharya, Ashwathama was red hot angry and so he crushed sleeping Dhrustdhruman and killed him.
