Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...

ratha Ratha ( Proto-Indo-Iranian: ''*Hrátʰas'', Sanskrit: रथ, '; Avestan: ''raθa'') is also known as the Indo-Iranian term for a spoked-wheel chariot or a cart of antiquity. Harappan Civilisation The Indus Valley Civilization sites of Da ...

Draupadi Draupadi ( sa, द्रौपदी, draupadī, Daughter of Drupada), also referred to as Krishnaa, Panchali, and Yagyaseni, is the main female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata,'' and the common consort of the five Pandava brothe ...

ashram An ashram ( sa, आश्रम, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery in Indian religions. Etymology The Sanskrit noun is a thematic nominal derivative from the root 'toil' (<

Yudhishthira ''Yudhishthira'' ( Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर, IAST: ''Yudhiṣṭhira'') is the eldest among the five Pandava brothers. He is mentioned in the ancient epic Mahabharata. He was sired by King Pandu of the Kuru Dynasty and his fir ...

then ordered his younger brothers to rescue Draupadi. They rushed in their chariots towards Jayadratha and his host with great fury and started to slay all of his soldiers. When Jayadratha, the King of Sindhu, saw that his warriors were slain, he became anxious, and in confusion, leaving Draupadi there, fled for his life. Yudhishthira returned with Draupadi while commanding his brothers to pursue Jayadratha but not kill him. On learning that the enemy was a full two miles ahead of them, Arjuna uses a divine weapon to kill Jayadratha's horses. Bhima seized Jayadratha by his hair, slammed him on the ground with violence, and started to kick him on his head until Arjuna reminds him of Yudhishthira's words. Suppressing his wrath,

Bhima In Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bhima ( sa, भीम, ) is the second among the five Pandavas. The '' Mahabharata'' relates many events that portray the might of Bhima. Bhima was born when Vayu, the wind god, granted a son to Kunti and Pandu. ...

shaves the hair of the prince's head, leaving five tufts in as many places. Thrusting him in a chariot in chains, they returned to their other brothers and asked Draupadi for Jayadratha's fate. Draupadi, thinking of her sister-in-law, suggests that he was already treated like a

slave Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

and so should be released as an act of mercy. So bowing down to the merciful Yudhishthira, Jayadratha returned to his capital.

Kurukshetra war

The Pandavas' nephew Abhimanyu battles the Kauravas and their allies

After his humiliation at the hands of

Pandavas The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledge ...

, Jayadratha gave control of his kingdom to his wife and did severe penance towards

Lord Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one o ...

. Pleased with his austerities, Shiva appears before him and grants him a boon. Jayadratha asks for the ability to defeat all five Pandavas. However, Shiva told him that this was impossible. Still, Jayadratha implores him for any help in avenging himself. Reluctantly, Shiva grants him the boon that while he won't be able to defeat the Pandavas, for one day, he will be able to check their advance. Saying these words, Shiva warns Jayadratha that even this boon couldn't hold Arjuna. Satisfied, Jayadratha returns to his kingdom. Two years later, Jayadratha fights on the side of his brother-in-law in the

Kurukshetra War The Kurukshetra War ( sa, कुरुक्षेत्र युद्ध ), also called the Mahabharata War, is a war described in the ''Mahabharata ( sa, महाभारत )''. The conflict arose from a dynastic succession struggle be ...

. At noon on the 1st day, he defeats King Drupada after a long duel. On the 11th day, he is defeated by Abhimanyu in a sword fight and is forced to flee. On the 13th day, when the

chakravyuha The Padmavyūha ( sa, पद्मव्यूह) or Chakravyūha ( sa, चक्रव्यूह) is a military formation used to surround enemies, depicted in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. It resembles a labyrinth of multiple defensive ...

is launched by

Dronacharya Droṇa ( sa, द्रोण, Droṇa), also referred to as Dronacharya ( sa, द्रोणाचार्य, Droṇācārya), is a major character of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he serves as the royal preceptor of the Kaura ...

, Arjuna's son

Abhimanyu Abhimanyu is a legendary warrior from the ancient Hindu history ''Mahabharata''. He was born to the third Pandava prince Arjuna and the Yadu princess Subhadra, who was Krishna's younger sister. The ''Sambhava Parva'' of the Adi Parva states ...

manages to enter the formation; he intends for the

Pandava The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledge ...

forces to follow after him and smash the formation from the inside. However, Jayadratha moves to close the gap, and Shiva's boon triggers as he is able to hold all of the Pandava brothers and their allies at bay. As part of the Kaurava strategy, Arjuna and

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is on ...

are busy battling Susharma and the Trigata Army elsewhere. With no aid, Abhimanyu is trapped and brutally killed by the Kaurava warriors. Abhimanyu's death is a gigantic blow to the Pandavas. In particular,

Draupadi Draupadi ( sa, द्रौपदी, draupadī, Daughter of Drupada), also referred to as Krishnaa, Panchali, and Yagyaseni, is the main female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata,'' and the common consort of the five Pandava brothe ...

,

Yudhishthira ''Yudhishthira'' ( Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर, IAST: ''Yudhiṣṭhira'') is the eldest among the five Pandava brothers. He is mentioned in the ancient epic Mahabharata. He was sired by King Pandu of the Kuru Dynasty and his fir ...

, and

Bhima In Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bhima ( sa, भीम, ) is the second among the five Pandavas. The '' Mahabharata'' relates many events that portray the might of Bhima. Bhima was born when Vayu, the wind god, granted a son to Kunti and Pandu. ...

feel very guilty for not killing Jayadratha when they did have the chance.

Arjuna Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among Panda ...

blames Jayadratha to be the cause for Abhimanyu's death and vows to kill him the very next day before sunset, vowing that if he fails he would immolate himself. This sets the stage for the epic 14th day of battle.

Arjuna's revenge

Dronacharya arranged a combination of 3 vyuhas in order to protect Jayadratha from Arjuna: The Shakata vyuha (the cart formation), the Suchimukha Vyuha (the needle formation), and finally the Padma Vyuha (the lotus formation).

Bhima In Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bhima ( sa, भीम, ) is the second among the five Pandavas. The '' Mahabharata'' relates many events that portray the might of Bhima. Bhima was born when Vayu, the wind god, granted a son to Kunti and Pandu. ...

,

Satyaki Yuyudhana ( sa, युयुधान, '), better known as Satyaki ( sa, सात्यकि, ), was a powerful Yadava chieftain of Narayani Sena, belonging to the Vrishni clan to which Krishna also belonged. According to the Puranas, he was ...

, and

Arjuna Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among Panda ...

tear through the Kaurava army. But as warrior after warrior collapses back to defend Jayadratha, it becomes clear that Arjuna couldn't reach him before sunset. At a climactic moment, with the sun nearly set and thousands of warriors still between Arjuna and Jayadratha,

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is on ...

sends his ''

Sudarshana Chakra Sudarshana Chakra (Sanskrit: सुदर्शन चक्र, lit. "disc of auspicious vision", IAST: Sudarśana Chakra) is a spinning, celestial discus with 108 serrated edges, attributed to Vishnu and Krishna in the Hindu scriptures. The Su ...

'' in order to mask the sun and create an illusion of sunset. The Kaurava warriors rejoice over Arjuna's defeat and look forward to his imminent suicide. Jayadratha is relieved that he was saved and comes out of the formation to mock Arjuna. Suddenly, the sun is free from the eclipse and

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is on ...

points at the hiding Jayadratha, telling Arjuna to sever his head and shoot it into the lap of Jayadratha's father. Arjuna quickly shoots a divine weapon at Jayadratha, decapitating him. Jayadratha's head is taken with the arrow far from the battlefield, finally landing on the lap of his father, Vridhakshatra. His father had been granted a boon that whosoever would be responsible for his son's severed head falling onto the ground would have his head burst into a hundred pieces. Therefore, when Vridhakshatra, horrified at having his son's head in his lap hurriedly got up, it fell to the ground, killing Vridhakshatra at the same moment.

Succession

Jayadratha is succeeded by his infant son Suratha. However, a few years later, after

Yudhishthira ''Yudhishthira'' ( Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर, IAST: ''Yudhiṣṭhira'') is the eldest among the five Pandava brothers. He is mentioned in the ancient epic Mahabharata. He was sired by King Pandu of the Kuru Dynasty and his fir ...

becomes the king, he performs the ashvamedha yagna. He sends an army to guard the horse, with

Arjuna Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among Panda ...

as the commander-in-chief. Arjuna soon marches towards Sindhu Kingdom, and when this news reaches the now-grown Suratha, he ends his life fearing that it will be impossible for him to face Arjuna. When Arjuna reaches Sindhu, he hears of what happened, and feeling bad for Dushshala, he installs Suratha's infant son as the next king of Sindhu and returns without a battle.

References

* {{Mahābhārata Characters in the Mahabharata

Etymology

Legend

Abduction of Draupadi

Kurukshetra war

Arjuna's revenge

Succession

References