Dhrishtadyumna

Dhrishtadyumna (Sanskrit: धृष्टद्द्युम्न, dhṛṣṭadyumna, lit. he who is courageous and splendorous), also known as Draupada (Sanskrit: द्रौपद, lit. son of Drupada), was the son of Drupada and brother of Draupadi and Shikhandi. He was the commander of the Pandava army during the Kurukshetra War. Dhrishtadyumna killed Drona, the royal guru, when he was meditating which was against the rules of engagement.

Birth

The king of Panchala, Drupada undertook a yagna to obtain a son who could kill Drona. Drona had humiliated him while he was captured and presented to Drona as his Gurudakshina by the Pandavas. With the help of two Brahmanas Yaja and Upayaja, Drupada undertook the sacrifice. After the sacrificial offerings were made, Dhrishtadyumna emerged from the fire, a fully grown powerful young and armed man, together with his sister Draupadi. He was wearing the armour, and holding a sword when he was born. 

Even though he was the prophesied killer of Drona, he was accepted as a student by Drona, and he learned advanced military arts. When a suitor for his sister Draupadi was chosen in an archery competition-- a young Brahmin at her swayamvara--in front of all the princes and nobility, Dhrishtadyumna secretly followed the Brahmin and his sister, only to discover that the Brahmin was in fact Arjuna.

In the war

At the great battle of Kurukshetra, on the advice of Krishna and Arjuna, Dhrishtadyumna was appointed the commander of the Pandava army. As per Krishna's plan , Drona laid down his arms and sat in meditation after he heard from Yudhishthira that Ashwatthama was killed. Dhrishtadyumna took this opportunity and beheaded him.  

On the 18th night of the war, Ashwathama attacked the Pandava camp during the night, and killed Dhrishtadyumna. As Dhrishtadyumna begs for an honorable death, asking to die with a sword in his hand, Ashwathama ignores him, proceeding to beat and smother him to death.

on the 12th day of war

Dhrishtadyumna, the prince of the Panchalas, proceeded to the side of all those Panchala car-warriors whom Drona sought to crush. Thus no rule was observed as to the antagonist one might select for battling with him. The strife became dreadful. Heroes encountered heroes, uttering loud shouts Their foes could not make the Pandavas tremble. On the other hand, recollecting all their woes, the latter made the ranks of their enemies tremble. Though possessed of modesty, yet excited with rage and vindictiveness, and urged by energy and might, they approached that dreadful battle, reckless of their very lives for slaying Drona. That encounter of heroes of immeasurable energy, sporting in fierce battle making life itself the stake, resembled the collision of iron against adamant. The oldest men even could not recollect whether they had seen or heard of a battle as fierce as that which took place on this occasion. The earth in that encounter, marked with great carnage and afflicted with the weight of that vast host, began to tremble. The awful noise made by the Kuru army agitated and tossed by the foe, paralysing the very welkin, penetrated into the midst of even the Pandava host. Then Drona, coming upon the Pandava divisions by thousands, and careering over the field, broke them by means of his whetted shafts. When these were being thus crushed by Drona of wonderful achievements, Dhrishtadyumna, the generalissimo of the Pandava host, filled with rage himself checked Drona. The encounter that we beheld between Drona and the prince of the Panchalas was highly wonderful. It had no parallel.