The Story of Yudhishthira's Son Prativindhya

The Story of Yudhishthira's Son Prativindhya:

Prativindhya was the son of Yudhishthira and Draupadi. He participated in the Ashwamedha and Rajasuya Yagnas and fought alongside Arjuna. Since childhood, he received war training directly from Krishna and Balarama. 

Let's delve into the tale of the mighty Prativindhya.

Among the Pandavas, Draupadi gave birth to five sons. Yudhishthira and Draupadi's son, Prativindhya, was a powerful warrior. Despite Duryodhana's attempt to destroy the Pandavas through the Lakshagraha, they survived and spent several years in exile. Later, Draupadi became the wife of all the Pandavas through her swayamvara.

One day, the sage Narada told the Pandavas that they could perform a special sacrifice for Draupadi's benefit. To fulfil this, Draupadi was to spend a year with each of the Pandavas. Since Yudhishthira was the eldest, he had the first right to spend time with her. Soon, they had a beautiful son. Brahmins predicted that the child would possess great knowledge of weaponry, comparable to the Vindhya mountain's expanse. Thus, he was named Prativindhya.

Rise of the King of Shakala:

Prativindhya grew up in Indraprastha. He received training in martial arts and became a skilled warrior. After their 13-year exile, Prativindhya and his four brothers attended Dwarka. There, he trained under the guidance of Krishna, Balarama, and others. Eventually, he was given a small kingdom in the northern region named Shakala, near present-day Sialkot, Pakistan.

Over the years, Yudhishthira decided to perform the Rajasuya Yagna. Arjuna's conquest of the northern kingdoms led to a clash with Prativindhya. In the ensuing battle, Prativindhya was defeated. On the 16th day of the Mahabharata war, Prativindhya faced Abhimanyu's son Abhisara and his army. Prativindhya was defeated and killed by him. The Pandavas mourned their brave son's loss.

The Marriage of Prativindhya:

Once, Prativindhya faced an ascetic woman named Subala. Her beauty captivated him, and he fell in love with her. He proposed marriage, and she agreed on one condition: if he lost to her in a debate, he would marry her. Prativindhya intentionally lost the debate, and they got married. Later, he married Saurana and had sons named Yaudheya, Jayanta, Avagha, and Sambala.

Participation in the Mahabharata War:

Prativindhya joined the Pandava forces in the Mahabharata War. He fought against Shakuni and Dushasana. Prativindhya's death came on the 16th day of the battle. He fought bravely but he was finally defeated and killed by Ashwathama, who mistook him for the Upapandavas.

This is the story of Prativindhya, a valiant warrior and the son of Yudhishthira and Draupadi, whose life was woven into the epic of the Mahabharata.