Śatānīka, son of Nakula

Śatānīka was the son of Nakula by Draupadī. He was the fourth of the five upapāṇḍavas, the five sons born to Draupadī, one by each of her five Pāṇḍava husbands.

Aśvatthāmā killed him in the night raid of the Sauptika, when Aśvatthāmā entered the sleeping Pāñcāla camp. Śatānīka fought back with a chariot wheel, but Aśvatthāmā dodged it and cut off his head with a sword. Another warrior has the same name, Śatānīka, the relative of Virāṭa. He is a different person.

Who he was

Śatānīka was one of the five sons born to Draupadī, one from each Pāṇḍava husband. He was Nakula’s son by Draupadī. Like his four brothers, he grew up among the great Pāñcāla warriors, was trained in weapons, and fought on the Pāṇḍava side at Kurukshetra. His four brothers were:

  • Prativindhya, son of Yudhishṭhira
  • Sutasoma, son of Bhīmasena
  • Śrutakarmā, son of Arjuna
  • Śrutakīrti, son of Sahadeva

These five were among the most able of the younger warriors. They had come through the hard days at Kurukshetra, including the battles under Bhīshma, Droṇa and Karṇa.

Death in the Sauptika

The night after Duryodhana fell in the gadāyuddha (mace duel), Aśvatthāmā entered the sleeping Pāñcāla camp. He was filled with the āveśa (entering power) of Bhagavān Śiva and carried a divine sword. The sounds of killing woke the upapāṇḍavas. They armed themselves quickly and rushed to face the intruder.

Śatānīka acted fast. He seized a ratha-cakra (chariot wheel), a heavy weapon made on the spot. He swung it with both arms and hurled it at Aśvatthāmā’s chest with all his strength. Aśvatthāmā dodged the wheel. As it passed, he stepped close, brought his sword down and cut off Śatānīka’s head. This is told in the Sauptika Parva of the Mahābhārata, Chapter 8.

All five sons of Draupadī died in this one night. Their deaths were the heaviest blow of all the losses of the war for Draupadī. The news of their deaths made her demand the maṇi (jewel) of Aśvatthāmā, or else her own death. This is told in the Sauptika Parva, Chapters 8 and 11.

Sources

  • Mahābhārata, Sauptika Parva, Chapter 8
  • Mahābhārata, Sauptika Parva, Chapter 11