Jayadratha

Family: Sindhu · Role: king of the Sindhu · First appears: Book II (The Bride's Choice) · IV. The Suitors

In Book II (The Bride's Choice) · IV. The Suitors, Jayadratha is named among the suitors seeking Draupadi, as a king famed for valour and sacred lore. In Book V (Woman's Love) · Introduction, he is a friend and ally of Duryodhan; while the Pandav brothers are away, he carries off Draupadi from the woods, but Yudhishthir, Bhima and Arjun pursue him, chastise him and rescue her.

In Book VIII (Fall of Bhishma) · I. Pandavs routed by Bhishma, Drupad advances against Jayadratha in battle. In Book IX (Fall of Drona) · I. Single Combat between Bhima and Salya, Jayadratha’s strike breaks against Abhimanyu’s buckler, and he flees to his car; Salya comes to his rescue. In Book IX (Fall of Drona) · III. Abhimanyu's Death, Jayadratha joins six warriors in surrounding Abhimanyu, who fights them alone and falls. Arjun then vows Jayadratha will die by the next sunset or Arjun will perish on a funeral pyre; in Book IX (Fall of Drona) · IV. Standards of the Kurus, Arjun kills him with a vengeful arrow.