Women in Mahabharata - Prishati
Her real name is unfortunately not recorded in the epic. She is conventionally referred to as Prishati, though her marital name can also be written as Draupadini/Paarshatini.
When Shikhandi is born as a girl to her, she lies to the public, with only her husband in confidence, that she has given birth to a boy. She hides the secret all the way up until it comes out, rather dramatically, after Shikhandi is married to the princess of Dasarna.
She is late to the alter of the yajna that Drupada performs in order to get a son that would slay Drona, and the twins Dhrishtadyumna and Draupadi 'pop out of the fire' itself. She requests Yaaja, the ritwika of the yajna, to issue a mandate that the twins must address her as their mother thereafter.
She also has other sons such as Satyajita, Uttamauja, Yudhamanyu etc.
