| Shakuni | |
|---|---|
 Shakuni (left) and Yudhishthira playing dice-game, relief atLepakshi | |
| Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Family | Parents
|
| Spouse | Unnamed queen |
| Children | Uluka (elder son) Unnamed younger son |
| Relatives |
|
| Home | |
Shakuni (Sanskrit:शकुनि,IAST:Śakuni,lit. 'bird') is one of the antagonists of theHindu epicMahabharata. He was the prince of the kingdom ofGandhara when introduced, later becoming its king after the death of his father,Subala. He was the brother ofGandhari and the maternal uncle of theKauravas.
Portrayed as crafty and devious, Shakuni supported his nephews, particularly the eldest,Duryodhana, in plotting against their cousins—thePandavas. It was Shakuni who played the game of dice against Yudhishthira, one of the seminal events in the epic. Using his skills of manipulation and foul play, he won the game twice, causing the exile of the Pandavas and the consolidation of the power of the Kauravas.[2] During theKurukshetra War between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, Shakuni was killed by the youngest Pandava,Sahadeva.
The Sanskrit wordŚakuni means 'a large bird', often used for denoting a vulture. Other figures with the same name include aserpent, arishi, a son of KingIkshvaku, and anasura son ofHiranyaksha who was the father of Vrikasura.[3]
Shakuni has been referred to by epithets in theMahabharata.[4] Various patronymics includeSaubala, Saubalaka, Saubaleya, Subalaja andSubalaputra. Due to his origin fromGandhara, Shakuni was also referred to asGāndhārapati, Gāndhārarāja, Gāndhārarājaputra, Gāndhārarājasuta.Parvatīya ('he who is from the mountains') andKitava ('gambler') are also prominent epithets of Shakuni.[3][4]
According to theMahabharata, Shakuni was an incarnation of the entity named Dvapara, who presides overDvapara Yuga, the third age in the Hindu cycle of time. He was born as a result of fury of the gods, born to destroy righteousness.[3]
Shakuni was the son of Subala, the king ofGandhara (in modern dayPakistan). Shakuni had a sister namedGandhari, and many brothers among whom Achala and Vrishaka were the most prominent.[3][5]Uluka was his son and he served as a messenger during theKurukshetra War.[6] The epic'sAshvamedhika Parva mentions another son of Shakuni who survives the battle of Kurukshetra and becomes the king of Gandhara. During Arjuna's military expedition forAshvamedha, he fights and loses to Arjuna, before being saved from death by Shakuni's widowed queen.[7][5]
TheAdi Parva of theMahabharata says thatBhishma, then the guardian of the Kuru kingdom, went to Gandhara to arrange the marriage of its princess, Gandhari, toDhritarashtra, the elder son of Vichitravirya, who was blind by birth. Subala was initially reluctant due to Dhritarashtra's blindness, but later agreed after considering the high reputation of the Kuru royal family.[8] Shakuni accompanied his sister toHastinapura, the capital of the Kurus. After the marriage, Shakuni returned to Gandhara.[3][9]
Shakuni often visited Hastinapura and stayed there to look after his sister, who blindfolded herself out of devotion for her blind husband, and her children, theKauravas.[10] Similarly,Krishna (the maternal cousin of thePandavas) helps the Pandava brothers throughout the epic. The family ofDraupadi (the common wife of the Pandavas) also plays a major role in raisingher children. Based on such examples, scholars note the importance and influences of the maternal families in the shaping the narrative of theMahabharata.[11][10]
Shakuni had a close alliance with his eldest nephew,Duryodhana and desired him to become the next Emperor of the Kuru Clan. Throughout the epic, he helps Duryodhana in his evil plans to take the throne from the Pandavas.[3] Metaphorically, theAdi Parva calls Duryodhana as the 'tree of wrath', with Shakuni being called his 'branches'.[12][7]
.jpg)
In the epic, Shakuni's most integral episode is during the gambling match betweenDuryodhana andYudhishthira (the eldest Pandava brother). The event is one of the turning points in the epic, which leads to thehumiliation of Draupadi and the exile of the Pandavas.[3][5]
TheSabha Parva of theMahabharata narrates the event. When a succession dispute between Duryodhana and Yudhishthira arises, Dhritarashtra divides theKuru kingdom into two regions. The Pandavas found the city ofIndraprastha, which serves as the capital of their half of the ancestral domains. To achieve imperial status, Yudhishthira decides to perform theRajasuya yajna and the royal families of different kingdoms are invited to the sacrifice. Shakuni, along with his father, brothers and nephews, also attends the event. After the yajna is completed, all the guests return to their kingdoms, but Shakuni and Duryodhana stay on and witness the wealth and prosperity of the Pandavas.[3][a]
After returning toHastinapura, Shakuni notices Duryodhana's distress over the Pandavas' growing fame and prosperity. He capitalizes on Duryodhana's jealousy and suggests organizingPasha—a game of dice—to settle the matter between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. Shakuni, known as the Grandmaster of Dicing, proposes the idea of a duel between the two branches of the Kuru clan through a game of dice. Duryodhana supports this idea, and they plan to use Shakuni as Duryodhana's proxy in the game. Shakuni, along with Duryodhana, convinces Dhritarashtra to organize the game of dice. Despite objections from the wise counsellorVidura, Duryodhana threatens to commit suicide if his plan is not accepted. Dhritarashtra, shaken by his son's distress, reluctantly agrees to proceed with the game. Vidura again tries to stop the game, recognising the danger it poses. He appeals to Dhritarashtra to halt the proceedings, emphasising the unethical nature of the game and Shakuni's deceitful tactics. Shakuni assures to Dhritarashtra that he has observed Yudhisthira's poor skills in dice despite his passion for the game. He plans to exploit this weakness, knowing that Yudhisthira would be a vulnerable opponent in the upcoming match.[13][12]
Despite Vidura's warnings, Yudhishthira agrees to the proposed gambling match, and arrives in Hastinapura accompanied by his brothers and their wife, Draupadi. Shakuni, as Duryodhana's proxy, engages in a game of 20 throws with Yudhisthira. Each time, Yudhisthira loses, leading to the gradual loss of his wealth, servants, and even his brothers. Shakuni, unapologetic about using trickery, justifies his tactics as necessary for a worthy contestant. He dismisses Yudhisthira's plea to avoid crooked means and proceeds with the game, using his expertise in giving theft the appearance of skillful play. During the game, Shakuni's skill in presenting foul play as fair entertains Duryodhana and the Kaurava elders. Dhritarashtra, blinded by excitement, eagerly asks if Shakuni has won after each throw. Ultimately, Yudhisthira stakes himself and loses. Afterwards, he looses Draupadi resulting in her humiliation by Duryodhana and his allies.[3][13][12][14][15]
Draupadi questions Yudhishthira’s accountability for staking her after losing himself in the game and manages to reclaim their possessions from Dhritarashtra.[16] Following the dice game,Sahadeva, the youngest of the Pandavas, vowed to slay Shakuni in a fit of anger.[3] After Pandavas return to their capital, Duryodhana, dissatisfied with the failure of his earlier plan, complains to Dhritarashtra and makes him immediately invite Yudhishthira for another round of the game. In this round, only one stake is stipulated with the losing side being exiled for thirteen years. With Shakuni's skills, Duryodhana wins again and the Pandavas are forced into exile.[12][17]
Following the conclusion of the dice game, which resulted in the exile of the Pandavas, Shakuni continued to play an active role in the Kaurava court. His involvement during the period between the dice game and the outbreak of the Kurukshetra War is documented in several episodes in theMahabharata.[3]
InVana Parva, at one point, Shakuni predicted that the Pandavas would not return after completing their period of exile and incognito living, as prescribed by the terms of the dice game. Later, while the Pandavas were residing in the Dvaita forest, Shakuni supported the idea of leading aroyal procession to visit them. The procession, which included both Shakuni and Duryodhana, proceeded into the forest. During this encounter, Shakuni was wounded in a conflict with theGandharvas and subsequently returned to Hastinapura.[3]
On a later occasion, Shakuni advised Duryodhana to consider restoring the Pandavas' kingdom (Vana Parva, Chapter 251, Verse 1). This suggestion, however, did not result in any change in the Kaurava policy. However, Shakuni's counsel and tactics are cited as contributing factors in the failure of reconciliation between the Kauravas and Pandavas following the latter's return from exile.[3]
Shakuni, actively participated in theKurukshetra War from the side of the Kauravas, where he showcased a mix of skill, trickery, and strategy. He advised Duryodhana at key moments of the war. On the first day of the war, Shakuni engaged in a duel withPrativindhya (Bhishma Parva, Chapter 45, Verse 63). As the war progressed, he had confrontation withIravan, who managed to slay five of Shakuni's brothers in the battle (BhishmaParva, Chapter 90, Verse 25). Subsequently, Shakuni facedYudhishthira,Nakula, andSahadeva, experiencing defeat at their hands (Bhishma Parva, Chapter 105, Verse 8).[3]
His use of illusion tricks againstArjuna was met with resilience as Arjuna successfully countered them, forcing Shakuni to retreat from the battlefield (Drona Parva, Chapter 30, Verse 15). Shakuni also engaged in combat withAbhimanyu, Nakula, Sahadeva, andSatyaki. Later,Bhima's onslaught led to the demise of sevenmahārathis and five brothers of Shakuni (Drona Parva, Chapter 157, Verse 22). As the war progressed into theKarna Parva, Shakuni defeatedShrutasena but succumbed to the prowess of Satyaki and Bhima in subsequent battles (Karna Parva, Chapter 25, Verse 40;Karna Parva, Chapter 61, Verse 48;Karna Parva, Chapter 77, Verse 66). In theShalya Parva, Shakuni was wounded by the cavalry of the Pandavas (Shalya Parva, Chapter 23, Verse 41).[3]
On the 18th day of the war, following the death of Kaurava commander-in-chiefShalya, thePandavas attacked Shakuni and his Gandhara army. According to the narrative, Shakuni remained composed, inspiring his army to fight fearlessly. He advanced againstSahadeva, initiating the combat with considerable aggression. In response, Sahadeva launched a volley of swift arrows, compared in the text to a swarm of insects for their rapidity and density. Simultaneously,Uluka, Shakuni’s son, engagedBhima and struck him with a series of ten arrows, while Shakuni dealt Sahadeva a significant blow to the head with a lance, temporarily incapacitating him.[18]
Uluka then intensified his assault in an effort to defend his father, discharging seven arrows at Bhima and seventy at Sahadeva. Bhima retaliated by striking both Uluka and Shakuni with a flurry of arrows, including sixty-four directed at Shakuni. Sahadeva soon recovered and, with a well-aimed broad-headed arrow, decapitated Ulūka on the battlefield. Shakuni, witnessing the death of his son, was overcome with grief. Recalling the admonitions ofVidura, he became enraged and launched a final, solitary attack against Sahadeva, wielding a lance adorned with gold. Sahadeva responded with a carefully aimed broad-headed arrows, forged of hard iron and tipped with golden wings. The arrow struck with precision, severing Shakuni’s head from his body. The Pandava army, joined byKrishna, responded with audible celebration, blowing conches.[3][19]
Following the conclusion of the Kurukshetra War, theAshramavasika Parva records that the sageVyasa summoned the souls of those who had perished during the conflict. Among those present was the soul of Shakuni.[3]
Later, theSvargarohanika Parva notes that after his death, Shakuni's soul rejoined Dvapara.[3]
In subsequent literary works following theMahabharata and in various narrative adaptations, Shakuni is depicted as a figure subjected to victimization, driven by a quest for vengeance against the Kurus. TheJain retellings narrate a legend asserting that astrologers predicted a short lifespan of Gandhari’s husband at her birth. To avert this fate, Subala and his sons ceremoniously married Gandhari to a goat before her marriage with Dhritarashtra, subsequently sacrificing the goat to nullify the foreseen misfortune. Bhishma, upon discovering this ritual, condemns Subala for allowing a supposed "widow" to enter his family and decides to punish Subala and his kin, leading to their imprisonment and severe rationing. The captives, recognizing Shakuni's intellect and vengeful potential, allocate their meager sustenance to him. Ultimately, Subala and his other sons succumb, while Shakuni survives and attains release. Alternatively, another account posits that Bhishma confined Shakuni's family due to their refusal to bestow Gandhari in marriage to the sightless Dhritarashtra, with Duryodhana sometimes replacing Bhishma in this role. The latter narrative is found inOdia Mahabharata, a regional retelling of the epic.[11]
In all these narratives, Shakuni solemnly vows retribution, plotting the gradual demise of Hastinapura. He accomplishes this by manipulating his impulsive nephew Duryodhana into provoking the war with the Pandavas, resulting in the downfall of the Kuru lineage. Some versions of the tale depict Shakuni fashioning dice from the bones of his deceased family members, ensuring their infallibility in a game, as Shakuni's father's soul allegedly influences the dice to yield the desired outcome.[11][20] However, these narratives contradict the narrative attested in theMahabharata; Subala and his sons attended Yudhishthira’sRajasuya yajna, while Shakuni’s brothers fought in the great war at Kurukshetra and five of them were killed during the conflict.[3][8]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)| Traditional author and narrators |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Books (parvas) | ||
| Kingdoms and Tribes | ||
| Major Events | ||
| Characters | ||
| Related | ||
