Shakuni
| Shakuni | |
|---|---|
Uluka (son) | |
| Relatives |
|
| Home | |
| Part of a series on |
| Hinduism |
|---|
 |
Shakuni (
Portrayed as intelligent, crafty and devious, Shakuni supported his nephews, particularly the eldest,
Etymology and epithets
The Sanskrit word Śakuni means 'a large bird', often used for denoting a vulture. Other figures with the same name include a serpent, a rishi, a son of King Ikshvaku, and an asura son of Hiranyaksha who was the father of Vrikasura.[3]
Shakuni has been referred to by epithets in the Mahabharata.[4] Various patronymics include Saubala, Saubalaka, Saubaleya, Subalaja and Subalaputra. Due to his origin from Gandhara, Shakuni was also referred to as Gāndhārapati, Gāndhārarāja, Gāndhārarājaputra, Gāndhārarājasuta. Parvatīya ('he who is from the mountains') and Kitava ('gambler') are also prominent epithets of Shakuni.[3][4]
Early life and family
According to the
The
Influence on Kuru
Shakuni often visited Hastinapura and stayed there to looked after his sister, who blindfolded herself out of devotion for her blind husband, and her children, the
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 plans to take the throne from the Pandavas.[3]
The game of dice
In the epic, Shakuni's most integral episode is during the gambling match between Duryodhana and Yudhishthira (the eldest Pandava brother). The event is one of the turning points in the epic, which leads to the humiliation of Draupadi and the exile of the Pandavas.[3][5]
The Sabha Parva of the Mahabharata narrates the event. When a succession dispute between Duryodhana and Yudhishthira arises, Dhritarashtra divides the Kuru Kingdom into two regions. The Pandavas found the city of Indraprastha, which serves as the capital of their half of the ancestral domains. To achieve imperial status, Yudhishthira decides to perform the Rajasuya 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 to Hastinapura, Shakuni notices Duryodhana's distress over the Pandavas' growing fame and prosperity. He capitalizes on Duryodhana's jealousy and suggests organizing Pasha—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 counsellor Vidura, 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.[11][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 and loses Draupadi, resulting in a disastrous situation for the Pandavas.[3][11][12]
After debating about Yudhishthira's accountability of staking her, Draupadi manages to take back their possessions, the Pandavas return back to their capital. Again after crafting a plan, Duryodhana invites Yudhishthira for another game, with the losing side being exiled for 13 years. With Shakuni's skills, Duryodhana wins again and the Pandavas are forced into exile.[13][14]
Kurukshetra War and death
Shakuni, actively participated in the
His use of illusion tricks against
On the 18th day of the war, the
In derivative literature
In subsequent literary works following the Mahabharata and in various narrative adaptations, Shakuni is depicted as a figure subjected to victimization, driven by a quest for vengeance against the Kurus. An eighth-century
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.[10][15] However, these narratives are contradicted by the Mahabharata, as Subala and his sons attended the Rajasuya yajna of Yudhishthira, Shakuni's brothers fought in the great war at Kurukshetra, and they were killed during the conflict.[3][7]
Footnotes
- ^ The story continues with Duryodhana felling into a water pool at the palace and the Pandavas laughing at him. Humiliated by this, Duryodhana and his allies return to Hastinapur.
References
- ISBN 978-81-8475-403-2.
- ISBN 978-3-7524-4315-8.
- ^ ISBN 9780842608220.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-14-303168-0.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-351-25274-4.
- ^ Mani 1975, p. 805
- ^ a b Mani 1975, 745
- ^ "The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section CX". www.sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ ISBN 978-81-250-1424-9.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-14-310425-4.
- ^ ISBN 978-90-04-09467-3.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-317-34214-4.
- ^ Chatterjee, Mallar. Shakuni & The Dice of Doom. Readomania.
- ^ "Mahabharat Episode 31: The Game of Dice". Isha Sadhguru. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ "Epics as Novels". Devdutt. 7 January 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
Further reading
- Dutt, Romesh (1899). "Maha-Bharata, The Epic of Ancient India".
- Dwaipayana, Vyasa. "The Mahabharata of Krishna".
- Ganguly, Kisari. "The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa".
- Menon, Ramesh (20 July 2006). A Modern Rendering, The Mahabharata. iUniverse. ISBN 9780595845644.
- The Story of Shakuni, Sribd.
- Suchetana Sen Kumar. 'Soubal Shakuni' published from Ekalavya Prakashan on 2021 (previously published on 2020 in Kolkata international book fair)
Hindu deities and texts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Gods |  | |
| Goddesses | ||
| Other deities | ||
| Texts (list) | ||