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| alt = Dushasana | | alt = Dushasana | ||
| image = Draupadi | | image = File:Disrobing of Draupadi by M V Dhurandhar (cropped).jpg | ||
| caption = Dushasana | | caption = Dushasana disrobing Draupadi, painting by [[M. V. Dhurandhar]] | ||
| family = {{ubl|[[Dhritarashtra]] (father)|[[Gandhari (Mahabharata)|Gandhari]] (mother)|[[Duryodhana]], [[Vikarna]], Chitrasena and 96 other brothers|[[Duhsala]] (sister)|[[Yuyutsu]] (half-brother)}} | |||
| family = {{ubl|[[Dhritarashtra]] (father)|[[Gandhari (Mahabharata)|Gandhari]] (mother)|[[Duryodhana]], [[Vikarna]] and | | children = Drumasena (son) | ||
| | | relatives = {{ubl|[[Pandavas]] (paternal half-cousins) | ||
| | |[[Shakuni]] (maternal uncle)|[[Uluka]] (maternal cousin)}} | ||
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}} | }} | ||
'''Dushasana''' ({{langx|sa|दुःशासन|Duḥśāsana|hard to rule}}), also spelled '''Duhshasana''', '''Dussasana''' or '''Duhsasana''', is a prominent character in the ancient [[Hindu epic]] ''[[Mahabharata]]''. He is the second eldest of the hundred [[Kaurava]] brothers, born to King [[Dhritarashtra]] and Queen [[Gandhari]] of the [[Kuru kingdom|Kuru dynasty]]. As the younger brother and close confidant of [[Duryodhana]], the chief [[antagonist]] of the epic, Dushasana plays a significant role in many key events leading up to and during the [[Kurukshetra War]]. | |||
Dushasana is best known for his active involvement in the humiliation of [[Draupadi]], the wife of the [[Pandavas]], during the infamous dice game episode, where he dragged her in the royal court and unsuccessfully attempted to disrobe her. His actions earn him the wrath of Draupadi and the Pandavas, particularly [[Bhima]], who vows to kill Dushasana—a vow that is ultimately fulfilled during the war by tearing apart his chest. | |||
==Etymology== | ==Etymology== | ||
His name derives from the Sanskrit words ''duḥ-'' "hard" and ''śāsana'' "rule"; thus ''duḥśāsana'' means "[one who is] hard to rule."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7wJBAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA98 |title=A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History, and Literature |author=John Dowson |edition=2nd |publisher=Trubner & Co. |location=London |year=1888}}</ref> | |||
==Birth and early life== | |||
When [[Dhritarashtra]]'s queen [[Gandhari (Mahabharata)|Gandhari]]'s pregnancy continued for an unusually long time, she beat her womb in frustration and out of jealousy towards [[Kunti]], the wife of [[Pandu]], who had just given birth to [[Yudhishthira]] (the eldest of the five [[Pandava]] brothers). At this, a hardened mass of grey-coloured flesh emerged from her womb. Gandhari was devastated and called upon [[Vyasa]], the great sage who had prophesied she would give birth to one hundred sons, to redeem his words.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section CXV |url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01116.htm |access-date=2020-09-01 |website=www.sacred-texts.com}}</ref> | |||
Vyasa divided the ball of flesh into one hundred and one equal pieces, each piece no bigger than a thumb. He put them in pots of [[milk]], which were sealed and buried in the earth for two years. At the end of the second year, the first pot was opened and Duryodhana emerged. Within a period of one month all the other 99 sons and single daughter of Dhritarashtra were born. Dushasana was the second after Duryodhana.<ref name=":0"/> | |||
Dushasana was devoted to his older brother [[Duryodhana]]. He (along with Duryodhana and [[Shakuni]]) was very closely involved in the various schemes and plots to kill the Pandavas. | |||
Dushasana was devoted to his older brother [[Duryodhana]]. He | |||
==Draupadi's humiliation== | ==Draupadi's humiliation== | ||
[[File: | [[File:Draupadi dragged from her chamber.jpg|thumb|Dushasana dragging Draupadi from her chamber]]After [[Yudhishthira]] lost a game of dice with [[Shakuni]]—losing first his kingdom, then his brothers and his wife [[Draupadi]]—Dushasana, at the behest of his brother [[Duryodhana]], dragged Draupadi by the hair into the assembly and tried to disrobe her. Draupadi prayed to [[Krishna]], who made her [[sari]] to be of an infinite length so that Dushasana could not take it off. The assembled men were amazed at this miracle. They condemned Dushasana and praised Draupadi. However, Draupadi was humiliated at being dragged into court by her hair. Unlike the critical version, some tellings of the story say that she swore that she would never again tie up her hair until it was washed in Dushasana's blood. Then [[Bhima]], who could no longer watch Draupadi's insult in silence, arose. He vowed to tear open Dushasana's chest in battle and drink his blood. Bhima also exclaimed that if he could not fulfill his oath, then he would not meet his ancestors in heaven.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2006-08-02|title=The Clothes of Draupadi|url=https://devdutt.com/articles/the-clothes-of-draupadi/|access-date=2020-09-01|website=Devdutt|language=en-US}}</ref> | ||
After [[Yudhishthira]] lost | |||
==Kurukshetra war and death== | ==Kurukshetra war and death== | ||
[[File:Bhima drink blood.jpg|thumb|Bhima drinks Dushasana's blood, Razmnama illustration ]] Dushasana played an important role in [[Kurukshetra War]] and fought many warriors. | |||
[[File:Bheemsen washing tresses of Draupadi with the blood of Dushasan, Mahabharat; Kalighat Painting.jpg|thumb|Bhima washes the tresses of Draupadi with the blood of Dushasana, Mahabharata; Kalighat Painting]] | |||
Dushasana was the | On the first day of war, Dushasana was the first one to shot the first arrow. He fought a fierce battle with [[Nakula]] and later with [[Yudhishthira]] and was defeated by them. | ||
On the second day of war, Dushasana killed Nakula's bodyguards. An angry Nakula defeated and nearly killed Dushasana in a sword fight. | |||
On the | On the 10th day of war, Dushasana attacked and injured [[Shikhandi]] in order to save [[Bhishma]]. | ||
On the 13th day of war, Dushasana was among the powerful warriors who brutally murdered [[Abhimanyu]]. Abhimanyu badly injured Dushasana. Later, his son Drumasena killed Abhimanyu. | |||
On the 14th day, Dushasana tried to stop [[Arjuna]] from reaching to | |||
[[Jayadratha]] but was defeated by him in a small archery duel. | |||
During the night war, Dushasana defeated and killed [[Virata]]'s bodyguards. | |||
On the 16th day of the Kurukshetra War, Dushasana killed [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]]'s minister Vrihanta. On the 17th day, [[Bhima]] fought with Dushasana in a mace war and beat him. When Dushasana was unable to fight Bhima uprooted both the arms of Dushasana. Then he took out his armour, tore his chest using his bare hands and killed Dushasana. Dushasana's death was the most brutal death in the entire epic. To fulfill his oath, Bhima drank the blood from Dushasana's open chest. The soldiers who witnessed this brutal scene fainted, thinking of Bhima as a monster. All the [[Kaurava]] supporting warriors were highly disturbed by this scene.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Mahabharata, Book 8: Karna Parva: Section 83 |url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m08/m08083.htm |access-date=2022-06-10 |website=www.sacred-texts.com}}</ref> | |||
Though not attested in the Mahabharata, according to folk narratives, Bhima washed Draupadi's hair with Dushasana's blood as a symbolic revenge for her humiliation.<ref>Ernest, Phillip. “TRUE LIES - BHĪMA’S VOWS AND THE REVISION OF MEMORY IN THE ‘MAHĀBHĀRATA’S’ CODE.” Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, vol. 87, 2006, pp. 273–82. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41692062. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.</ref> | |||
==References== | |||
<references> | |||
</references> | |||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
* {{Commonscatinline| | * {{Commonscatinline|Duḥśāsana}} | ||
{{Mahābhārata}} | {{Mahābhārata}} | ||
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[[Category: Characters in the Mahabharata]] | [[Category: Characters in the Mahabharata]] | ||
[[Category:Kauravas]] | |||
Latest revision as of 18:58, 20 February 2026
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.jpg) Dushasana disrobing Draupadi, painting by M. V. Dhurandhar | |
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| Children | Drumasena (son) |
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Dushasana (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.), also spelled Duhshasana, Dussasana or Duhsasana, is a prominent character in the ancient Hindu epic Mahabharata. He is the second eldest of the hundred Kaurava brothers, born to King Dhritarashtra and Queen Gandhari of the Kuru dynasty. As the younger brother and close confidant of Duryodhana, the chief antagonist of the epic, Dushasana plays a significant role in many key events leading up to and during the Kurukshetra War.
Dushasana is best known for his active involvement in the humiliation of Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas, during the infamous dice game episode, where he dragged her in the royal court and unsuccessfully attempted to disrobe her. His actions earn him the wrath of Draupadi and the Pandavas, particularly Bhima, who vows to kill Dushasana—a vow that is ultimately fulfilled during the war by tearing apart his chest.
Etymology[edit | edit source]
His name derives from the Sanskrit words duḥ- "hard" and śāsana "rule"; thus duḥśāsana means "[one who is] hard to rule."[1]
Birth and early life[edit | edit source]
When Dhritarashtra's queen Gandhari's pregnancy continued for an unusually long time, she beat her womb in frustration and out of jealousy towards Kunti, the wife of Pandu, who had just given birth to Yudhishthira (the eldest of the five Pandava brothers). At this, a hardened mass of grey-coloured flesh emerged from her womb. Gandhari was devastated and called upon Vyasa, the great sage who had prophesied she would give birth to one hundred sons, to redeem his words.[2]
Vyasa divided the ball of flesh into one hundred and one equal pieces, each piece no bigger than a thumb. He put them in pots of milk, which were sealed and buried in the earth for two years. At the end of the second year, the first pot was opened and Duryodhana emerged. Within a period of one month all the other 99 sons and single daughter of Dhritarashtra were born. Dushasana was the second after Duryodhana.[2]
Dushasana was devoted to his older brother Duryodhana. He (along with Duryodhana and Shakuni) was very closely involved in the various schemes and plots to kill the Pandavas.
Draupadi's humiliation[edit | edit source]
After Yudhishthira lost a game of dice with Shakuni—losing first his kingdom, then his brothers and his wife Draupadi—Dushasana, at the behest of his brother Duryodhana, dragged Draupadi by the hair into the assembly and tried to disrobe her. Draupadi prayed to Krishna, who made her sari to be of an infinite length so that Dushasana could not take it off. The assembled men were amazed at this miracle. They condemned Dushasana and praised Draupadi. However, Draupadi was humiliated at being dragged into court by her hair. Unlike the critical version, some tellings of the story say that she swore that she would never again tie up her hair until it was washed in Dushasana's blood. Then Bhima, who could no longer watch Draupadi's insult in silence, arose. He vowed to tear open Dushasana's chest in battle and drink his blood. Bhima also exclaimed that if he could not fulfill his oath, then he would not meet his ancestors in heaven.[3]
Kurukshetra war and death[edit | edit source]
Dushasana played an important role in Kurukshetra War and fought many warriors.
On the first day of war, Dushasana was the first one to shot the first arrow. He fought a fierce battle with Nakula and later with Yudhishthira and was defeated by them. On the second day of war, Dushasana killed Nakula's bodyguards. An angry Nakula defeated and nearly killed Dushasana in a sword fight. On the 10th day of war, Dushasana attacked and injured Shikhandi in order to save Bhishma. On the 13th day of war, Dushasana was among the powerful warriors who brutally murdered Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu badly injured Dushasana. Later, his son Drumasena killed Abhimanyu. On the 14th day, Dushasana tried to stop Arjuna from reaching to Jayadratha but was defeated by him in a small archery duel. During the night war, Dushasana defeated and killed Virata's bodyguards. On the 16th day of the Kurukshetra War, Dushasana killed Magadha's minister Vrihanta. On the 17th day, Bhima fought with Dushasana in a mace war and beat him. When Dushasana was unable to fight Bhima uprooted both the arms of Dushasana. Then he took out his armour, tore his chest using his bare hands and killed Dushasana. Dushasana's death was the most brutal death in the entire epic. To fulfill his oath, Bhima drank the blood from Dushasana's open chest. The soldiers who witnessed this brutal scene fainted, thinking of Bhima as a monster. All the Kaurava supporting warriors were highly disturbed by this scene.[4]
Though not attested in the Mahabharata, according to folk narratives, Bhima washed Draupadi's hair with Dushasana's blood as a symbolic revenge for her humiliation.[5]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ John Dowson (1888). "A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History, and Literature" (2nd ed.). London: Trubner & Co.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section CXV". www.sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ↑ "The Clothes of Draupadi". Devdutt. 2 August 2006. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ↑ "The Mahabharata, Book 8: Karna Parva: Section 83". www.sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
- ↑ Ernest, Phillip. “TRUE LIES - BHĪMA’S VOWS AND THE REVISION OF MEMORY IN THE ‘MAHĀBHĀRATA’S’ CODE.” Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, vol. 87, 2006, pp. 273–82. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41692062. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
External links[edit | edit source]
Hindu deities and texts | ||
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