Duhsala
Duhshala (Sanskrit: दुःशला), also spelt as Dushala or Dussala, was the only daughter of king Dhritarashtra and Queen Gandhari and sister to Kauravas in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. She was born after her 100 Kaurava brothers and her step-brother Yuyutsu. She was married to Jayadratha the king of Sindhu. She had a son named Suratha.[1][2]
| Duhsala | |
|---|---|
 Painting of Dushala, the only female Kaurava | |
| Information | |
| Family | Gandhari and Dhritarashtra (parents) Duryodhana, Dushasana, Vikarna and 97 other brothers Yuyutsu (half-brother) |
| Spouse | Jayadratha |
| Children | Suratha |
| Relatives | Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva (cousins) |
When Jayadratha tried to kidnap and molest Draupadi and failed, Yudhisthir, Bheema, Nakul and Sahdev decided to slay him. But on Arjun's bequest they left him alone, just shaving his head. Later Jayadratha played a vital role in getting Abhimanyu, son of Arjuna, killed in the War of Kurukhsetra to satiate his vengeance. But Arjuna, with the help of Krishna, decapitated him.
Later, during the Ashwamedha Sacrifice, the horse of the Pandavas came to Sindhu, which was then ruled by Suratha, the son of Duhsala. Suratha with other archers confronted Arjuna, who slew Suratha and his army. Duhsala came to the battlefield wailing with the infant son of Suratha, which shattered Arjuna with sorrow. Arjuna proclaimed the infant the king of Sindhu.[1][3]
NotesEdit
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mani 1975, p. 263.
- ↑ "Unveiling the secret of Duhsala, the only sister of 100 Kaurava Brothers". Detechter. 24 October 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- ↑ Shalom 2017.
ReferencesEdit
- Mani, Vettam (1975). Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary With Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-0-8426-0822-0.
- Shalom, Naama (27 March 2017). Re-ending the Mahabharata: The Rejection of Dharma in the Sanskrit Epic. SUNY press. ISBN 978-1-4384-6501-2.