Shakuni
| Shakuni | |
|---|---|
Shakuni (left) and Yudhishthira playing dice-game, relief at Lepakshi | |
| Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Family | Parents
|
| Spouse | Unnamed queen |
| Children | Uluka (son) Unnamed king of Gandhara (son) |
| Relatives |
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| Home | |
Shakuni (Sanskrit: शकुनि, IAST: Śakuni, lit. 'bird') is one of the antagonists of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. He was the prince of the kingdom of Gandhara when introduced, later becoming its king after the death of his father, Subala. He was the brother of Gandhari and the maternal uncle of the Kauravas.
Portrayed as crafty and devious, Shakuni supported his nephews, particularly the eldest, Duryodhana, in plotting against their cousins—the Pandavas. 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. During the Kurukshetra War between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, Shakuni was killed by the youngest Pandava, Sahadeva.