How Shakuni cheated his way to SWARG - Untold Story of Mahabharata ft. Akshat Gupta

Summary

The script delves into the lesser-known story of Shakuni, the manipulative architect behind the Mahabharat. Shakuni's deep-seated hatred for the Kuru dynasty stems from the mistreatment of his family and his sister Gandhari's forced marriage to the blind Dhritarashtra. His quest for revenge leads him to cunningly orchestrate the infamous dice game and the great war, ultimately fulfilling a vow made to his dying father. Despite his treacherous acts, Shakuni's adherence to his promise and eventual remorse earn him a place in heaven, offering a complex perspective on the character and the epic saga.

Takeaways

• 😈 Shakuni is identified as a major instigator of the Mahabharat war due to his influence over Duryodhan and his manipulative tactics.
• 🎲 Shakuni's dice, made from his father's bones, always yielded the desired number, leading to the Pandavas' defeat and Draupadi's humiliation.
• 👑 The backstory of Shakuni's vendetta involves Bhishma Pitamah's deception and the mistreatment of Gandhari and her family by the Kuru dynasty.
• 🐐 The tradition of marrying a Manglik woman to an inanimate object before her actual marriage was used to avert potential marital misfortunes, but Gandhari's prior marriage to a goat was kept secret from Bhishma Pitamah.
• 🏰 Bhishma Pitamah's anger over the deception led to the imprisonment and near-starvation of Gandhari's family, which fueled Shakuni's desire for revenge.
• 🥄 Shakuni survived by eating a fistful of rice daily, while his relatives starved, an act that symbolized the sacrifice made for his survival and future vengeance.
• 🚶‍♂️ Shakuni's limp, a result of his father breaking his knee, served as a physical reminder of his duty to avenge his family's suffering.
• 🎲 The magical dice, a gift from his father, became Shakuni's tool for enacting revenge on the Kuru dynasty through the game of dice.
• 😡 Shakuni's actions were driven by deep-seated hatred for the Kuru dynasty and anger over his sister Gandhari's forced marriage to the blind Dhritarashtra.
• 🗡️ Sahadev's confrontation with Shakuni on the 18th day of the war led to Shakuni's confession of his life's deeds and his ultimate demise, fulfilling his promise to his father.
• 🏆 Despite his sins, Shakuni's adherence to his duty and revenge is believed to have earned him a place in heaven, illustrating the complex moral fabric of the Mahabharat.

Q & A

What is one of the major reasons attributed to the occurrence of the Mahabharat?

One of the major reasons for the Mahabharat was Shakuni, who fueled Duryodhan's ambitions and manipulated events to lead to the war.

What was Shakuni's motive behind his actions in the Mahabharat?

Shakuni's motive was revenge against the Kuru dynasty for the suffering his family endured and for the forced marriage of his sister Gandhari to the blind Dhritarashtra.

Why was Gandhari married to a goat before marrying Dhritarashtra?

Gandhari was married to a goat to avert the ill effects of being a Manglik, as it was believed that a heavy Mangal could cause the death of one's spouse.

How did Bhishma Pitamah react when he found out about Gandhari's previous marriage to a goat?

Bhishma Pitamah felt deceived and in anger, he invited Gandhar Naresh's extended family to Hastinapur, where he confined them and served them barely enough food to survive.

What was the ultimate fate of the people from Gandhar who were confined by Bhishma Pitamah?

Most of the people from Gandhar died due to starvation, with only Shakuni and Gandhar Naresh surviving until the end.

Why does Shakuni limp?

Shakuni limps because his own father, Gandhar Naresh, broke his knee to ensure that Shakuni would always remember the vow of revenge for his family's suffering.

What was the unusual power that Gandhar Naresh gave to Shakuni after his death?

Gandhar Naresh instructed Shakuni to make dice from his bones, which would always yield the desired number when rolled, ensuring success in gambling.

How did Shakuni's actions lead to the humiliation of Draupadi?

Shakuni manipulated events, including the infamous dice game where the Pandavas lost everything, leading to Draupadi's humiliation.

What was Shakuni's emotional state during the Kurukshetra war?

Shakuni felt satisfied as he witnessed the destruction of the Kauravas, fulfilling his promise to his father and avenging his family.

How did Shakuni's life end?

Shakuni was killed by Sahadev after expressing remorse and revealing his life story, thus fulfilling his duty and the promise to his father.

What is the significance of the story of Shakuni in the context of the Mahabharat?

The story of Shakuni highlights the personal motivations behind the major events of the Mahabharat and challenges the traditional narrative by presenting an alternative perspective on the causes of the war.

Outlines

00:00

🔮 The Manipulations of Shakuni and the Seeds of Mahabharat

This paragraph delves into the pivotal role of Shakuni in the Mahabharat, revealing his motivations and the backstory that led to the great war. It starts with the search for a bride for the blind Dhritarashtra, leading to the marriage with Gandhari, who was already married to a goat to nullify her Manglik dosha. Bhishma Pitamah's discovery of this secret led to a vengeful act where he invited the Gandhar family to Hastinapur and starved them, with only Shakuni surviving due to the sacrifice of his relatives. The narrative describes the tragic event where Shakuni's father breaks his knee to ensure he remembers the vow of revenge, which sets the stage for Shakuni's manipulative actions throughout the epic.

05:04

🎲 Shakuni's Vengeance and the Downfall of the Kauravas

The second paragraph continues the tale of Shakuni, exploring his deep-seated hatred for the Kuru dynasty and his relentless pursuit of vengeance. It recounts how Shakuni's father, on his deathbed, instructed him to make dice from his bones, ensuring that Shakuni would always win when he desired. This supernatural advantage played a crucial role in the infamous dice game that led to the Pandavas' loss and Draupadi's humiliation. The paragraph also touches upon Shakuni's personal grievances, including his sister Gandhari's forced marriage to a blind king. The narrative concludes with Shakuni's eventual remorse and his death at the hands of Sahadev, bringing closure to his life of deceit and manipulation, yet acknowledging his fulfillment of a promise to his father and his contribution to the unfolding of the Mahabharat.

Keywords

💡Mahabharat

Mahabharat is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Ramayana. It is a lengthy epic of over 100,000 couplets and is part of the Indian itihasa. In the video, Mahabharat is the backdrop against which the story of Shakuni and the Kuru dynasty unfolds, highlighting the complex web of relationships, deceit, and the eventual war that led to the Pandavas' victory.

💡Shakuni

Shakuni is a character from the Mahabharat, known as the uncle of Duryodhana and the brother of Gandhari. He is portrayed as a master manipulator and strategist who plays a pivotal role in instigating the Kurukshetra war. In the script, Shakuni's actions and motivations are central to the narrative, illustrating his deep-seated desire for revenge against the Kuru dynasty.

💡Duryodhan

Duryodhan, also known as Suyodhana, is the eldest of the Kauravas and the main antagonist in the Mahabharat. He is depicted as arrogant and envious of the Pandavas. The script highlights how Shakuni fuels Duryodhan's ambitions, leading to a series of events that culminate in the great war.

💡Pandavas

The Pandavas are the five sons of Pandu, who are the protagonists in the Mahabharat. They are known for their virtues and are central to the story of the epic. In the script, the Pandavas are shown as victims of Shakuni's manipulations, which result in their defeat in a rigged dice game and the humiliation of Draupadi.

💡Draupadi

Draupadi is the wife of the five Pandavas and a key character in the Mahabharat. She is known for her beauty, intelligence, and strong sense of dharma. The script mentions her humiliation as a result of the rigged dice game, which is a pivotal moment in the narrative leading to the war.

💡Bhishma Pitamah

Bhishma Pitamah is a revered figure in the Mahabharat, known for his vow of celibacy and his role as the grandsire of the Kuru dynasty. In the script, Bhishma is depicted as the one who arranges the marriage between Gandhari and Dhritarashtra, which sets off a chain of events that lead to the conflict with Shakuni and his family.

💡Gandhari

Gandhari is the mother of the Kauravas and the wife of Dhritarashtra. She is known for her self-imposed blindness to share her husband's plight. The script reveals that Gandhari was married to a goat to avert the ill effects of being a Manglik, a fact that Bhishma discovers and feels deceived by.

💡Manglik

In Hindu astrology, a Manglik person is one whose horoscope has Mars in a particular position, which is believed to bring misfortune to their spouse. In the script, Gandhari's Manglik status and the subsequent marriage to a goat are significant as they lead to Bhishma's sense of betrayal and the subsequent punishment of the Gandhar family.

💡Gandhar Naresh

Gandhar Naresh, or the king of Gandhar, is the father of Shakuni and Gandhari. In the script, he is portrayed as a reluctant participant in the political machinations of the Kuru dynasty, ultimately suffering along with his family due to Bhishma's wrath.

💡Kuru Dynasty

The Kuru Dynasty is the royal lineage to which both the Pandavas and the Kauravas belong in the Mahabharat. The script emphasizes the Kuru Dynasty as the target of Shakuni's revenge, detailing the various ways in which he seeks to undermine and destroy it.

💡Sahadev

Sahadev is the youngest of the Pandavas, known for his wisdom and knowledge. In the script, Sahadev confronts Shakuni, leading to Shakuni's confession and eventual death, thus bringing closure to his role in the Mahabharat.

Highlights

Shakuni played a major role in the events leading to the Mahabharat.

Shakuni fueled Duryodhan's ambitions and manipulated the dice game, leading to the Pandavas' defeat and Draupadi's humiliation.

Bhishma Pitamah sought a bride for the blind Dhritarashtra, resulting in Gandhari's marriage to him.

Gandhari was previously married to a goat to avert the ill-effects of being Manglik, a fact concealed from Bhishma Pitamah.

Bhishma Pitamah, feeling deceived, invited and imprisoned Gandhar Naresh and his family in Hastinapur.

The imprisoned were given only a handful of rice, leading to the death of many due to starvation.

Shakuni survived by consuming the daily ration meant for all, witnessing the death of his relatives.

Gandhar Naresh broke Shakuni's knee as a reminder of the family's suffering and the need for revenge.

Shakuni was instructed to make dice from his father's bones, which always yielded the desired number.

Shakuni's actions were driven by his hatred for the Kuru dynasty and a desire to avenge his family's suffering.

Shakuni was upset by his sister Gandhari's marriage to a blind king without her consent.

Shakuni's strategic manipulations led to the Mahabharat war and the downfall of the Kauravas.

Shakuni outlived the war, witnessing the deaths of key figures and the destruction of the Kauravas.

Sahadev challenged Shakuni to battle, leading to a confession of Shakuni's deeds and motivations.

Shakuni expressed remorse and revealed his life story to Sahadev before their battle.

Shakuni was killed by Sahadev, fulfilling his duty and promise to his father.

Despite his sins, Shakuni is believed to have attained heaven due to fulfilling his promise.

The story suggests that if the Kauravas had won, Shakuni's narrative would be more prominent in history.

Transcripts

There were many reasons why Mahabharat happened.

And among these one of the major reason was Shakuni.

Shakuni filled Duryodhan's ears, Shakuni fueled Duryodhan's ambitions.

Shakuni was the one whose dice always yielded the number that he desired and because

of him, the Pandavas were defeated due to which later Draupadi was humiliated.

But why did Shakuni do all this? What was his motive? What was his hidden agenda? Today

I am going to tell you about it.

Before the war of Mahabharata began,

a lot of things happened about which we know very less.

This is one such story.

Bhishma Pitamah was finding a suitable bride for Dhritarashtra.

That is when he found out about the king of Gandhar.

A lot of people believe that the Gandhar empire of that time was the point of origin of

Kandhar, which is now in Afghanistan. So, Gandhar Naresh, according to many, was the

king of today's Afghanistan. He was known as Gandharv Naresh. So, Bhishma Pitamah went

to Gandharv Naresh and told him that he would like to ask for his daughter, Gandhari's hand for getting married

to the king of Kuru dynasty, Dhritarashtra. Dhritarashtra was blind. Gandhar Naresh

was not convinced to do so, but his kingdom was very small. He didn't have the capability

to refuse. Gandhar Naresh remained silent. Gandhari and Dhritarashtra got married. But

after marriage, Bhishma Pitamah came to know something which after listening to it, he felt

that he had been cheated.

That thing was that Gandhari was a Manglik

and before marrying Dhritarashtra Gandhari was married to a goat and

the goat was sacrificed. This is believed in Hindu society and Hindu religion. A person whose

Mangal is very heavy his husband or wife can die.

To overcome this problem sometimes

first wedding is performed with a tree or coconut or goat, and its sacrifice is made so

that the trouble is averted. This is what they did. But when Bhishma Pitamah found out,

he felt that he had been deceived and they hid such a big thing from him.

In anger, Bhishma Pitamah sent an invitation to Gandhar Naresh.

And in that he said he would like to invite all the people in your extended family, to Hastinapur saying that

He wanted to welcome them. They could not refuse. On top of that, Bhishma Pitamah called

from the groom's side. So, he had to go. Everyone went there.

In anger Bhishma Pitamah confined all of them to a cell.

The tradition of that time was that whoever invited you,

will serve you whatever food and in whatever quantity, you have to adjust in that only. You cannot choose. From that

day, everyone was put in the same cell and Bhishma Pitamah started giving only one handful of

rice to them. I'll give you this only. Eat this and live with this. One handful

of rice was so less that everyone used to get one grain each.

Every day people started dying one by one. Because no one can live on one grain or

four grains of rice for meal.

When everyone was dying one by one, there was Gandhar Naresh and

his son, Shakuni. Who was the Prince of Gandhar. When they were dying one by one, they decided that

they are all going to die. And this way, everyone will die. So let's do one thing.

our prince, Shakuni, let him eat the fistful of rice every day. Everyone

agreed. Shakuni would sit in that jail and eat a fistful of rice every day. And he would

see his loved ones and his relatives dying every day. Gradually, they all

died. Bhishma Pitamah went to fight a war and they were left inside. Shakuni used to eat a handful

of rice every day. He used to see his loved ones and relatives dying. Two people were left

in the end. One was Shakuni and the other was Gandhar Naresh.

Gandhar Naresh was old and very weak. In his old age, a weak old king calls Gandhar's prince, his son

to him and says, I want to give you a gift, come here. Shakuni got up and

went to his father. His father was sitting. When Shakuni came and

stood in front of his father, then Gandhar Naresh used all his strength

and kicked Shakuni's knee. And Shakuni's knee broke. That's why Shakuni

limps as he walks. This is because his own father broke his knee by

kicking his knee. Shakuni was in pain and asked, What have you done? I am your son. Shakuni's

father said, You are so debauched that when you leave this place, you will forget what happened

to your family and your father. That's why I broke your knee so

that you remember at every step that you are responsible for taking revenge for what

happened here. Because that one handful of rice, we all together fed you so

that when you leave from here, you can take revenge from Kuru dynasty and Hastinapur for Gandhar.

And since I have broken your knee and made you disabled, I really want to give you one power.

When I die, don't perform my last rites, instead make dice from my bones.

And when you roll the dice, the total of the two dice will always be the number that you wished for.

Shakuni did exactly as instructed, limped while walking his entire life but he had two dice

due to which entire story happened, the game was played where Pandavas lost everything, including Draupadi

in it, these dice were used.

Why was Shakuni doing all this? From filling Duryodhan's ears to causing a war like Mahabharat to happen.

Because Shakuni hated Duryodhan and the entire Kuru dynasty so much that he had taken an oath to destroy all of them

Apart from this, Shakuni was upset and angry because his sister was married to a king

who was blind, without her consent.

Dritarashtra was blind, and the marriage happened under the pressure of Bhishma Pitamah.

Shakuni loved his sister so much that he was saddened by the fact

that this shouldn't have happened. That's why he did all this. And that's why Mahabharata

happened. This is Shakuni's story. So this saying, winners write history. If Kauravas

had won, we would have been reading Shakuni's story instead of Krishna's. At the

end of the Mahabharata war, Shakuni was alive till the last day. He was so

clever that he would trick the competitors every time. He saw Bhishma Pitamah fall on

his head and take his last breath. He saw Guru Dronacharya's head separate from his

body. Karna's death due to injustice. Dushasan's hands and feet being torn apart and

killed cruelly. And the destruction of the Kauravas. Everything happened right in front

of his eyes. But Shakuni was satisfied in his heart. He had fulfilled the promise he

had given to his father. He had taken revenge from the Kuru dynasty.

On the 18th day of the

Kurukshetra war, Sahadev challenged Shakuni to a battle. Sahadev was the most knowledgeable

among the five Pandavas. He knew what Shakuni was thinking. He also

knew that Shakuni had instigated the Kauravas against the Pandavas and

got them to fight. And that is why Sahadev tried to convince Shakuni to stop the war

because Shakuni had achieved what he wanted. Now he should return to Gandhar and

rule there. At that moment, Shakuni felt remorseful. He started talking to Sahadev openly,

as if an old man tells the story of his life to a small child. He told him about

his childhood memories, how Dhritarashtra tortured his family, how his sister married

a blind king, how he poisoned Bheem, how he conspired with the Lakshagraha, and

how many crimes Shakuni had committed in this birth. He told all this to Sahadev. He

said that he could not live anymore and he did not have the courage to bear this burden.

And then Shakuni started shooting arrows at Sahadev. Shakuni knew that he was going to

die and finally, Sahadev beheaded Shakuni and killed him. Shakuni fulfilled his duty

and promised his father. This is why it is believed that even after so

many sins, Shakuni attained heaven after death. If you want to know such unspoken, unseen

and unheard stories of Mahabharata, then watch our videos.

So this was an untold, unheard story of Mahabharata, which very few people know. If

you want to know more such untold, unseen and unheard stories of Mahabharata, then stay tuned.