A figure of the Mahabharata, Critical Edition (Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute)
Duhshasana
दुःशासन
Duryodhana's brother, who dragged Draupadi into the assembly by her hair and paid for it on the battlefield exactly as Bhima had sworn.
Appears in
Draupadi in the assembly — Dragged into a full court, the queen puts a question of law to the elders — and every one of them declines to answer it.
The second game — Freed and halfway home, the Pandavas are called back for one more throw, and lose thirteen years on it.
The cattle expedition — Duryodhana rides out to mock his cousins in exile, is captured by gandharvas, and is freed by the Pandavas, which he cannot forgive.
Bhima keeps his oath — Thirteen years after the dice hall Bhima tears open Duhshasana's chest on the battlefield and drinks his blood, as he swore he would
Embodies
Dice and dispossession — A kingdom, a wife and a man's own self staked on a rigged game — and an assembly that let the wager stand.
The binding vow — A promise that outlives the reason it was made for, and the ruin its keeping costs everyone around it.
Questions to explore
Why does the epic make Duhshasana the one who drags Draupadi into the hall?
What does Bhima's oath against Duhshasana say about vengeance in the epic?
