Published By: Orna Ghosh

What has Shakuni taught us?

If you search “What is the largest epic in the world?” Google will show its search result. Mahabharata is the longest epic in the world, which will be the obvious answer.

It is not controversial, but many believed that the 18 episodes happened only in the scriptures. But, based on various surveys and research, it is said that the Great War among Pandavas and Kauravas took place in Kurukshetra.

Mahabharata is not only about the Great War, but every character impacted human life in various ways. From Bhishma, we learn the importance of sacrifice, Krishna taught us the importance of duty, and Draupadi taught us how to think before we speak.

We are all fond of the story of how Mahabharata turned out to be the symbol of victory against iniquity. Speaking of Adharma, the name that pops out is Shakuni Mama (the maternal uncle of Kauravas). Although he is a villainous character, did you know that he went to Swarg after his death?

Let us have a look at the lessons that Shakuni Mama taught us.

Pratigya (The Oath). After seeing Gandhari suffer, Shakuni took an oath to destroy the Kuru Clan. Although he was successful in the end, it increased Gandhari’s sorrows.

LessonThe idea of revenge can bring an end to the whole civilisation. 

Taakat (The strength). We are aware of the mind games played by Shakuni. He knew that his only strength is his ability to think and plan. Shakuni made the best use of his strength to be one of the reasons behind Mahabharata.

Lesson: Identify your strength and use them wisely to bring a change. 

Lakshya (The goal). Shakuni was determined to stand against the Kuru Clan. He considered every person who came in support of the Kuru as his enemy. He even didn’t think twice before standing against Krishna.

Lesson: Keeping stern determination to achieve your goal. 

Shatru (The Enemy). To revenge the injustice done towards his family, Shakuni considered the entire Kuru Clan as his enemy. The huge clan and their power could not stop him from achieving his goal. Instead, it made him determined to move forward.

Lesson: Your enemies are your greatest motivation. Their weakness will be your strength.

Mahabharata is an epic that will hold your attention once you decide to delve deeper into it. We learn the importance of Dharma (the right path of life) and its dominance over Adharma. It teaches us the importance of goal, strength, truth and other aspects of life. You will never regret giving it a read or watch it on OTT platforms.