This one fact made me feel Shakuni is actually not cunning character but just a victim.
Shakuni early life
- Shakuni was born in present day Afghanistan, yester year Gandhara to King Subala.
- He was very much connected to his sister Gandhari.
- As a prince, he started to live his life well but things changed badly after his sister Gandhari marriage to Dhritarashtra.
- According to our Hindu tradition , Gandhari was a manglik meaning person whose horoscope doesn't have Mars in proper place so this can be inauscipious to family. So only a manglik should marry a manglik.
- Knowing this, the King decided to do kumbh vivah meaning getting married to a banana tree and would cut down the banana tree after her marriage to prince.
- Bheeshma was the one who selected princess Gandhari for marrying Dhritarashtra. And they got married and lived well for sometime .
- So this makes Dhritarashtra technically second husband and Dhritarashtra jailed the entire family of Gandhari and ordered to give them only a fistful of rice every day. This was a very hard decision for whole family including king.
- Eventually whole family was in jail and was trying to manage the food with all but soon they got to know that this diet won't make the whole family survive for a long time.
- So Gandhari's father decided and started to give whole fistful of rice to his younger son Shakuni. So Shakuni accepted and started to have whole fistful so that he can avenge his family death as per his dad wish.
- As he is not adolescent and yet a small kid that time, his father twisted his leg and made permanent limp so that he would remember always that he is there to avenge their death .
- Also, he requested Dhritarashtra to set free and said that he would be guardian for Dhritarashtra sons.
- So his last request was fulfilled and Shakuni really became guardian of the Dhritarashtra sons.
- But also he said to Shakuni that that he might use his thigh or also back bone for any avenge purpose and this bones will obey your decision during his complete lifetime.
- This bones were only used as a dice against Pandavas in the elaborate game of dice that followed. It's said that this dice has magical abilities and it would help Shakuni win all games of dice ever played.
- As he was true guardian of all hundred kuaravas and he slowly started showing special attention towards Duryodhana.
- With passage of time, he became so close and trusted person. So Shakuni used this trust to instill hate and wicked thoughts against Pandavas of all time.
- This incident as known started bringing downfall of Pandavas.
image courtesy :Google.
I found this secret of Mahabharata more interesting. A person lived whole life for setting the revenge for his family death.