King Mahāśakuni (Śakuni)

Also known as: Śakuni · Role: king and father of Kuśa · First appears: Chapter II

In Chapter II, King Mahāśakuni was a beloved associate of Indra, who promised him medicine to help his wives have children. His chief wife drank water from the washed kuśa box and became pregnant.

When subordinate kings besieged the capital, Mahāśakuni remained within, unable to fight them. After Kuśa defeated them and brought word that the land was at peace, Mahāśakuni rejoiced and began to delight in his son. He arranged Kuśa’s marriage to The princess who became Kuśa’s wife, and Kuśa later sent word to his father, “I shall stay here.”

Relationship record

Life events

• Indra promised King Mahāśakuni medicine to obtain sons and daughters.(Chapter II)
  • With: Indra
  • “Indra said, ‘O friend, I will send you a medicine. Let your wives drink of it, and thereby you will obtain sons and daughters.’”
• King Mahāśakuni’s chief wife drank the kuśa-box water and became pregnant.(Chapter II)
  • With: King Mahāśakuni’s chief wife
  • “The queen washed the kuśa box and drank the water, whereupon she also became pregnant.”
• Kuśa defeated the subordinate kings who had besieged the capital, and his father began to delight in him.(Chapter II)
  • With: Kuśa
  • “When the youth had overthrown the whole of them, he went to his father, and told him that he had conquered all the kings, and the land was at peace. On hearing this, King Mahāśakuni rejoiced, and said to himself, ‘The youth Kuśa is strong and remarkably brave. Why should I dislike him?’ And he began to take delight in him.”
• King Mahāśakuni arranged Kuśa’s marriage to the princess, who had been sought in marriage by another king’s son.(Chapter II)
  • With: Kuśa The princess who became Kuśa’s wife King Viśvāmitra The king whose son sought the princess in marriage (Chapter 002) The son of the king whose son sought the princess in marriage (Chapter 002)
  • “And he gave her to Kuśa, and celebrated his marriage with her in consonance with the constellation, the epoch, and the moment.”
• Kuśa told his father that he would remain where he was.(Chapter II)
  • With: Kuśa
  • “So he sent word to him saying, ‘I shall stay here.’”

Chapter II

• friends with Indra “In olden times there was a mighty king named Śakuni, who was a beloved associate of the king of the gods, Indra.”
• child: Kuśa “As your father cannot venture to fight with the subordinate kings, he has shut the gates and remains within.”

Also listed in Other Figures — Minor Figures

⭐ Constellation map → · 📖 Read the original → · 🗂 Character index → · 🕰 Chronicle → · 📍 Places →

Extracted from the original text of Tibetan Tales, Derived from Indian Sources. Made with Rho MD.