The seeds of the Mahabharat war were sown in the infamous game of dice. Duryodhana’s festering resentment toward Draupadi was cleverly exploited by Shakuni, who encouraged him to use the gambling match as a means of revenge. Shakuni then devised a plan and assured Duryodhana that he could defeat the Pandavas through this deceptive game.
Shakuni invited the Pandavas with great warmth, and soon the dice match between Yudhishthira and Duryodhana began. Though physically crippled, Shakuni was a master of dice. His control over the dice was so absolute that the numbers appeared exactly as he desired. It is believed he had spiritually “empowered” the dice so they would only obey the twist of his fingers.
To build the Pandavas’ confidence, Shakuni first instructed Duryodhana to deliberately lose a few rounds. Once Yudhishthira became fully engrossed, the real trap unfolded—he began losing everything: his wealth, his kingdom, and eventually his brothers. One after another, Nakula, Sahadeva, Arjuna, and finally Bhima were all lost in the wager.
At the end, following Karna’s advice, Shakuni made a shocking proposal: he promised to return everything Yudhishthira had lost—provided he now gambled his wife, Draupadi. Bound by the compulsions of the game, Yudhishthira agreed, and he lost once again.
The humiliation of Draupadi and the dishonor of the Pandavas became the ultimate cause of the Kurukshetra War.
Few people know that Shakuni’s dice were made from the bones of his deceased father’s spine. After his father’s death, Shakuni kept some of his bones, believing that his spirit resided within the dice—ensuring they always obeyed him. It is said his father instructed him before dying: “Make dice from my bones; they will always follow your command and no one will defeat you.”
Another belief suggests a living bee was trapped inside Shakuni’s dice. Each time the dice fell, the bee would naturally move toward Shakuni’s feet, ensuring the number six appeared. Only his stepbrother, Matkuni, knew this secret.
