Shishupala

Shishupala is a figure in Hindu mythology who appears in the Mahabharata and various Puranas. He is described as the king of the city of Shishupura and is traditionally said to be the son of Damaghosha. In many accounts he is presented as a cousin or close relative of Krishna, which sets up a notable personal enmity between the two.

A central episode in Shishupala’s narrative occurs during Yudhishthira’s Rajasuya sacrifice. Shishupala insults Krishna repeatedly, but Krishna forgives him for the first 99 offenses. He vows to forgive the 100th offense as well; however, when Shishupala repeats his insult for the hundredth time, Krishna defeats him with the Sudarshana Chakra and Shishupala dies.

The tale is widely cited to illustrate themes such as the limits of forgiveness, the dangers of arrogance, and the authority of dharma. Shishupala is a subject of later literary treatment as well; the Sanskrit drama Shishupala Vadha, traditionally attributed to the poet Magha, dramatizes the story and its moral tensions.

Across sources, details of Shishupala’s birth and lineage vary, with different genealogies given in different texts. Despite these variations, the core motif—Shishupala’s enmity with Krishna and his death at the hands of Krishna during the Rajasuya—remains a persistent element in Hindu mythological tradition.