Shishupalas

Shishupalas is a term that most commonly refers to Shishupala, a legendary king in ancient Indian epic literature. He is best known as an adversary of Krishna and is associated with the kingdom of Cheda (sometimes identified with the region of Chedi) in various traditions. The name and character appear in the Mahabharata as well as in later Puranic retellings, where his opposition to Krishna and his eventual death are described.

In the most widely known version, Shishupala is born under a set of omens and boons that frame his life as exceptional and dangerous to Krishna. According to the narratives, Krishna grants forgiveness for a finite number of offenses, after which Shishupala’s misdeeds culminate. During Yudhishthira’s Rajasuya sacrifice, Shishupala insults Krishna repeatedly, and at the hundred-and-first offense Krishna, using his divine authority, destroys him with the Sudarshana Chakra. This event is often interpreted as a clash between divine justice and the limits of mortal arrogance, illustrating Krishna’s role as upholder of dharma.

The Shishupala episode features in several principal texts, including passages in the Mahabharata (Sabha Parva) and the Bhagavata Purana, though details and emphasis vary between sources. Different tellings emphasize various themes, such as forgiveness, the limits of worldly power, or the vindication of virtue by a higher order.

As a term, Shishupalas is not widely used in scholarly discourse beyond references to Shishupala himself. When encountered, it typically points to the same figure or to discussions of his story within the broader hindu mythological tradition.