Brothers of Śakuni
The brothers of Śakuni were princes of Gāndhāra. The Bhīṣma Parva names six of them: Gaja, Gavākṣa, Vṛṣabha, Carmavān, Ārjuna and Śuka. They came with the Kaurava forces to the war at Kurukṣetra. Irāvanta, the son of Arjuna by the Nāga princess Ulūpī, killed all six on the eighth day of battle. Soon after, the rākṣasa Alambuṣa killed Irāvanta himself.
Who they were
The six brothers were princes of Gāndhāra. This was the kingdom of their brother Śakuni and of their sister Gāndhārī, the queen of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. The Bhīṣma Parva gives their names as Gaja, Gavākṣa, Vṛṣabha, Carmavān, Ārjuna and Śuka. As members of the Gāndhāra royal family and brothers of the powerful Śakuni, they were important figures in the Kaurava alliance. The Mahābhārata does not describe their separate deeds before their deaths.
Death at the hands of Irāvanta
On the eighth day of battle, Irāvanta fought on the Pāṇḍava side. He was the son of Arjuna by the Nāga princess Ulūpī. Before his own deadly meeting with Alambuṣa, Irāvanta killed all six brothers of Śakuni. The six Gāndhāra princes fell to this son of Arjuna one after another. This destroyed the leadership of the Gāndhāra contingent, and it was one of the notable acts of Irāvanta’s short career in the war.
Irāvanta killed the six brothers first, and Alambuṣa killed Irāvanta later the same day. So day eight brought heavy losses to both sides.
Brothers of Śakuni in the Droṇa Parva
The Droṇa Parva names five brothers of Śakuni: Gavākṣa, Śarabha, Vibhu, Subhaga and Bhānudatta. It tells that Bhīmasena killed them in the battles of days 14 and 15. The Droṇa Parva describes Bhīma killing these five as part of his steady destruction of the Kaurava forces. The Mahābhārata names Śakuni as having many brothers, and different sections name different ones.
Sources
- Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma Parva, Chapter 90
- Mahābhārata, Droṇa Parva