Susheṇa, Son of Karṇa

Susheṇa was a son of Karṇa. In the Kurukshetra war he served as one of his father’s cakrarakshakas (wheel-guards), the warriors who guard the sides of a great fighter’s chariot. On the seventeenth day he fought hard against Bhīmasena and Nakula, cutting bows and striking his enemies with many arrows.

Karṇa’s wheel-guards

Susheṇa served with his brother Satyasena as one of Karṇa’s cakrarakshakas. Their duty was to stop enemies from attacking their father from the sides. Their elder brother Vṛshasena guarded the rear.

Battle on the seventeenth day

The Karṇa Parva, chapter 48, tells of the seventeenth day. Karṇa drove deep into the Pāṇḍava army, and Susheṇa fought fiercely to guard his father’s position.

Against Bhīmasena. Susheṇa broke Bhīma’s bow with a lance and struck him in the chest with seven arrows. He cried out in victory. Bhīma took a new bow and answered. He cut Susheṇa’s bow into pieces and struck him with ten arrows. Then he turned and wounded Karṇa himself with seventy-three more arrows. Later in the fighting, Susheṇa took up another great bow and shot five arrows into the shoulders and chest of Nakula.

Against Nakula. The fight between Susheṇa and Nakula was long and fierce. Nakula struck Susheṇa with twenty great arrows and gave a great lion-roar. Susheṇa struck Nakula with ten arrows. Then he used an ardhacandra (crescent-headed) arrow to cut Nakula’s bow. Nakula took a fresh bow and answered with nine arrows. Susheṇa then killed Nakula’s charioteer and struck Nakula again with three arrows. He cut his bow again with three lance-like shafts. Susheṇa then took yet another bow and struck Nakula with sixty arrows and Sahadeva with seven. The fight between them was as fierce as the war between the devas and the asuras.

During this fighting, Sātyaki came against Vṛshasena. He cut down Vṛshasena’s charioteer and bow, struck down his horses and his standard, and forced Vṛshasena to take up sword and shield. Duḥśāsana rescued Vṛshasena. Susheṇa kept his place as cakrarakshaka beside his father’s chariot through the rest of the day’s fighting.

His mother’s grief in the Strī Parva

In chapter 21 of the Strī Parva, Gāndhārī mourns Karṇa. She speaks of Susheṇa’s mother: “On seeing Karṇa’s body, this great archer with golden-adorned arms, Susheṇa’s mother lost her senses and fell weeping to the ground.” Here Karṇa’s wife is named by her bond with Susheṇa. She is also called the mother of Vṛshasena elsewhere in the same passage.

Sources

• Mahābhārata, Karṇa Parva, chapter 48
• Mahābhārata, Strī Parva, chapter 21