Sages & Others
Akrura
अक्रूर
Generalissimo of the Vrishnis
Who was Akrura?
Akrura (अक्रूर): Generalissimo of the Vrishnis, one of the sages and supporting figures in the Mahabharata. The exceedingly liberal chief who commanded the Vrishni host and married a daughter of Ahuka.
Quick Facts
| Sanskrit name | अक्रूर |
|---|---|
| Title / Epithet | Generalissimo of the Vrishnis |
| Faction | Sages & Others |
| Key traits | Liberal, Powerful, Factious, Respected |
| Notable relationships | Kinsman: Krishna, Rival in council: Ugrasena, Clansman: Balarama |
| Featured in | 7 stories |
About Akrura
The exceedingly liberal chief who commanded the Vrishni host and married a daughter of Ahuka. Krishna named him and Ahuka as the two burdens of his own house, since the clan could not be held together with both of them in it or with either of them out of it, and after the Yadavas destroyed themselves his widows withdrew into the woods.
In Their Words
The Vrishnis have no king; they have only men who will not be second to any.
Akrura
Traits
- Liberal
- Powerful
- Factious
- Respected
Story Appearances
Stories Featuring Akrura
6 further tales on this site name Akrura, in canonical reading order.
- The Slaying of KamsaThe Prophecy Fulfilled
- The Weapon Not Made of SteelKrishna tells Narada what his own kinsmen do to him
- The Death of VasudevaKrishna's Father Outlives Everyone
- Arjuna Empties DwarakaOne bowman escorts a dead city inland, and the sea walks behind him
- The Return of the PortionsWho everybody turned out to have been
- The Second Theft of the SyamantakaShatadhanva's Ride
Character Arc
- The AllianceKrishna bestows Ahuka's daughter on him to bind the clans
- The Two BurdensKrishna tells Narada he can side with neither him nor Ahuka
- The WoodsHis widows refuse Vajra's pleading and leave Indraprastha
Key Relationships
Places in Akrura's Story
Drawn from the stories Akrura appears in.
Related Characters
Others counted among the Sages & Others.