Susharma

Quick Facts

About Susharma

King of Trigarta who raided Virata's cattle and later led the Samsaptakas - warriors sworn to conquer or die. His oath-bound legion repeatedly challenged Arjuna to draw him from the main battle, the very feint that left Abhimanyu unprotected in the Chakravyuha.

In Their Words

We have sworn to conquer Arjuna or never return.

Susharma

Traits

• Oath-bound
• Persistent
• Vengeful
• Doomed

Stories Featuring Susharma

19 tales on this site name Susharma, in canonical reading order.

• The Southern Cattle RaidSusharma Strikes at MatsyaVirata Parva
• Where a Good King Must Be LivingThe Kuru court tries to find five men by their weatherVirata Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Quarrel Before the CattleAshwatthama tells Duryodhana what his kingdom is made ofVirata Parva ‧ 21 min
• Trigarta, the Land of Three RiversThe kingdom that swore to die fighting ArjunaVirata Parva
• The Cities of TentsTwo capitals raised on Kurukshetra before a single arrowUdyoga Parva ‧ 16 min
• Kurukshetra Day 7: Mandala and VajraThe Day of a Hundred DuelsBhishma Parva
• Omens and the Ten Kings Around BhimaDrona reads the signs of Bhishma's last day and sends his son to fightBhishma Parva ‧ 17 min
• Ghatotkacha and the Javelin of BhagadattaDuryodhana asks to kill a Rakshasa, and a Rakshasa breaks a javelin on his kneeBhishma Parva ‧ 24 min
• The Shield Around BhishmaNinth day: Satyaki trades darts with the grandsire, Abhimanyu unhorses Chitrasena, and Duryodhana orders a wall of men built round BhishmaBhishma Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Last Push on the Tenth DayTenth day: Bhishma asks Yudhishthira to kill him, and the champions of both armies pair off across the field while Dushasana alone stands between him and ArjunaBhishma Parva ‧ 21 min
• Kurukshetra Day 11: The Teacher Takes CommandDrona's Vow to Take the King AliveDrona Parva
• The Oath of the DoomedSusharma and the Samsaptakas - the Army That Swore to DieDrona Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Guard Drona Had To KillSatyajit of Panchala, and the promise Arjuna left behind himDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Sword That Broke on the ShieldAbhimanyu strips a king of everything, and Jayadratha comes down off his car to stop himDrona Parva ‧ 13 min
• The Telling in the RoutAshwatthama rides back through a fleeing army to ask what happened, and Kripa has to tell him how Drona was killedDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Mouth of the GarudaDrona draws his host as a bird and comes for Yudhishthira on the twelfth morningDrona Parva ‧ 21 min
• The King of the Fire CityAshwatthama kills Nila of Mahishmati, and Arjuna kills three of Karna's brothers in his sightDrona Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Field After the Sun FellShalya counts the dead and the Kauravas walk awayKarna Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Oath Comes DueSusharman, his thirty-five sons, and the last of the sworn menShalya Parva ‧ 16 min

Character Arc

1. 1The OathSwears the Samsaptaka vow against Arjuna
2. 2The FeintDraws Arjuna from Abhimanyu's side

Key Relationships

• Sworn Opponent➝Arjuna
• Ally➝Duryodhana

Places in Susharma's Story

Drawn from the stories Susharma appears in.

• Trigartaत्रिगर्त
• Virataविराट
• Kurukshetraकुरुक्षेत्र
• Hastinapurहस्तिनापुर
• Upaplavyaउपप्लव्य
• Hiranvatiहिरण्वती
• Pandava Campपाण्डव शिविर
• Indraprasthaइंद्रप्रस्थ
• Sindhu Kingdomसिंधु
• Pragjyotishaप्राग्ज्योतिष
• Kosalaकोसल
• Mahishmatiमाहिष्मती

Related Characters

Others counted among the Kauravas.

• ⚔︎Duryodhana
• ☠︎Dushasana
• ⚄Shakuni
• ☀︎Karna
• ☮︎Yuyutsu
• ⛨︎Shalya