'hard to rule'), also spelled Duhshasana, Dussasana or Duhsasana, also known as Sushasana, is an antagonist in the Hindu epic Mahabharata.

"[1] When Dhritarashtra's queen Gandhari's pregnancy continued for an unusually long time, she beat her womb in frustration and out of jealousy towards Kunti, the wife of Pandu, who had just given birth to Yudhishthira (the eldest of the five Pandava brothers).

Gandhari was devastated and called upon Vyasa, the great sage who had prophesied she would give birth to one hundred sons, to redeem his words.

Unlike the critical version, some tellings of the story say that she swore that she would never again tie up her hair until it was washed in Dushasana's blood.

On the 10th day of war, Dushasana attacked and injured Shikhandi in order to save Bhishma.

On the 13th day of war, Dushasana was among the powerful warriors who brutally murdered Abhimanyu.

On the 14th day, Dushasana tried to stop Arjuna from reaching to Jayadratha but defeated by him in a small archery duel.

On the 16th day of the Kurukshetra War, Dushasana killed Magadha's minister Vrihanta.

[4] Though not attested in the Mahabharata, according to folk narratives, Bhima washed Draupadi's hair with Dushasana's blood as a symbolic revenge for her humiliation.