Shrutayudha

Who Shrutayudha is

Shrutayudha, son of the god Varuna and the river Parnasha, received from his father a mace that no enemy could withstand — on the condition that he never hurl it at anyone who was not fighting, or it would turn back and slay him. On the fourteenth day at Kurukshetra, fighting Arjuna, he flung the mace in fury at Krishna, who was driving Arjuna's chariot and bore no weapon. The mace rebounded and struck Shrutayudha dead.

“My mace never misses. But I must choose its target well.”

How Shrutayudha plays chess

A powerful weapon with a condition: devastating attacks that backfire if aimed at the wrong target.

The Classicist: Sound, balanced chess: develops, castles and takes what the position offers.

Opening repertoire: Vienna, Frankenstein · King's Gambit, Kieseritzky · Scotch, Steinitz

Defeat Shrutayudha in a full game from the normal starting position to earn the achievement The Mace Returns and open the way to the next guardian.

Sources

• Mahabharata, Drona Parva

Placement on the path reflects chess difficulty only — a game-design choice, not a ranking of anyone's spiritual standing.