Dushasana (Sanskrit: दुःशासन, romanized: Duḥśāsana, lit. 'hard to rule'), also spelled Duhshasana, Dussasana or Duhsasana, is a prominent character in the ancient Hindu epic Mahabharata. He is the second eldest of the hundred Kaurava brothers, born to King Dhritarashtra and Queen Gandhari of the Kuru dynasty. As the younger brother and close confidant of Duryodhana, the chief antagonist of the epic, Dushasana plays a significant role in many key events leading up to and during the Kurukshetra War.

Dushasana is best known for his active involvement in the humiliation of Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas, during the infamous dice game episode, where he dragged her in the royal court and unsuccessfully attempted to disrobe her. His actions earn him the wrath of Draupadi and the Pandavas, particularly Bhima, who vows to kill Dushasana—a vow that is ultimately fulfilled during the war by tearing apart his chest.

His name derives from the Sanskrit words duḥ- "hard" and śāsana "rule"; thus duḥśāsana means "[one who is] hard to rule."

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). At this, a hardened mass of grey-coloured flesh emerged from her womb. 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.

Vyasa divided the ball of flesh into one hundred and one equal pieces, each piece no bigger than a thumb. He put them in pots of milk, which were sealed and buried in the earth for two years. At the end of the second year, the first pot was opened and Duryodhana emerged. Within a period of one month all the other 99 sons and single daughter of Dhritarashtra were born. Dushasana was the second after Duryodhana.

Dushasana was devoted to his older brother Duryodhana. He (along with Duryodhana and Shakuni) was very closely involved in the various schemes and plots to kill the Pandavas.

After Yudhishthira lost a game of dice with Shakuni—losing first his kingdom, then his brothers and his wife Draupadi—Dushasana, at the behest of his brother Duryodhana, dragged Draupadi by the hair into the assembly and tried to disrobe her. Draupadi prayed to Krishna, who made her sari to be of an infinite length so that Dushasana could not take it off. The assembled men were amazed at this miracle. They condemned Dushasana and praised Draupadi. However, Draupadi was humiliated at being dragged into court by her hair. 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. Then Bhima, who could no longer watch Draupadi's insult in silence, arose. He vowed to tear open Dushasana's chest in battle and drink his blood. Bhima also exclaimed that if he could not fulfill his oath, then he would not meet his ancestors in heaven.

Dushasana played an important role in Kurukshetra War and fought many warriors.