Son of Subala, who was the king of Gāndhāra (Gandhara), and brother of Śakuni (Shakuni). This brother-in-law of Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Dhritarashtra) was seen for the first time in the Rājasūya yajña (Rajasuya yajna) of Yudhiṣṭhira (Yudhishthira). It has been seen that the name of Acala’s other brother Vṛṣaka (Vrishaka) was always uttered along with that of Acala’s— acalo vṛṣakeśchaiva or vṛṣakācalau. This is how they have been referred to almost everywhere. In Rājasūya yajña they were also present in Indraprastha along with the invited Subala.
- In Udyogparva, while mentioning the names of all the important warriors, Bhīṣma (Bhishma) reverently included the names of Acala and Vṛṣaka as “superior” warriors (mahāratha; maharatha). Although their names were previously mentioned along with Subala, they were not introduced properly. It is in Udyogparva that they have been clearly described as two chief warriors of the Gāndhāra kingdom for the first time.
- It is said that on the twelfth day of the Kurukṣetra (Kurukshetra) war, these two brothers were on the same chariot during their attack on Arjuna. At one point when the two brothers were positioned in the same straight line they were killed by Arjuna with a single arrow.
- In Strīparva (Striparva) he was cremated along with all the other warriors. In Āśramvāsikaparva (Ashrambasikaparva), when the great sage Vedavyāsa (Vedavyasa) made Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Gāndhārī (Gandhari) visualise their departed relatives, they also materialised at that time.