OVrikodara, it behoveth thee not to speak such [denigrating] words. Might is the cardinal virtue of aKshatriya, and even a Kshatriya of inferior birth deserveth to be fought with. The lineage of heroes, like the sources of a lordly river, is ever unknown. The fire that covereth the whole world riseth from the waters. The thunder that slayeth theDanavas was made of a bone of (a mortal named)Dadhichi. The illustrious deityGuha, who combines in his composition the portions of all the other deities is of a lineage unknown. Some call him the offspring ofAgni; some, ofKrittika, some, ofRudra, and some ofGanga. It hath been heard by us that persons born in the Kshatriya order have becomeBrahmanas.Viswamitra and others (born Kshatriyas) have obtained the eternalBrahma. The foremost of all wielders of weapons, the preceptorDrona hath been born in a waterpot andKripa of the race ofGotama hath sprung from a clump of heath. Your own births, yePandava princes, are known to me. Can a she-deer bring forth a tiger (like Karna), of the splendour of the Sun, and endued with every auspicious mark, and born also with a natural mail and ear-rings? This prince among men deserveth the sovereignty of the world, not ofAnga only, in consequence of the might of his arm and my swearing to obey him in everything. If there be anybody here to whom all that I have done unto Karna hath become intolerable, let him ascend his chariot and bend his bow with the help of his feet.
It behoveth thee, OKesava, to speak after reflecting on all circumstances. Indeed, uttering such harsh words, thou, without any reason, findest fault with me alone, addressed regardfully as thou always art by the sons ofPritha, O slayer ofMadhu. But dost thou censure me, having surveyed the strength and weakness (of both sides)? Indeed, thyself and Kshattri, the King, the Preceptor, and the Grandsire, all reproach me alone and not any other monarch. I, however, do not find the least fault in myself. Yet all of you, includingthe (old) king himself, hate me. O repressor of foes, I do not, even after reflection, behold any grave fault in me, or even O Kesava, any fault however minute.
A person like me should only bow down to theBrahmanas for the sake of piety, without regarding anybody else.
Duryodhana in: Book 5: Udyoga Parva, section 127
At present, OKesava of mighty arms, as long as I live, even that much of our land which may be covered by the point of a sharp needle shall not, OMadhava, be given by us unto thePandavas.
Duryodhana in: Book 5: Udyoga Parva, section 127
Oson ofKansa'sslave, thou hast, it seems, no shame, for hast thou forgotten that I have been struck down most unfairly, judged by the rules that prevail in encounters with the mace? It was thou who unfairly caused this act by remindingBhima with a hint about the breaking of my thighs! Dost thou think I did not mark it whenArjuna (acting under thy advice) hinted it to Bhima? Having caused thousands of kings, who always fought fairly, to be slain through diverse kinds of unfair means, feelest thou no shame or no abhorrence for those acts? Day after day having caused a great carnage of heroic warriors, thou causedstthe grandsire to be slain by placingShikhandi to the fore! Having again caused an elephant of the name ofAshvatthama to be slain, O thou of wicked understanding, thou causedstthe preceptor to lay aside his weapons. Thinkest thou that this is not known to me! While again that valiant hero was about to be slain this cruelDhrishtadyumna, thou didst not dissuade the latter! The dart that had been begged (ofShakra as a boon) byKarna for the slaughter of Arjuna was baffled by thee throughGhatotkacha! Who is there that is more sinful than thou? Similarly, the mightyBhurishrava, with one of his arms lopped off and while observant of the Praya vow, was caused to be slain by thee through the agency of the high-souledSatyaki. Karna had done a great feat for vanquishingPartha. Thou, however, causedst Aswasena, the son of that prince of snakes (Takshaka), to be baffled in achieving his purpose! When again the wheel of Karna'scar sank in mire and Karna was afflicted with calamity and almost vanquished on that account, when, indeed, that foremost of men became anxious to liberate his wheel, thou causedst that Karna to be then slain! If ye had fought me and Karna and Bhishma and Drona by fair means, victory then, without doubt, would never have been yours. By adopting the most crooked and unrighteous of means thou hast caused many kings observant of the duties of their order and ourselves also to be slain!
I have studied, made presents according to the ordinance, governed the wide Earth with her seas, and stood over the heads of my foes! Who is there so fortunate as myself! That end again which is courted byKshatriyas observant of the duties of their own order, death in battle, hath become mine. Who, therefore, is so fortunate as myself? Human enjoyments such as were worthy of the very gods and such as could with difficulty be obtained by other kings, had been mine. Prosperity of the very highest kind had been attained by me! Who then is so fortunate as myself? With all my well-wishers, and my younger brothers, I am going to heaven, O thou of unfading glory! As regards yourselves, with your purposes unachieved and torn by grief, live ye in this unhappy world!
Duryodhana in: Book 9: Shalya Parva, section 61
Upon the conclusion of these words of the intelligent king of theKurus, a thick shower of fragrant flowers fell from the sky. TheGandharvas played upon many charming musical instruments. TheApsaras in a chorus sang the glory of king Duryodhana. TheSiddhas uttered loud sound to the effect, "Praise be to king Duryodhana!" Fragrant and delicious breezes mildly blew on every side. All the quarters became clear and the firmament looked blue as the lapis lazuli. Beholding these exceedingly wonderful things and this worship offered to Duryodhana, thePandavas headed byVasudeva became ashamed. Hearing (invisible beings cry out) thatBhishma andDrona andKarna andBhurishrava were slain unrighteously, they became afflicted with grief and wept in sorrow.
Alas, I who hadSantanu's sonBhishma for my protector, andKarna, that foremost of all wielders of weapons andGotama's son,Shakuni, andDrona, that first of all wielders of arms, andAshvatthama, and the heroicShalya, andKritavarma, alas, even I have come to this plight! It seems that Time is irresistible! I was the lord of eleven Chamus of troops and yet I have come to this plight! Omighty-armed one, no one can rise superior to Time! Those of my side that have escaped with life from this battle should be informed, how I have been struck down byBhimasena in contravention of the rules of fair fight! Many have been the very unfair and sinful acts that have been perpetrated towardsBhurishrava, and Bhishma, and Drona of great prosperity! This is another very infamous act that the cruelPandavas have perpetrated, for which, I am certain, they will incur the condemnation of all righteous men! What pleasure can a righteously disposed person enjoy at having gained a victory by unfair acts? What wise man, again, is there that would accord his approbation to a person contravening the rules of fairness? What learned man is there that would rejoice after having won victory by unrighteousness as that sinful wretch,Vrikodara the son of Pandu, rejoices? What can be more amazing than this, that Bhimasena in wrath should with his foot touch the head of one like me while lying with my thighs broken? Is that person, O Sanjaya, worthy of honour who behaveth thus towards a man possessed of glory endued with prosperity, living in the midst of friends? My parents are not ignorant of the duties of battle. Instructed by me, O Sanjaya, tell them that are afflicted with grief these words: I have performed sacrifices, supported a large number of servants properly, governed the whole earth with her seas! I stayed on the heads of my living foes! I gave wealth to my kinsmen to the extent of my abilities, and I did what was agreeable to friends. I withstood all my foes. Who is there that is more fortunate than myself? I have made progresses through hostile kingdoms and commanded kings as slaves. I have acted handsomely towards all I loved and liked. Who is there more fortunate than myself? I honoured all my kinsmen and attended to the welfare of all my dependants. I have attended to the three ends of human existence, Religion, Profit, and Pleasure! Who is there more fortunate than myself? I laid my commands on great kings, and honour, unattainable by others, was mine, I always made my journeys on the very best of steeds. Who is there more fortunate than myself? I studied theVedas and made gifts according to the ordinance. My life has passed in happiness. By observance of the duties of my own order, I have earned many regions of blessedness hereafter. Who is there more fortunate than myself? By good luck, I have not been vanquished in battle and subjected to the necessity of serving my foes as masters. By good luck, O lord, it is only after my death that my swelling prosperity abandons me for waiting upon another! That which is desired by goodKshatriyas observant of the duties of their order, that death, is obtained by me! Who is there so fortunate as myself? By good luck, I did not suffer myself to be turned away from the path of hostility and to be vanquished like an ordinary person! By good luck, I have not been vanquished after I had done some base act! Like the slaughter of a person that is asleep or that is heedless, like the slaughter of one by the administration of poison, my slaughter hath taken place, for I have been slain as unrighteously, in contravention of the rules of fair fight! The highly blessed Ashvatthama, and Kritavarma of the Satwata race, and Saradwat's sonKripa, should be told these words of mine, 'You should never repose any confidence upon the Pandavas, those violators of rules, who have perpetrated many unrighteous acts!'
(Altho) insufficient (in number) this our Host is protected by (the wise) Bhishma; On the other hand, (while) sufficient, this their Host is protected by (the unskilled) Bhima.
"Stay out of this,Bhanu!"Suyodhana jumped from the bed, toppling over a stool. "This is not just about me and my cousin. It is about this country and the future of its people. You have not seenIndraprastha. You have not seen how the poor live in the model city of thePandavas. You have not seen..."
When theKauravas were defeated and Duryodhana was killed in theepic war of Kurukshethra, his followers wept profusely. Their tears became the river called Tamas, which means sorrow, known currently as theTons River.
Today, with Mahabharath, the epic being picturised on the Television, this group of ardent followers of Duryodhan have understood that their ‘benefactor’ is more a villain than a hero, hence a portion of the populace have distanced themselves from Duryodhana and dedicated the temple at Osla toSiva.
Vrinda and J. Ramanan in:Shrine for Duryodhana!
Raghunathan’s protagonist is Duryodhana. In the opening chapters the author builds a compelling case why the version of the epic you have known may be flawed because history is always written by victors.
The best chapters of Duryodhana are the early ones. The case is compellingly created. I really started to buy into the argument that maybe Duryodhana was not the villain I had always known.
King Duryodhana, the foolish, wicked bringer of disgrace to the Kurus, was born on earth from a portion ofKali;[1] he was the man of ill omen, hated throughout the entire universe, who slew the whole world, the base man who sparked off the terrible enmity which led to the deaths of so many.
And Duryodhana, Omonarch, having obtainedKarna (in this way), banished his fears arising out ofArjuna's proficiency in arms. And the heroic Karna, accomplished in arms, began to gratify Duryodhana by sweet speeches, whileYudhishthira was impressed with the belief that there was no warrior on earth like unto Karna.
Having unfairly slain kingSuyodhana of righteous soul,the son of Pandu shall be reputed in the world as a crooked warrior! The righteous-souled Duryodhana, on the other hand, shall obtain eternal blessedness!Dhritarashtra's royal son, that ruler of men, who hath been struck down, is a fair warrior. Having made every arrangement for the Sacrifice of battle and having undergone the initiatory ceremonies on the field, and, lastly, having poured his life as a libation upon the fire represented by his foes, Duryodhana has fairly completed his sacrifice by the final ablutions represented by the attainment of glory!
This act, OKrishna, done from wrath, ofVrikodara's touching the head ofthe king with his foot, is not agreeable to me, nor am I glad at this extermination of my race! By guile were we always deceived by thesons of Dhritarashtra! Many were the cruel words they spoke to us. We were again exiled into the woods by them. Great is the grief on account of all those acts that is in Bhimasena's heart! Reflecting on all this, O thou ofVrishni's race, I looked on with indifference! Having slain the covetous Duryodhana bereft of wisdom and enslaved by his passions, letthe son of Pandu gratify his desire, be it righteousness or unrighteousness!
The Earth is today thine, Oking, without brawls to disturb her and with all her thorns removed! Rule over her, O monarch, and observe the duties of thy order!He who was the cause of these hostilities and who fomented them by means of his guile, that wretched wight fond of deception, lieth, struck down, on the bare ground, O lord of earth! All these wretches headed byDuhshasana, who used to utter cruel words, as also those other foes of thine,the son of Radha, andShakuni, have been slain! Teeming with all kinds of gems, the Earth, with her forests and mountains, O monarch, once more cometh to thee that hast no foes alive!
Thou, Oson of Gandhari, hast been slain with thy brothers, sons, kinsmen, friends, and followers, only in consequence of the sinful path in which thou hast trod! Through thy evil acts those two heroes,Bhishma andDrona, have been slain!Karna too hath been slain for having imitated thy behaviour! Solicited by me, O fool, thou didst not, from avarice, give thePandavas their paternal share, acting according to the counsels ofShakuni! Thou gavest poison toBhimasena! Thou hadst, also, O thou of wicked understanding, endeavoured to burn all the Pandavas with their mother at thepalace of lac! On the occasion also of the gambling, thou hadst persecutedthe daughter of Yajnasena, while in herseason, in the midst of the assembly! Shameless as thou art, even then thou becamest worthy of being slain! Thou hadst, throughSubala's son well-versed in dice, unfairly vanquished the virtuousYudhishthira who was unskilled in gambling! For that art thou slain! Through the sinfulJayadratha again,Krishna was on another occasion persecuted when the Pandavas, her lords, had gone out hunting towards the hermitage of Trinavindu! CausingAbhimanyu, who was a child and alone, to be surrounded by many, thou didst slay that hero. It is in consequence of that fault, O sinful wretch, that thou art slain! All those unrighteous acts that thou sayest have been perpetrated by us, have in reality been perpetrated by thee in consequence of thy sinful nature! Thou didst never listen to the counsels ofBrihaspati andUsanas! Thou didst never wait upon the old! Thou didst never hear beneficial words! Enslaved by ungovernable covetousness and thirst of gain, thou didst perpetrate many unrighteous acts! Bear now the consequences of those acts of thine!
To give him [Duryodhana] cheer the aged Kuru lord [Bhishma], the glorious sire, blew hisshell, raising on high a roar as of a lion.
W. Douglas P. Hill, tr.
Chapter 1: Verse 23, by Arjuna
I wish to look at those who are assembled here, ready to fight and eager to achieve in battle what is dear to the evil-minded son [Duryodhana] ofDhṛtarāṣṭra.
There were more than 100,000 people assembled to watch the procession and pay homage to the presiding deity of the temple. The devotees belonged to all castes and creeds and the fervour they displayed was bewitching to watch. Strangely enough, the majestic festival was in honour of a man I had always believed to have few admirers, if any. The deity at theMalanada Temple in Poruvazhy village, Kerala, is none other than the most reviled villain of Indian mythology – Duryodhana.
Suyodhana was the butt of jokes for remaining faithful tohis wife in a culture that adoredKrishna for his harem of 16,008 'wives'.
p. 387
I know Suyodhana is a good man. If he had taken the incident to heart, he would not have invited us to this dice game. It shows he has forgiven us. He knowsYudhishthira likes nothing better than a game of dice. It is good ofyour husband to forgivehis sister's mistake.
I’ve expressed some of my doubts throughArjuna’s andBalrama’s. For instance, Balrama asksKrishna, “If Duryodhan is evil, why not kill only him? Why create a war?” Krishna doesn’t have a convincing answer to that.
