Duryodhana

Duryodhana (Sanskrit : दुर्योधन, IAST: Duryodhana) also known as Suyodhana, is t he main

ant agonist in t he Hindu epic Mahabharata and was t he eldest of t he Kauravas, t he hundred
sons of a blind king Dhrit arasht ra and queen Gandhari. Being t he first born son of t he blind
king, he was t he crown prince of Kuru Kingdom and it s capit al Hast inapura along wit h his
cousin Yudhisht ra who was older t han him. Karna was Duryodhana's closest friend. Not ably,
Duryodhana, wit h significant assist ance from Karna, performs Vaishnava Yagna when t he
Pandavas are in exile.[1][2] Duryodhana used his great er skill in wielding t he mace t o defeat
opponent s. He was also an ext remely courageous warrior and he was said t o be a good ruler.
Duryodhana's greed and arrogance were t he t wo qualit ies said t o lead t o his downfall in t he
Mahabharat a.
 Duryodhana

Duryodhana showing his army to Drona

Inf ormation

Aliases Suyodhana

Af filiation Kaurava

Weapon Gada (mace)

Family Dhritarashtra (father)

Gandhari (mother)
Dushasana,Dussaha, Jalagandha, Durmuka
Vikarna,Subahu, Sulochana, Anudhara,
Chitrasena and 90 more (brothers)
Dushala (sister)
Yuyutsu (step-brother)

Spouse Bhanumati

Children Laxman Kumara, Lakshmanaa

Relatives Pandavas (paternal cousins)

Shakuni (maternal uncle)

Etymology

The Sanskrit word, Duryodhana means "invincible".[3]

 Birth

Gandhari receiving boon from Vyasa

When Gandhari's pregnancy cont inued for an unusually long period of t ime, Her mot her-in-law
Ambika and Ambalika were very upset wit h her. Pandu and Kunt i earlier bore a son whom t hey
named Yudhisht hira. So she beat her womb in frust rat ion. This caused a hardened mass of
grey-coloured flesh t o issue from her womb. She implored Vyasa, t he great sage who had
blessed her as "Shat a Put ra Prapt irast hu" (Sanskrit for "blessed wit h a hundred sons"), t o
redeem his words. Vyasa divided t he ball of flesh int o one hundred and one equal pieces and
put t hem in pot s of milk, which were sealed and buried int o t he eart h for t wo years. At t he
end of t he second year, t he first pot was opened, and Duryodhana emerged.[4]

Early years
Duryodhana in Javanese Wayang

Alt hough loved by his family, Duryodhana and most of his brot hers were not seen on t he same
level as t he Pandavas in t heir adherence t o virt ue, dut y, and respect for elders. Duryodhana
felt t hat t he part ialit y everyone showed t o t he Pandavas was only due t o t he circumst ances
of t heir birt h. Duryodhana was ment ored by his mat ernal uncle Shakuni, who mast erminded
most of Duryodhana's plot s t o humiliat e and kill t he Pandavas.

Duryodhana's hat red for t he Pandavas st emmed from his sincere belief t hat he being t he son
of t he eldest brot her should be t he heir apparent t o t he t hrone of Hast inapura. Because of
his fat her's (Dhrit arasht ra) blindness, his fat her had t o renounce t he t hrone in favour of his
younger brot her, Pandu. Duryodhana deeply believed t hat what was right fully his was being
given away t o his older cousin Yudhisht hira. He also felt t hat t he Pandavas were t he sons of
Kunt i and devas/deit ies, and not of Pandu. He never believed t hat t heir divine origin alone
proved t heir superiorit y. On many occasions he quest ioned t heir merit s and always called
t hem 'Kaunt eya' (sons of Kunt i). He would never accept t he Pandavas as his brot hers but
always did his best t o rest rain t hem. He also bore a deep hat red of Bhima, who was older t han
him but much st ronger and dominat ed his brot hers in sport and skill wit h his immense
physical power and st rengt h. Out of anger and jealousy, he even t ried t o poison Bheem, but
was unsuccessful.[5]

Training

Learning mart ial skills from his gurus Dronacharya, he proved t o be ext remely skilled wit h t he
mace. He t hen went t o specialize in mace fight ing under Balarama, so as t o gain sympat hy
from him and went on t o become his favourit e pupil. Balarama described Duryodhana's body
t o be "light ning made flesh" and declared him t o be t he great est mace fight er of his
generat ion.

Relationship with Karna

At t he mart ial exhibit ion where t he Kaurava and Pandava princes demonst rat ed t heir skills
before t heir elders, t heir guru Drona and t he people of t hat kingdom, Karna appeared and
challenged an unsuspect ing Arjuna, who is considered t o be t he best of t he princes. But Karna
was st opped when Kripa asked him t o ascert ain his lineage, as it would be inappropriat e for
unequal t o compet e. Karna, not being a kshat riya, bowed his head in shame.[6]

Duryodhana immediat ely defended Karna, arguing t hat it is skill and bravery, and not birt h,
t hat defines a warrior. Using t he boon grant ed t o him by Dhrit arasht ra, Duryodhana made Karna
king of Anga so t hat he was regarded as Arjuna's equal.[7] Karna pledged his allegiance and
friendship t o Duryodhana. Neit her of t hem knew t hat Karna was in fact Kunt i's oldest son,
born t o (t he sun god) Surya, before her marriage t o Pandu.

In t he Kurukshet ra War, Karna was Duryodhana's great est champion and served as commander
from t he fift eent h day. Duryodhana sincerely believed t hat Karna was superior t o Arjuna, and
would defeat his four brot hers. When Karna was killed, Duryodhana mourned his deat h
int ensely, even more so t han t he deat h of his own brot hers and was inconsolable. When
Karna's ident it y was revealed t o him, Duryodhana's love for Karna only grew and it is said t o
be he, and not t he Pandavas, who performed Karna's last rit es.[8] Krishna confirmed t hat he
had t he highest right over Karna, as t hey loved and support ed each ot her t ruly.

Tendencies and schemes

During t heir childhood, Bhima used his brut e st rengt h t o inflict injuries on t he Kaurava
brot hers. As Bhima was glut t onous, Duryodhana, guided by Shakuni at t empt ed t o kill Bhima
by feeding him poison, but Bhima survived t he t rap and emerged even st ronger t han before.
Duryodhana t hen part icipat ed in a plot by Shakuni t o burn t he Pandavas in a house of wax at
Varnavat a; however, t hey managed t o escape t he t rap having been warned by Vidura.

Marriage and children

In t he St ri Parva of Mahabharat a, Gandhari ment ioned t he wife of Duryodhana and mot her of
Laxman. In t he Shant i Parva, sage Narada narrat ed t he marriage of Duryodhana wit h t he
daught er of King Chit rangada of Kalinga. In t he Mahabharat a, t he wife of Duryodhana is
unnamed but by most sources, Duryodhana had only one wife, who was named Bhanumat i in
lat er int erpolat ions.[9]

According t o t he st ory found in Mahabharata, Duryodhana abduct ed King Chit rangada's

daught er, t he maiden of t he fairest complexion, from her swayamvara wit h t he help of his
best friend Karna in t he wake of having been reject ed by her. It is described t hat he loved her
immensely. On reaching Hast inapur, Duryodhana just ified his act by giving t he example of his
great grandfat her Bhishma abduct ing t hree princesses of Kashi for his st epbrot her.[10]Laxman
Kumara and Lakshmanaa were t he children of Duryodhana and Bhanumat i.[11][12] Lit t le is
revealed about t hem in t he Mahabharata ot her t han Laxman's deat h in t he Kurukshet ra War
and Laxmanaa's marriage t o Krishna's son Samba.

Usurping the Kingdom

Aft er t he Pandavas revealed t hat t hey had survived t he wax house, wit h a new wife t o boot ,
Bhishma suggest ed t hat t he kingdom be divided in order t o ease t he obvious t ension.
Yudhisht hira is given half t he kingdom and made king of Khandavprast ha, so as t o avoid a
clash wit h t he Kaurava princes over t he whole Kuru Kingdom. Duryodhana became t he crown
prince of Hast inapura, and owing t o t he age and blindness of his fat her, he accumulat ed much
cont rol and influence, managing t he st at e affairs himself wit h a group of his advisers t hat
included his uncle Shakuni, brot her Dushasana, Bhishma, Vidura, and Karna.

Duryodhana slips into water, while Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadev laugh at him.

But Duryodhana remained jealous of Yudhisht hira, especially aft er t he Pandavas along wit h
Krishna t ransformed Khandavaprast ha t o Indraprast ha. Moreover, Yudhisht hira performed t he
Rajasuya Yagna and gained aut horit y over several ot her kingdoms; Indraprast ha's prosperit y
and fame appeared t o exceed Hast inapura's. Duryodhana was unable t o cont ain his anger,
which was int ensified when Bhima, Arjuna, t he t wins and t he servant s laughed at him when he
slipped int o a pool of wat er during a visit t o Indraprast ha.

In popular cult ure, t elevision shows and post -modern novels on Mahabharat a at t ribut e t his
blame t o Draupadi wit h an added st at ement "t he son of t he blind man also is blind", but t he
scene in t he canonical t ext of Vyasa's Sanskrit epic is different . As per original script ure
writ t en by Ved Vyasa Draupadi didn't t aunt Duryodhana.[13][14] This enraged Duryodhana and
increases his host ilit y t owards t he Pandavas.

The dice plot, and Draupadi's humiliation

Draupadi is presented to a pacheesi game

Duryodhana's jealousy of t he prosperit y and fame of Indraprast ha and being humiliat ed by t he

Pandavas made him furious and he wished t o t hrow down t he Pandavas. To support his will,
Shakuni devised a scheme t o rob Yudhisht hira of his kingdom and wealt h by defeat ing him in
a Pakida or game of dice, in which Shakuni couldn't lose as he had dices which he could
cont rol.

Unable t o decline t he invit at ion, due t o diplomacy, Yudhisht hira gambled away his ent ire
kingdom, his wealt h, his four brot hers and even his wife, in a series of gambit s t o ret rieve one
by st aking anot her. Aft er Yudhisht hira lost Draupadi, Duryodhana encouraged his brot her
Dushasana t o drag her int o t he court as she was now his propert y. Dushsana pulled Draupadi's
hair and dragged her int o t he court . Duryodhana ordered Draupadi t o sit on his left t high,
showing and pat t ing it t o insult her for revenge. Draupadi refused and Duryodhan ordered
Dushashan t o disrobe her. Following his brot her's orders, Dushashan laughed and st art ed
pulling Draupadi's saree. Duryodhan, Shakuni, Karna and t he ot her Kauravas (except Vikarna)
also st art ed laughing. However, by Krishna's grace, Draupadi's amount of clot hing remained
t he same.[15]
Due t o t his act ion, Bhima pledged t hat he would break Duryodhana's t high.

As an enraged Draupadi was about t o curse t he Kuru clan, Gandhari int ervened. Fearing
ret ribut ion by t he Pandavas, t heir allies, and hist ory, Dhrit arasht ra and Gandhari reversed all of
Yudhisht hira's losses. But t hen (eit her t hrough Duryodhana forcing his fat her t o command t he
Pandavas t o play again or t hrough Shakuni's vicious t ricks) t he game was repeat ed. For t his
game of dice Shakuni set t he condit ion t hat upon losing, Yudhisht hira and his brot hers must
spend t hirt een years in exile in t he forest and one year of Agyatavasa (remain unknown t o
ot hers possibly by a disguise) before t hey reclaim t heir kingdom. The t hirt eent h year must be
passed incognit o, or else t he t erm of exile would be repeat ed. The Pandavas lost and began
t heir exile.

Virata War

Duryodhana was a good friend of Mat sya Kingdom's commander-in-chief Kichaka. When
Bhima killed him for humiliat ing Draupadi, Duryodhana blamed Mat sya's King Virat a for his
friend Kichaka's deat h. Virat a got angry and ordered Duryodhana t o get out of his Kingdom
aft er insult ing him. Duryodhana t ook his army and at t acked Mat sya. He ordered his wife's
cousin Susharma t o at t ack Mat sya from ot her side but t hey failed t o conquer it because
Arjuna and Bhima defended it .

The Kurukshetra War

Peace Talks and Buildup

At t he end of t he exile t erm, Duryodhana refused t o ret urn Yudhisht hira's kingdom, despit e
t he counsel of Bhishma, Dronacharya, and Vidura. Alt hough Dhrit arasht ra openly crit icized his
son, he t acit ly desired t hat Duryodhana ret ain his t hrone. In a final at t empt at securing peace,
Krishna ret urned wit h t he Pandavas' final proposal: t he Pandavas would give up all claims t o
Indraprast ha and Hast inapura in exchange for five villages. Scoffing, Duryodhana said he will
not even give even a needlepoint of land t o t he Pandavas. Egged on by Krishna, Duryodhana
at t empt ed t o arrest him. Krishna revealed his Vishvarupa form. The ent ire Kaurava court ,
saved for Bhishma, Drona, Vidura, and Dhrit arasht ra (who was grant ed a divine vision in order
t o see t hat by support ing his son, he was going against God), was t emporarily blinded by t he
form. This confirmed t o t hose present t hat Krishna was indeed an avat ar of Vishnu.
Duryodhana, being vast ly egoist ic (in some versions of t he st ory an out right at heist ), brushed
off t he incident , not convinced of Krishna's divinit y, and believing t hat st rengt h of arms, not
philosophy, would win him a war.
Gathering the army

Wit h war inevit able, Duryodhana gat hered support from his powerful vassals. The most
powerful warriors – Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Kripa, Shalya, Bhurisravas, Ashwat t hama, even
t hose who were crit ical of him were forced t o fight for Duryodhana due t o t heir previous
commit ment s. He ended up amassing a larger army t han his rivals.

Shakuni also advised Duryodhana t o seek Krishna's help. Duryodhana rushed t o Dwarika only
t o find Krishna sleeping; he wait ed at t he head of Krishna's bed when suddenly, Arjuna arrived
wit h t he same goal in mind. Arjuna wait ed at t he foot of Krishna's bed. When Krishna woke up,
bot h Duryodhana and Arjuna appealed for his alliance. Krishna offered a choice of himself,
complet ely unarmed or t he ent ire Vrishni army. Duryodhana proclaimed t hat because he
arrived first , he should get first pick. However, Krishna said t hat because he saw Arjuna first
and because Arjuna was younger, t hat Arjuna get s t he first choice. Duryodhana became
worried but was overjoyed when Arjuna elect ed t o reject Krishna's army in favour of Krishna
alone. Joyously, Duryodhana ret urned t o Hast inapura wit h t he Vrishni army in hand, only t o be
rebuked by Shakuni, who comment s t hat Krishna is wort h many armies by himself.

Duryodhana also managed t o win t he army of Shalya, t he mat ernal uncle of Nakula and
Sahadeva. Duryodhana int ercept ed Shalya's army as it came t o Kurukshet ra and offered
hospit alit y; Shalya accept ed t hinking Yudhisht hira had made t he offer. Aft er Shalya had
enjoyed Duryodhana's comfort s, Duryodhana revealed t he duplicit y and indicat ed t hat Shalya
is now indebt ed t o him. He used t his indebt edness t o ext ract Shalya's army and support .
Duryodhana want ed Shalya mainly so t hat Karna would have an equivalent chariot eer t o
Arjuna's Krishna.

4th day

Bhima at t acked Duryodhana, pierced him and cut off his bow. In ret urn, Duryodhana pierced
Bhima, his Chariot eer and cut off his bow. Duryodhana pierced Bhima wit h shaft s on his
breast . Bhima feeling great pain fled away from t he bat t lefield.[16]

8th day

On t he 8t h day, Rakashasaas of Ghat ot kacha's army at t acked Duryodhana. Duryodhana slew

many rakshasas like Vegavat , Maharudra, Vidyujihva and Pramat hin.[16] Lat er, he killed
Visharada, son of Kunt i-Bhoja.[17]

14th day
Ut t amauja and Yudhamanyu (sons of Drupad)[18] at t acked Duryodhana and Duryodhana
defeat ed t hem in mace fight ing.[18] Aft er t he deat h of Jayadrat ha, Duryodhana became very
angry and he st art ed killing t he Pandava army. However, he is lat er defeat ed by Yudhisht hira
and flees.

15th day

Nakula at t acked Duryodhana. Duryodhana fought wit h him and defeat ed Nakula, forcing him
t o flee. On t he sixt eent h day, he t ried t o face Yudisht hira and bravely wit hst ood his
onslaught . But soon, Yudisht hira defeat ed him and dest royed his chariot . Luckily, he was
rescued by Karna.[19]

17th day

Nakula and Sahadeva at t acked Duryodhana. Duryodhana pierced t hem and nearly killed t hem.
Lat er, Dhrisht adyumna saved t hem. Then many Pandava warriors, including Yudhisht hira,
Bhima, Drist adyumna, Sat yaki, et c. all t oget her at t acked Duryodhana. However Duryodhana
alone managed t o resist all t he Pandavas and he repelled t he Pandavas' group at t ack single-
handedly.[20]

18th day

On t he 18t h day, t he Pandavas t oget her had at t acked Duryodhana but t hey were
unsuccessful as Duryodhana alone resist ed and defeat ed all of t hem.[21][22] Duryodhana had
also killed a Yadava warrior named Chekit ana on t hat day. Lat er, he t ried t o defeat
Dhrisht adyumna who was dest roying t he ret reat ing Kaurava army. However, Dhrisht adyumna
killed Duryodhana's chariot eer and dest royed his chariot , forcing Duryodhana t o flee. He was
t he one of t he only warriors who was able t o defeat Duryodhana t hat day.[23]

Gada-Yuddha
The final battle between Bhima and Duryodhana

Bhima fighting with Duryodhana, Kalighat painting

Duryodhana Found in The Lake

Duryodana was defeated by Bhima – A scene from Razmanama

On t he eight eent h day of t he war, wit h his army reduced t o himself, Ashwat t hama, Kripa and
Krit varma, Duryodhana went t o medit at e in a lake. When t he Pandavas and Krishna event ually
found him, Duryodhana t old t hem t hat he want ed t o gift t he kingdom t o t hem, and ret ire t o
t he forest . Yudhisht hira reject ed t he offer, t elling him t hat Hast inapur is not Duryodhana's t o
gift . Inst ead, he offered t hat Duryodhana may pick any of t he Pandava brot hers t o fight
against one-t o-one wit h a weapon of his choice, wit h t he winner of t he conflict t he vict or of
t he war.

Despit e his proposed advant age over Yudhisht hira, Arjuna, Nakula, or Sahadeva wit h t he gada,
Duryodhana picked his nemesis Bhima. Despit e Bhima's physical advant age, Duryodhana had
t he bet t er t echnique due t o his devot ion t o his craft . Aft er a long and brut al bat t le bet ween
t he t wo disciples of Balarama, Duryodhana began t o exhaust Bhima and nearly made Bhima
faint .

At t his point , Krishna, observing t he fight , called out t o Bhima and signalled him by repeat edly
clapping his own t high wit h his hand. As int ended, Bhima was reminded of an oat h he had
t aken aft er t he game of dice t o crush Duryodhana's t highs. Bhima vict oriously at t acked
Duryodhana wit h his mace and st ruck his t high, mort ally wounding Duryodhana. Aft er having
his face insult ingly kicked by Bhima, Duryodhana bemoaned t hat he was slain by unfair means,
given t hat it was illegal t o at t ack below t he waist in a mace fight .

Infuriat ed at t he violat ion, Balarama, t he brot her of Lord Krishna, raised his weapon t o at t ack.
Lord Krishna consoled Balarama, by reminding him of Duryodhana's evil deeds, and
reprimanded him for t rying t o influence a war he refused t o part icipat e in.[24]

Lying defeat ed, Duryodhana boast ed t o t he Pandavas about how he would die a glorious
deat h, about how he got t o enjoy Hast inapur while t he Pandavas were in exile, and about how
he would now spend t he aft erlife in t he company of his friends and relat ives. He again
eviscerat ed t he Pandavas for all t heir chicanery during t he war and decried t heir legacy.
Venerat ing his own charact er, Duryodhana proclaimed he will die happily.

Death

When t he coast was clear, Ashwat t hama, Kripacharya, and Krit varma, having wit nessed t he
fight and not want ing t o int errupt so as t o rob Duryodhana of his honor, came t o Duryodhana's
broken body. Ashwat t hama promised Duryodhana t hat he would dispat ch t he Pandavas and
t heir allies t o t he abode of Yama and request s his permission t o cont inue t he war.

Ashwat t hama proceeds t o t he encampment and int o Drisht adyumna's t ent at night while
everybody of Pandava camp were sleeping. Drisht adyumna awakens from his sleep, and begs
Ashwat t hama not t o kill him cowardly at night and unarmed, and let him die a warrior's deat h
wit h an appropriat e duel. Ashwat t hama ignores his plea and beat s him t o deat h. The
Upapandavas and Shikhandhi alert ed by Drisht adyumn's cries, came out of t heir t ent s t o
bat t le, only t o be slain. Ashwat t hama proceeds t o massacre everyone in t he encampment
while any escapees were slain by Kripacharya and Krit varma at t he gat es of t he encampment .

Aft er killing t he Upapandavas and t he last remnant s of t he Panchalas, Ashwat t hama ret urns
t o Duryodhana. He showed Duryodhana t he blood on his sword which belonged t o t he
Upapandavas, hearing Duryodhana peacefully left his body sat isfied wit h revenge.
Concomit ant wit h Duryodhana's deat h, Sanjaya loses his divine sight , which he had been using
t o updat e Duryodhana's fat her Dhrit arasht ra. This symbolizes t he conclusion t o t he war.

Aft er t he Pandavas ret ired, only Yudhisht hira reached heaven alive. There, he saw Duryodhana,
which shocked him. When asked by Yudhisht hira, Narada replied t hat Duryodhana fulfilled his
religious dut ies.[25]

Evaluation

Duryodhana is a popular choice of analysis. His merit s, flaws, symbolism, and relevance are
widely discussed.

Urubhangam is a Sanskrit play writ t en by Bhasa in t he 2nd or 3rd cent ury AD wit h Duryodhana
as it s primary prot agonist . Writ t en as a t ragedy, t he drama focuses on his point of view of
t he event s of Mahabharat a. His port rayal as a t ragic hero is especially unique wit hin t he body
of works in Sanskrit drama.

Many Hindus believe t hat Duryodhana was t he personificat ion of Kali wit h demoniac qualit ies
such as greed, ego and lust . Many crit ics argue t hat he is not wit hout posit ives; many
consider Duryodhana as a fair king and t here are t emples dedicat ed t o him and t he Kauravas.
Scholars believe t hat like most ot her charact ers of t he Mahabharat a, t he t rue pict ure is not
black and whit e. His name is oft en mist aken t o mean bad ruler, however, his name is act ually
coined from t he Sanskrit words "du"/"duh" which means "difficult " and "yodhana" which means
"fight "/"war". So Duryodhana act ually means someone who is extremely difficult to fight/defeat
or wage war against.

Duryodhana is viewed, by some, as t he product of Dhrit arasht ra's ambit ion and also in a
met aphorical sense, his "blindness". He is also praised for his adherence t o his dut ies as a
Kshat riya, and even in his last combat , fight s bravely. He chooses t o face Bhima in combat
over all t he ot her Pandavas, wit h whom he has an advant age in mace fight ing. His skills in t he
mace are also praised; many st ories call him t he great est mace-fight er of t he age aft er
Balarama, Krishna and Bheema.

Friendship with Karna

The friendship bet ween Karna and Duryodhana is considered t o be a great one, and is used as
an example of friendship and loyalt y.[7][26] A lesser-known st ory is t old about Karna,
Duryodhana, and his wife Bhanumat i, as an example of honest friendship. Wit h t he help of
Karna, Duryodhana married Bhanumat i. According t o t he Mahabharata, Duryodhana abduct ed
Bhanumat i, t he maiden of t he fairest complexion, from her swayamvara wit h t he help of his
best friend Karna in t he wake of having been reject ed by her.

As per a Tamil folkt ale, when Duryodhana had recent ly wedded Bhanumat i, one day, he
request ed Karna t o t ake care of her and ent ert ain her for t he evening as he had dut ies t o be
t aken care of. To pass t ime, Karna and Bhanumat i began playing a game of dice. The game
soon got very int erest ing, engrossing t he t wo of t hem complet ely. Gradually, Karna st art ed
winning. Meanwhile, Duryodhana had ret urned early and ent ered t he room. Seeing her husband
come in, Bhanumat i immediat ely st ood up as a mark of respect . Karna, whose back was facing
t he door, did not realize t his and misconst rued her int ent , t hinking t hat she was leaving
because she was on t he losing side.

He immediat ely reached for her pearl-t rimmed shawl, and accident ally pulled so hard t hat t he
t rimming broke, and t he pearls were scat t ered all over t he floor. Her veil also slipped along
wit h t he shawl, so she was half-dressed. Bhanumat i, who was as yet , not so familiar wit h
Karna, froze at t he t hought of how her husband would react . She had heard of his ego and had
personally been present t he last t ime he was insult ed, which had result ed in her own
abduct ion.

Karna, following Bhanumat i's st unned gaze, t urned around t o see Duryodhana observing t hem
bot h carefully. He st ood in shame, embarrassment and guilt , considering t he wrat h and
inevit able punishment he was going t o face from his friend. He was sure Duryodhana would
immediat ely accuse t hem of impropriet y. However, much t o bot h t heir surprise, Duryodhana
looked past Karna, and addressed his wife, "Should I just collect the beads, or would you like
me to string them, as well?”

Bhanumat i and Karna could only look at each ot her in shock, mut ely, feeling ashamed at t he
way t hey had bot h severely misjudged him. He had implicit fait h and great love for his queen,
and even great er was his fait h in his friend Karna. Not for a moment did he suspect t hat t he
man he had considered his brot her would ever bet ray him, and only quiet ly picked up t he
pearls t rust fully. This st ory is not present in t he Vyasa Mahabharat a, but is oft en commonly
t old when discussing Karna and Duryodhana's genuine friendship.[27]
Coronation of Karna

Modern Worship
At Poruvazhy Peruvirut hy Malanada Temple in Kerala's Kollam dist rict , Duryodhana is
worshipped as t he main deit y. It is t he only t emple in Sout h India where a Kaurava is
considered a God.[28]

In t he Kumaon region of Ut t arakhand, several beaut ifully carved t emples are dedicat ed t o
Duryodhana and he is worshipped as t he deit y. The mount ain t ribes of Kumaon fought
along wit h Duryodhana in t he Mahabharat a war; he was venerat ed as a capable and
generous administ rat or.

There is a t emple in Osla, Garhwal division of Ut t arakhand. This was built by t he inhabit ant s
of Saur. People believe he st ayed here wit h t he blessings of Lord Mahasu t o care for t he
people.[29]

In media

Krishnavatara (Hindi: कृ ष्णअवतार), a series of seven novels writ t en by Dr. K.M. Munshi
(Bharat iya Vidya Bhavan)

Duryodhana by Viswanat han Raghunat han (2014, Harper Collins).

Television & films

Mammoot t y played a charact er based on Duryodhana in t he 1991 Kollywood film
Thalapat hi. The t heme of t he film is based on t he friendship bet ween Karna and
Duryodhana.[30]
Manoj Bajpayee played a charact er based on Duryodhana in t he 2010 Bollywood film
Raajneet i.
Year Project Played by Country Language

1964 Karnan S. A. Ashokan Tamil

Daana Veera Shura N. T. Rama

1977 Telugu
Karna Rao India

Mahabharat (1988 TV
1988 Puneet Issar Hindi
series)

Belgium
Aust ralia U.S.
Sweden
Port ugal
Norway
Georges
1989 The Mahabharata Net herlands English
Corraface
Japan
Ireland Iceland
Finland
Denmark UK
France

Kumar
1993 Krishna (TV series) Hindi
Hegde

2002 Maharathi Karna Nimai Bali Hindi

Kahaani Hamaaray
2008 Aryan Vaid Hindi
Mahaabhaarat Ki

Mahabharatham (TV
2013 Vet ri Vel Tamil
series)

2013 Mahabharat Arpit Ranka Hindi

Jackie India

2013 Mahabharat Shroff Hindi

(voice)

Shaleen
2015 Suryaputra Karn Hindi
Bhanot

Paras
2018 Karn Sangini Hindi
Chhabra

Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil,

2019 Kurukshetra Darshan
Telugu, and Hindi

2018 RadhaKrishn Krrip Kapur India Hindi

- Suri

See also

Kaurava

Kali (demon)

Mahabharata

References

1. Ganguli, Kisari Mohan. The Mahabharata, Book 3: Vana Parva. Netlancers Inc, 2014.

2. Kisari Mohan Ganguli (1896). "Mahabaratha, Digvijaya yatra of Karna" (http://www.sacred-texts.co

m/hin/m03/m03252.htm) . The Mahabharata. Sacred Texts. Retrieved 11 June 2015.

3. Gandhi, Maneka (1993). The Penguin Book of Hindu Names (https://books.google.com/books?id=P

kW6hs1OjyEC) . Penguin Books India. p. 125. ISBN 9780140128413.

4. "The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section CXV" (http://www.sacred-texts.co
m/hin/m01/m01116.htm) . Sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 15 August 2014.

5. Rao, Shanta Rameshwar (1985). The Mahabharata (Illustrated). Orient Blackswan. pp. 25–26.
ISBN 9788125022800.

6. McGrath, Kevin (2004). The Sanskrit Hero: Karna in Epic Mahābhārata (https://books.google.com/b
ooks?id=YkmXk3-1j7UC) . Brill Academic. ISBN 90-04-13729-7. Retrieved 25 November 2013.

7. Vignesh, Inba. "The Greatest friends ever lived - Karna and Duriyoudan" (http://www.hearty-india.co
m/2011/10/karan-and-dhuriyoudan-greatest-friends.html) . India - The Land of Hearts. India - The
Land of Hearts. Retrieved 15 June 2017.

8. Jain, Gopal (14 February 2020). SHAKUNI - AN OATH FOR REVENGE (https://books.google.com/bo
oks?id=1wvQDwAAQBAJ&q=karna%27s+final+rights+were+performed+by&pg=PA444) . BlueRose
Publishers.

9. Sharma, Arvind (2007). Essays on the Mahābhārata (https://books.google.com/books?id=KnCxH85

Vra4C&q=duryodhana+wife&pg=PA298) . Motilal Banarsidass Publishe. ISBN 978-81-208-2738-7.

10. Anonymous. The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (Complete) (https://books.google.co

m/books?id=ygA2240G74kC&q=Narada+said%2C+%27Having+thus+obtained+weapons+from+him
+of+Bhrigu%27s+race%2C+Karna+began+to+pass+his+days+in+great+joy%2C+in+the+company+of
+Duryodhana%2C+O+bull+of+Bharata%27s+race.&pg=PT7783) . Library of Alexandria. ISBN 978-
1-4655-2637-3.

11. Vanamali (2012). The Complete Life of Krishna: Based on the Earliest Oral Traditions and the
Sacred Scriptures (https://books.google.com/books?id=LFwoDwAAQBAJ&q=lakshmana+daughter+
of+duryodhana&pg=PT171) . Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781594776908. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
12. "Indian Myth and Legend: Chapter XVIII. The Battle of Eighteen Days" (http://www.sacred-texts.co
m/hin/iml/iml23.htm) . Sacred-texts.com.

13. "The Mahabharata, Book 2: Sabha Parva: Sisupala-badha Parva: Section XLVI" (http://www.sacred-
texts.com/hin/m02/m02046.htm) .

14. "Did Draupadi Insult Duryodhana during Rajasuya, Karna in Swayamvara?" (https://www.myindiam
yglory.com/2020/05/19/did-draupadi-insult-duryodhana-during-rajasuya-karna-in-swayamvara/) .
myIndiamyGlory. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2020.

15. Raya, Pratapacandra (1884). The Mahabharata (https://books.google.com/books?id=HMsMAwA

AQBAJ) . Рипол Классик. ISBN 9785875963933.

16. "The Mahabharata, Book 6: Bhishma Parva: Bhagavat-Gita Parva: Section LXIV" (https://sacred-tex
ts.com/hin/m06/m06064.htm) . sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 12 May 2020.

17. "The Mahabharata, Book 6: Bhishma Parva: Bhagavat-Gita Parva: Section XCV" (https://sacred-text
s.com/hin/m06/m06095.htm) . sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 12 May 2020.

18. "The Mahabharata, Book 7: Drona Parva: Jayadratha-Vadha Parva: Section CXXIX" (https://sacred-
texts.com/hin/m07/m07126.htm) . sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 12 May 2020.

19. "Defeat of Nakula by Duryodhana" (https://sacred-texts.com/hin/m07/m07184.htm?fbclid=IwAR1w

KvwUUcltb_jFK2W275ssjKJqRg7Pcz7SN1GsOqnMWYcoHdNSsysw3gc) .

20. "The Mahabharata, Book 9: Shalya Parva: Section 3" (https://sacred-texts.com/hin/m09/m09003.

htm) . sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 4 June 2020.

21. "The Mahabharata, Book 9: Shalya Parva: Section 17" (https://sacred-texts.com/hin/m09/m0901

7.htm) . sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 4 June 2020.

22. "The Mahabharata, Book 9: Shalya Parva: Section 22" (https://sacred-texts.com/hin/m09/m0902

2.htm) . sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 4 June 2020.

23. "The Mahabharata, Book 9: Shalya Parva: Section 12" (https://sacred-texts.com/hin/m09/m0901

2.htm) . sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 4 June 2020.

24. K M Ganguly(1883-1896) Balarama curses Bhima and came to aid of Duryodhana (http://sacred-te
xts.com/hin/m09/m09060.htm) October 2003, Retrieved 2015-03-08

25. https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m18/m18001.htm

26. "Friendship" (http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/religion/friendship/article2296494.

ece) . The Hindu. The Hindu. Retrieved 15 June 2017.

27. https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/93789/5/05_chapter%203.pdf

28. "Poruvazhy Peruviruthy Malanada | The one and only one Duryodhana Temple in South India" (htt
p://www.malanada.com/) . Malanada.com. Retrieved 15 August 2014.

29. "Shrine for Duryodhana!" (http://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/a-temple-for-duryo

dhana-in-the-himalayas/article18425964.ece?homepage=true) . The Hindu. 11 May 2017.
Retrieved 12 May 2017.
30. R, Narendran. "Vintage Movie Review: A Review on Thalapathi" (http://www.behindwoods.com/tami
l-movies-cinema-fans-Column/vintage-movie-review-a-review-on-thalapathi-thalpathi-visitor-review.
html) . Behindwoods.com. Behindwoods.com. Retrieved 18 February 2016.

External links

Wikiquot e has quot at ions relat ed t o: Duryodhana

Wikimedia Commons has media relat ed t o Duryodhana.

Duryodhana Temples and Lineage (ht t ps://web.archive.org/web/20100205123023/ht t p://a

ncient indians.wordpress.com/duryodhana/)

karna great personalit ies (ht t ps://web.archive.org/web/20170304200505/ht t p://www.freei

ndia.org/biographies/great personalit ies/karna/page8.ht m)

THE RELEVANCE OF “KARNA AND DURYODHANA’S” FRIENDSHIP IN THE MODERN

INDIAN SOCIETY (ht t ps://web.archive.org/web/20140317194726/ht t p://newzfeat urez.co
m/2014/03/17/t he-relevance-of-karna-and-duryodhanas-friendship-in-t he-modern-indian-
societ y/)

From Duryodhana's perspect ive (ht t ps://web.archive.org/web/20171108140058/ht t p://ww

w.t hehindu.com/feat ures/met roplus/from-duryodhanas-perspect ive/art icle7530151.ece)

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