DURYODHANA’s Kurukshetra War
Being the first born son of the blind
king, he was the crown prince of Kuru Kingdom and its
capital Hastinapura along with his cousin Yudhishtra who
was older than him. Karna was Duryodhana's closest friend. Notably,
Duryodhana, with significant assistance from Karna, performs Vaishnava Yagna
when the Pandavas are in exile. Unlike Bhima, who overly relied on his
strength to defeat opponents, Duryodhana used his greater skill in wielding the
mace to defeat opponents. This extreme proficiency in mace fighting is what
allowed him to go toe-to-toe with the former, possibly even defeating him, had
the former not resorted to unfair practices. He was also an extremely
courageous warrior and he was said to be a just ruler.
Duryodhana's greed and arrogance, were
the two qualities said to lead to his downfall in the Mahabharata, mentored by
his maternal uncle Shakuni who masterminded most of Duryodhana's plots to
humiliate and kill the Pandavas.
As plan started for the War, Duryodhana
gathered support from all corners and made a large army.
Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Kripa, Ashwatthama, Shrutyudha
et. al. are forced to fight for Duryodhana due to their previous commitments.
On Shakuni’s advise Duryodhana went for Krishna's help.
When Duryodhana reached Dwarika Krishna was sleeping; he waited at the
head of Krishna's bed. Arjuna too arrived with the same goal and
waited at the foot. When Krishna wakes up, both Duryodhana and Arjuna appeal
for his alliance. Krishna offers a choice of himself, completely unarmed, or
the entire Vrishini army. Duryodhana wanted the chance first as he
arrived first, Krishna says that because he saw Arjuna first and because Arjuna
is younger, that Arjuna gets first choice. Duryodhana was worried but got
overjoyed when Arjuna selected Krishna and left the whole Vrishini army.
Duryodhana returns to Hastinapura with the Vrishini army on which
Shakuni was unhappy as he knows Krishna is worth many armies by himself.
Duryodhana also manages to win the army
of Shalya, the maternal uncle of the Pandavas. Duryodhana intercepts
Shalya's army as it comes to Kurukshetra and offers hospitality;
Shalya accepts thinking Yudhishthira had made the offer. After Shalya
has enjoyed Duryodhana's comforts, Duryodhana reveals the duplicity and
indicates that Shalya is now indebted to him. He uses this indebtedness to
extract Shalya's army and support. Duryodhana wanted Shalya mainly so
that Karna would have an equivalent charioteer to Arjuna's
Krishna.
In the war, Duryodhana repeatedly eggs on
the invincible Bhishma and Drona to forward his cause, even
though his main hope is Karna. He desires to appoint Karna as
his commander-in-chief; however, Karna and Shakuni point
out that his already reluctant allies would much rather fight under Bhishma, an
older, experienced, god-born, kshatriya than fight under
a suta-putra. Reluctantly, Duryodhana appoints Bhishma as the commander in
chief. When Bhishma falls to Arjuna, Duryodhana appoints Drona as commander-in-chief
and orders him to capture Yudhishthira to win the war. On the thirteenth day of
battle, his heir Lakshmana is killed by Arjuna's
son, Abhimanyu, who proceeds to try and arrest Duryodhana. Duryodhana
orders his soldiers to brutally kill of Abhimanyu, even if though it takes
unethical means to finish him off.
Duryodhana is repeatedly frustrated, as
the Pandavas succeed in downing Drona, and is emotionally distraught when, on
the 14th day, Arjuna, enraged by Abhimanyu's death, tears through
the Kaurava army and slays Duryodhana's brother-in-law Jayadratha.
Throughout the war, Bhima is steadily slaying Duryodhana's brothers, increasing
his misery and bringing him closer to a defeat.
Duryodhana's hopes are finally shattered
when Karna is felled by the strategy of Lord
Krishna and Arjuna. It is said that Duryodhana never shed a single
tear for any of his real brothers except Dushasana who were killed in the battlefield,
but when his beloved friend Karna was slain, he was inconsolable. Duryodhana
appoints Shalya as the next commander-in-chief.
In the Kurukshetra War, Karna is
Duryodhana's greatest champion and serves as commander from the fifteenth
day. Duryodhana sincerely believes that Karna is superior to Arjuna, and
will defeat his four brothers. When Karna is killed, Duryodhana
mourns his death intensely, even more so than the death of his own brothers and
was inconsolable. When Karna's identity is revealed to him, Duryodhana's love
for Karna only grows and it is said to be he, and not the Pandavas, who
performs Karna's last rites. Krishna confirms that he has the highest right
over Karna, as they loved and supported each other truly.
200202 – 2020 February 02
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