10 amazing facts that history never told us about Mahabharata’s Duryodhana
The Mahabharata is one of the two greatest epics of India, the other being the Ramayana. Mahabharata is all about the rivalry between Kauravas and Pandavas and how it led to the most dreaded battle called the Kurukshetra War. Lord Krishna recited the great Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna just before the face-off.
The Hindu epic has been told and retold for aeons. But all these days, Duryodhana, the eldest Kaurava prince, has been painted as the underdog of the clan. What we know is that he used to bully the Pandavas in his younger days and it grew up as rivalry with time. He was ill-hearted and didn’t respect anyone. He was jealous and greedy for power and fame. But is it all about the slick strategist?
While he has been coated with a darker shade of grey, here are a few facts that we never knew about Duryodhana. The following points are excerpts from the book “AJAYA” written by noted author Anand Neelakantan. While on his visit to Kerala, the author learnt that there is even a temple dedicated to Duryodhana, in his book he makes an attempt to surprise us more:
1. A handsome hunk
Duryodhana, the first prince of the Kaurava clan in Hastinapur dynasty was a handsome hunk. Subhadra, the younger sister of Yadavas, Balarama and Krishna, fell in love with him at first sight while she was accompanying her brother Balarama to Hastinapur. Unfortunately, things changed when Duryodhana supported Karna by making him his friend and also King of Anga.
2. Challenging the establishment
Duryodhana challenged the societal inequalities that existed then. He always worried why mankind was divided based on castes and why certain privileges were denied to them. He wanted to bring about reforms and create a country where all his people would be equal and happy.
3. Cornered for his curiosity
Duryodhana was cornered in the gurukul when he raised sensible questions about power and talent. Their teacher Drona, an orthodox Brahman, used to complain about him to Godfather Bheeshma.
4. Respect for talent
Duryodhana was annoyed with the way talented people were treated just because they belonged to the lower rungs of society. He felt bad when Drona refused to teach the hunter Ekalavya who expressed interest to learn archery.
5. His perception of love
When Drona asked his students what they saw on that distant tree, Arjuna was highly appreciated by him for his witty answer. Arjuna told that he saw his target. But Duryodhana transcended the normal limits of human perception and saw love. He didn’t like the way one pigeon was killed.
6. Compassion for the down-trodden
Due to his compassion towards the down-trodden, Duryodhana was silently liked by godfather Bheeshma. Duryodhana respected Bheeshma and always obliged him.
7. An expert with the gadha
He was also liked by Yadava leader Balarama, who even taught him how to handle gadha (mace or club). It gave him an edge over the Pandava prince Bheema during their fight that took place during their crowning ceremony as princes where they had to exhibit their valour.
8. Challenging the caste system
Due to like-mindedness in ideology, Duryodhana and Kripa (who was also a Brahman and brother-in-law of Drona) shared friendship. But Kripa was hated by Drona and other Brahmans in the Hastinapur kingdom as he too challenged the caste system.
9. Karna’s only friend
During their crowning ceremony, Karna , who belonged to a lower caste, was insulted by the Brahmans. But to reward Karna for his talent, he made him the king of Anga.
10. The unbeatable
After the famous gamble, Draupadi was stripped and ill-treated by Dushshasana. But Duryodhana never tried to justify his acts. While others quote reasons and excuses for their deeds, Duryodhana stood apart from the crowd. The word Duryodhana itself means “the unbeatable”.
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