Duryodhana

Duryodhana
Duryodhana in the Kuru Court insulting Krishna before the Kurukshetra War, painting by Raja Ravi Varma
Information
Aliases	Suyodhana
Affiliation	Kaurava
Weapon	Gada (mace)
Family	Dhritarashtra (father) Gandhari (mother) Dushasana, Vikarna, and 97 more (brothers) Dushala (sister) Yuyutsu (half-brother)
Spouse	Princess of Kalinga Princess of Kashi (only in Southern Recension of the Mahabharata)
Children	Lakshmana Kumara and Lakshmanaa
Relatives	Pandavas (paternal half cousins) Shakuni (maternal uncle)

Duryodhana (Sanskrit: दुर्योधन, [d̪ʊɾjoːd̪ʱən̪ᵊ], IAST: Duryodhana), also known as Suyodhana, is the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. He is the eldest of the Kauravas, the hundred sons of King Dhritarashtra and Queen Gandhari of Kuru dynasty. Born through a miraculous manner, his birth is accompanied by ill-omens. Duryodhana grows up in Hastinapura and later becomes its crown prince. Driven by innate selfishness, jealousy, and hostility towards his cousins—the five Pandava brothers—Duryodhana constantly provokes and antagonises them, culminating in the infamous dice game where he humiliates Draupadi, the queen of the Pandavas. With the help of his scheming uncle Shakuni, Duryodhana tricks the Pandavas into relinquishing their kingdom and forces them into exile. Even after the Pandavas complete their thirteen-year exile, he refuses to restore their kingdom, directly triggering the outbreak of the Kurukshetra War.

During the war, Duryodhana is supported by renowned warriors such as Bhishma, Drona, and Karna, the latter being one of his closest allies. As the conflict reaches its climax and most of his key supporters have fallen, Duryodhana flees the battlefield and hides within a magically fortified lake. When the Pandavas discover him, he agrees to a final duel, selecting his main rival Bhima as his opponent. Although Duryodhana has superior skills, he is ultimately defeated when Bhima strikes him illegally on the thigh. Gravely wounded and humiliated, Duryodhana remains defiant to the end, appointing his friend Ashvatthaman as commander of the remaining Kaurava forces. Following a final act of vengeance orchestrated by Ashvatthaman, Duryodhana succumbs to his injuries.

Duryodhana is regarded as an incarnation of the demon of strife, Kali (distinct from the goddess Kali). Although noted for his bravery, skills and ambition, he is portrayed in the epic as an arrogant and envious man of poor judgement, whose actions brought dishonour upon the Kuru dynasty. Duryodhana has been prominently adapted in numerous derivative works, such as Urubhanga and Venisamhara, where his character is expanded and portrayed with elements of pathos and tragedy.

Etymology and epithets

The name "Duryodhana" is derived from Sanskrit, combining the term "yodhana" (योधन), meaning "to fight" or "warrior", with the prefix "dur" (दुर्). The prefix dur- carry a pejorative sense, meaning “badly” or “difficult to-.” This leads to interpretations such as “one who fights badly” or “one who is difficult to fight.” However, dur- can also signify a formidable quality, making the meaning more complex. Conversely, Suyodhana serves as an alternate name, with su- as a laudatory prefix meaning “well” or “easy to-.” This allows for interpretations such as “one who fights well” or “one who is easy to fight.” Indologist Monier-Williams identifies Suyodhana as a euphemism for Duryodhana, meaning “fighting well.” However, as author David Gitomer notes, if the Pāṇḍavas used this name, they could be invoking its alternative sense of “easy to fight,” undermining its intended praise.

Gitomer further observes that in mediaeval adaptations such as the play Veṇīsaṃhāra, the Pāṇḍavas generally call him Suyodhana, whereas his kin and partisans refer to him as Duryodhana. This pattern appears in the Mahābhārata as well, though both sides occasionally use the opposing term. Such shifts suggest that speakers are deliberately evoking the secondary meaning of each name, highlighting the epic’s deep ambivalence toward Duryodhana’s character—acknowledging both his strengths and his moral ambiguity.

Duryodhana, like many prominent figures in the Mahābhārata, is known by several epithets that highlight his lineage, status, and qualities. Some of these epithets include:

• Ājamīḍha
• Bhārata
• Bhārataśārdūla
• Bhārataśreṣṭha
• Bhāratāgrya
• Bharatarṣabha
• Bhāratasattama
• Dhārtarāṣṭra
• Dhṛtarāṣṭraja
• Gāndhārīputra
• Kaurava
• Kauravanandanā
• Kauravendra
• Kauravya
• Kauraveya
• Kurukuladhāma
• Kurumukhya
• Kurunandana
• Kurupati
• Kurupravīra
• Kurupuṅgava
• Kurusattama
• Kururāja
• Kurusiṃha
• Kurūttama

Literary Background

Duryodhana is a central character in the Mahābhārata. The Mahābhārata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, traditionally attributed to Vyasa. Comprising approximately 100,000 verses, it is the longest epic poem in world literature. The epic primarily deals with the succession conflict between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, whom Duryodhana leads, culminating in the great war of Kurukshetra.

The text has multiple recensions, broadly categorized into the Northern Recension and the Southern Recension. These versions differ in length, theological content, and certain narrative elements, with the Southern Recension often including additional devotional aspects.

To establish a standardized version, the Critical Edition (CE) was compiled at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune, under the guidance of Vishnu S. Sukthankar. Completed in 1966, the CE collates nearly 1,259 manuscripts to reconstruct the core text while identifying later interpolations.

Biography

Birth

Duryodhana in Javanese Wayang

Duryodhana and his ninety-nine brothers are born through an extraordinary process. After being blessed by the sage Vyasa, Gandhari conceives but remains pregnant for two years without delivering. During this period, Yudhishthira, the eldest of the Pandavas and acknowledged son of Dhritarashtra's younger brother Pandu, is born. In distress and envy, Gandhari attempts to abort the foetus, resulting in the birth of a large mass of flesh. Vyasa instructs that the mass be divided into one hundred parts, each about the size of a thumb, and placed into pots filled with clarified butter. A smaller fragment is also preserved separately. After two years, from these pots, one hundred sons and a daughter, Dusshala, are born. Duryodhana emerges as the eldest among them.

The moment of Duryodhana's birth is accompanied by a series of evil omens. He cries with the voice of a donkey, prompting the donkeys in the royal stables to respond. Jackals howl, vultures and crows shriek, and fierce storms sweep across the land. Alarmed, Dhritarashtra consults his advisers, including Bhishma, Vidura, and scholars. After interpreting the signs, they warn that Duryodhana's birth will bring ruin to the kingdom and its people, and advise that he be abandoned. However, Dhritarashtra, overcome by paternal affection, refuses to follow their counsel, thereby setting the course for the eventual conflict of the Kurukshetra War.

Early years

Duryodhana grows up in the royal palace of Hastinapura as the eldest son of King Dhritarashtra and Queen Gandhari. After the death of Pandu, his surviving widow Kunti brings his five acknowledged sons, the Pandavas, to Hastinapura, where they are welcomed by Dhritarashtra. The young Kauravas and Pandavas live together, but frequent quarrels and rivalries soon emerge. Duryodhana is mentored by his maternal uncle, Shakuni.

Bhima, known for his immense strength, often bullies the Kauravas, tossing them about and subjecting them to various humiliations. This fosters deep resentment among the Kauravas, particularly in Duryodhana. Driven by hatred, Duryodhana attempts to poison Bhima during a water-sports outing by mixing deadly poison into his food. Bhima is thrown unconscious into the Ganga but survives after being rescued by the nagas, who neutralise the poison and bestow upon him great strength.

As the princes train under Dronacharya, tensions continue. Duryodhana proves to be extremely skilled with the mace and later goes to specialize in mace fighting under Balarama, becoming his favourite pupil. During a public exhibition, Bhima and Duryodhana clash fiercely, requiring intervention to stop them. Later during an archery contest in the same exhibition, when Karna’s lineage is questioned by the Pandavas, Duryodhana crowns him King of Anga to defend his honour and secure an important ally.

Duryodhana’s bitterness deepens when he fails to capture King Drupada of Panchala, a feat accomplished by Arjuna. Later, he arranges for the Pandavas to live in a palace made of lac at Varanavata, intending to burn them alive. However, the Pandavas escape through a secret tunnel.

Usurping the Kingdom

Believing the Pandavas to have perished in the fire at the palace of lac, Duryodhana and his brothers live in contentment at Hastinapura and even participates in the svayamvara of Panchala princess, Draupadi. However, their satisfaction turns to resentment when news arrives that the Pandavas, disguised as brahmins, have survived and won Draupadi at her svayamvara.

Following their marriage, the Pandavas remain at Drupada’s court, while the Kauravas return to Hastinapura. Duryodhana grows increasingly jealous of the Pandavas’ rising power and influence. Seeking once more to destroy them, Duryodhana proposes a plan to create divisions among the brothers through women. Karna, however, criticises the idea as impractical and suggests defeating Drupada to weaken the Pandavas. Ultimately, Bhishma and Drona advise reconciliation, proposing that the Pandavas be granted half the kingdom. Dhritarashtra accepts this counsel, and the Pandavas are invited back to Hastinapura.

The kingdom is divided, and the Pandavas establish their rule at Indraprastha. There, with the help of the architect Maya, they construct a magnificent palace. Yudhishthira performs the Rajasuya sacrifice, asserting his imperial status. Duryodhana attends the ceremony but is humiliated during a tour of the new palace, where he fall victim to visual illusions, mistaking floors for water and water for floors. Bhima openly mocks Duryodhana’s missteps, intensifying Duryodhana’s humiliation and deepening his hatred.

In popular culture, television shows and post-modern novels on Mahabharata attribute this blame to Draupadi with an added statement "the son of the blind man also is blind", but the scene in the canonical text is absent.

The game of dice

A painting by Raja Ravi Varma depicting the disrobing of Draupadi, with Duryodhana (in green) commanding Dushasana.

Following the humiliation he experiences at Indraprastha, Duryodhana becomes consumed by jealousy and hatred towards the Pandavas, turning weak. Resolving to destroy them, he conspires with Shakuni, an expert in dice, to challenge Yudhishthira to a gambling match. Despite warnings from Dhritarashtra and Vidura, Duryodhana persists, threatening to commit suicide, and Dhritarashtra reluctantly allows the game to proceed.

Shakuni, skilled in deceitful play, manipulates the game in Duryodhana’s favour. Yudhishthira, though unwilling, agrees to participate. At first, precious gems are wagered and lost, followed by gold coins, chariots, servants, horses, and weapons. Gradually, Yudhishthira loses all his material possessions. In desperation, he stakes his brothers one by one and loses them. Finally, he wagers himself and loses again.

Left with no alternative, Yudhishthira stakes Draupadi. Upon losing, Duryodhana sends his messenger Pratikami to summon her to the court, but she refuses to come. Duryodhana then orders his brother, Dushasana, who forcibly drags Draupadi by her hair into the royal assembly. There, she is publicly humiliated, and Duryodhana exposes his bare thigh (a euphemism for the genitals) and mockingly invites her to sit on it. Bhima, seething with rage, vows before all assembled to kill Duryodhana by breaking his thigh and to slay Dushasana. Dhritarashtra, fearing divine wrath and public disgrace, intervenes and grants Draupadi two boons, through which she secures the freedom of her husbands and herself. The Pandavas are thus released and return to Indraprastha.

However, Duryodhana, resentful of this outcome, conspires again with Shakuni to challenge Yudhishthira to a second game. This time, the stakes are harsher: the losers must spend twelve years in exile in the forest and a thirteenth year in concealment. If discovered during the final year, the exile must begin anew. Persuaded against his better judgment, Yudhishthira accepts and is defeated once more. The Pandavas prepare for exile, vowing vengeance. Bhima swears to kill Duryodhana and Dushasana, Arjuna vows to kill Karna, and Sahadeva promises to kill Shakuni.

During Pandava's exile

During the Pandavas’ exile, the sage Maitreya visits Hastinapura to counsel Dhritarashtra and Duryodhana. He urges them to recall the Pandavas from the forest and seek a peaceful resolution. However, Duryodhana dismisses the advice with arrogance, tapping his thigh and drawing on the ground with his foot in open disdain. Offended by this disrespect, Maitreya curses Duryodhana, prophesying that Bhima will one day break the same thigh Duryodhana had tapped in pride. Dhritarashtra pleads for forgiveness, and Maitreya declares that the curse may be averted only if Duryodhana pursues peace, otherwise the prophecy will inevitably come true​.

Later, Duryodhana sets out on a pleasure expedition, the Ghosha Yatra, under the pretext of inspecting cattle. During this journey, he and his allies are captured by the Gandharvas, celestial beings, after Duryodhana abducts few Gandharva women. The Pandavas, despite their ongoing enmity with Duryodhana, intervene and rescue him and his retinue. Humiliated by this incident, Duryodhana contemplates suicide and proposes that Dushasana be crowned king in his place, but Dushasana refuses.

Overcome by shame, Duryodhana lies on the ground intending to end his life. To prevent this, the anti-gods, danavas, perform a Vaitana Yajna in Patala (underworld realm) and summon a Rakshasi named Kritya, who transports Duryodhana to the netherworld. There, the danavas reveal that through their penance to Shiva, they have rendered Duryodhana’s body above the waist invulnerable, as hard as a diamond and impervious to weapons. Revived by this boon and reassured by the promise of allies such as Bhagadatta and Karna, Duryodhana regains his confidence and returns to Hastinapura, treating the entire experience as if it were a vivid dream​.

Inspired by Yudhishthira’s Rajasuya sacrifice, Duryodhana aspires to perform a similar grand ritual. Advised by brahmins that he cannot undertake a Rajasuya while Dhritarashtra and Yudhishthira are still alive, he instead performs the Vishnu Yajna, an alternative ceremony of comparable prestige. Through this sacrifice, Duryodhana garners further recognition and support from monarchs aligned with the Kaurava cause

Virata battle

After twelve years in exile, the Pandavas begin their thirteenth year of incognito life at the court of King Virata in Matsya. Despite deploying spies across the kingdom, Duryodhana fails to locate the Pandavas during their year of concealment.

Toward the end of the incognito period, Susharman, King of Trigarta, informs Duryodhana that King Virata has grown weak after the general Kichaka’s death, suggesting it is an opportune moment to attack. Encouraged by Karna, Duryodhana mobilises the Kaurava army. As part of the plan, Susharman seizes the cattle of King Virata to provoke a confrontation. The incident occurs precisely as the Pandavas' period of concealment comes to an end. The young Virata prince, Uttara, ventures out to confront the raiders, with Arjuna, disguised as the eunuch Brihannala, acting as his charioteer. Upon seeing the might of the Kaurava forces, Uttara loses his nerve, and Arjuna retrieves his hidden bow, Gandiva. With his true identity revealed, Arjuna enters the battle and routs the Kaurava army.

With the successful defense of Virata’s kingdom, the Pandavas' period of exile and concealment officially ends. Duryodhana, realising that the Pandavas have fulfilled the conditions of their exile, grows increasingly anxious about the shifting balance of power.

Peace talks and buildup of war

After the Pandavas complete their twelve years of exile and one year of incognito life, they request the return of their share of the kingdom. Duryodhana refuses, leading to both sides to gather armies of an impending war.

Duryodhana moves quickly to gather allies. When he learns that Arjuna has gone to Dvaraka to seek the support of powerful leader of the Yadavas, Krishna, he rushes there as well. Krishna, pretending to be asleep, sees Arjuna first upon waking. Duryodhana and Arjuna both state their intentions, and Krishna offers a choice: one may have his vast Narayani army, while the other may have Krishna himself, unarmed and not participating in battle. Arjuna chooses Krishna, leaving Duryodhana satisfied to receive the powerful Narayani army. Duryodhana also approaches Balarama, who declines to take part in the war. Other than relatives, Duryodhana secures alliance with Kritavarma—belonging to Andhaka faction of Yadavas—and tricks Shalya, king of Madra and maternal uncle of Pandavas, into joining him. In total, Duryodhana assembles eleven akshauhinis.

Peace talks follow, with both factions sending envoys. During Krishna’s diplomatic visit, he proposes a settlement in which the Pandavas would accept just five villages. Duryodhana rejects the offer, declaring that he will not give them even as much land as could hold the tip of a needle. Krishna refuses Duryodhana’s hospitality and firmly sides with the Pandavas. In a final act of defiance, Duryodhana attempts to have Krishna taken captive, but the plan is opposed by others in the court and ultimately fails when Krishna reveals himself to be the supreme God by showing his Vishvarupa form. Sage Kanva later advises Duryodhana to seek peace, but he ignores the counsel and proceeds with the war effort.

Duryodhana organises the Kaurava army by appointing veteran warriors including Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, Karna, Ashwatthama, Jayadratha, Hardika, Shakuni, Bahlika and Kamboja as commanders. Bhishma is made commander-in-chief, and Dushasana is appointed as his personal bodyguard. Uluka—the son of Shakuni—sent as Duryodhana’s envoy, delivers warnings to Krishna, the Pandavas, and their key allies.

The Kaurava forces march to Kurukshetra, where Duryodhana’s banner, bearing a serpent emblem and fixed to a gem-studded staff, is raised. Before the battle begins, Duryodhana consults Drona to assess the strength and key warriors on both sides.

Kurukshetra war

Day 1–11 (Bhishma Parva)

At the onset of battle, Duryodhana takes an active role in the fighting. On the first day, Bhima strikes him with arrows, causing him to faint. He retaliates with the support of the elephant division, momentarily incapacitating Bhima. However, Bhima confronts him again, and Duryodhana faints once more. He also suffers defeat at the hands of Dhrishtadyumna.

As the battle progresses, Bhima kills eight of Duryodhana’s brothers in quick succession, leading him to weep before Bhishma. Duryodhana later fights Ghatotkacha, killing four of his rakshasa attendants. Later, he kills Visharada, son of Kunti-Bhoja. In another encounter, he overpowers Bhima to the point of unconsciousness.

Duryodhana directs Shalya to engage Yudhishthira and repeatedly visits Bhishma in anguish over mounting losses. He clashes with several Pandava allies, including Satyaki, Abhimanyu, Yudhishthira, Yudhamanyu, and Uttamaujas, facing defeat in multiple instances.

Day 12–15 (Drona Parva)

With Bhishma fallen, Duryodhana appoints Drona as commander-in-chief. During Drona’s leadership, he openly criticises him for his lack lustre performance, prompting Drona to become enraged and destroy large parts of Pandava army the following day. During these days, he also prays for Drona’s blessing to capture Yudhishthira alive and later embraces him after seeing the Pandava forces falter. After Lakshmana—Duryodhana's son—is killed by Abhimanyu, Duryodhana incites his warriors to kill Abhimanyu and encourages Karna to engage him directly.

Duryodhana later consoles Jayadratha after the latter flees in fear of Arjuna. Acknowledging his own inability to face Arjuna, he accepts a protective talisman from Drona, but still flees when defeated. He suffers further losses against Satyaki, and eventually, after continued defeats and the death of Jayadratha, begins to lose morale. In frustration, he accuses Drona of failure, is defeated again by Yudhishthira and Bhima, and attempts a covert assault by deputing Shakuni to target the Pandavas. He prompts Alambusha to battle Ghatotkacha and personally engages Nakula, only to be defeated.

Following Drona’s death on the fifteenth day, Duryodhana flees the battlefield in panic. Despite this setback, he appoints Karna as the new commander of the Kaurava forces.

Day 16–17 (Karna Parva)

Under Karna’s leadership, Duryodhana resumes offensive operations. He requests Shalya to serve as Karna’s charioteer, but the proposal initially angers Shalya, who eventually agrees after being appeased. Duryodhana challenges Yudhishthira but is defeated. But, he defeats Nakula and Sahadeva, though he ultimately suffers further defeat at Bhima’s hands.

In the continued fighting, Duryodhana kills the Kulinda prince. Additionally, he alone managed to resist all the Pandavas and he repelled the Pandavas' group attack single-handedly. When Ashwatthama proposes compromise, Duryodhana rejects it. Karna’s death on the seventeenth day leaves Duryodhana overwhelmed with grief and shaken.

Day 18 (Shalya Parva)

With Karna dead, Duryodhana refuses final peace offers from Kripa and resolves to continue the war. He appoints Shalya as commander-in-chief.

However, Shalya, Shakuni, Uluka, and all of remaining brothers of Duryodhana are killed by the Pandavas. The Pandavas together had attacked Duryodhana but they were unsuccessful as Duryodhana alone resisted and defeated all of them. Duryodhana had also kills a Yadava warrior named Chekitana on that day. Later, he tries to defeat Dhrishtadyumna who is destroying the retreating Kaurava army. However, Dhrishtadyumna kills Duryodhana's charioteer and destroys his chariot, forcing Duryodhana to flee.

Gada-Yuddha

Duel between Duryodhan and Bhima. Illustrated folio from Razmnama (Persian translation of Mahabharata). 1598 A.D.

After suffering repeated defeats and with his army reduced to a few survivors, Duryodhana flees the battlefield and conceals himself in a lake and remain hidden beneath its surface. Ashwatthama, Kripa, and Kritavarman locate his hiding place and urge him to return to the field, but Duryodhana expresses a strong disinclination to continue the war.

Yudhishthira later visits the lake and calls out to Duryodhana, who initially replies from underwater. On Yudhishthira’s insistence, Duryodhana emerges and agrees to a final confrontation. Yudhishthira offers him a last opportunity to claim victory: he may choose any one of the Pandava brothers to fight in single combat with a weapon of his choice. Despite his mastery of the mace and potential advantage against others, Duryodhana chooses to face Bhima—his long-standing rival.

As Duryodhana prepares for the duel, ominous signs appear—storms, thunder, dust clouds, and lightning signal impending doom. The two warriors, both trained by Balarama, engage in a brutal mace fight. Duryodhana displays superior technique and gradually wears Bhima down, nearly causing him to faint. Observing the battle, Krishna reminds Bhima of his oath—made after the dice game—by clapping his thigh. Reinvigorated, Bhima targets Duryodhana’s thigh and delivers a decisive blow, shattering it and bringing his rival to the ground.

As Duryodhana lies mortally wounded, he protests that Bhima’s strike below the waist violates the rules of mace fighting. Bhima further insults him by placing his foot on Duryodhana’s face. Enraged by what he sees as an unfair act, Balarama raises his weapon to punish Bhima, but Krishna intervenes. He reminds Balarama of Duryodhana’s misdeeds throughout the war and rebukes him for attempting to influence a conflict he chose not to join.

In his final moments, Duryodhana exchanges harsh words with Krishna but answers each one calmly.

Death and aftermath

Duryodana was defeated by Bhima – A scene from Razmanama

After the duel between Bhima and Duryodhana ends and the Pandavas depart, Ashwatthama, Kripacharya, and Kritavarma—who have observed the fight from a distance—approach Duryodhana's broken body. Out of respect for his honour, they refrain from interfering during the combat. Ashwatthama, grieving the fall of his friend and determined to avenge the Kauravas, vows to continue the war. With Duryodhana’s permission, he is appointed as the new commander of the Kaurava army and sets out to annihilate the remaining Pandava forces.

That night, Ashwatthama enters the Pandava camp and massacres the Upapandavas—the sons of the Pandavas—and the last surviving warriors of the Panchala army. He returns to the dying Duryodhana and reports. Duryodhana dies in peace, satisfied that his enemies have suffered in return.

With Duryodhana’s death, Sanjaya—who has been narrating the events of the war to Dhritarashtra through divine vision—loses his celestial sight. This marks the symbolic end of the great war of Kurukshetra.

Later, the sage Vyasa uses his mystical powers to raise the souls of fallen heroes from the Ganga, among them the soul of Duryodhana. After the Pandavas retire from the world, only Yudhishthira reaches heaven in his physical body. There, to his astonishment, he finds Duryodhana residing in splendour, shining like the sun and surrounded by divine beings. When Yudhishthira questions this, Narada explains that Duryodhana, despite his earthly flaws, fulfilled his religious and warrior duties and thus attained a place in heaven.

Personal life

In the Shanti Parva, the divine sage Narada narrated the marriage of Duryodhana with the daughter of King Chitrangada of Kalinga. Duryodhana abducted her from her swayamvara (self-choice ceremony) with the help of his friend Karna in the wake of having been rejected by her. On reaching Hastinapur, Duryodhana justified his act by giving the example of his grandfather Bhishma abducting three princesses of Kashi for his stepbrother.

Some variations of the Mahabharata introduce additional details about Duryodhana's wives. In the Southern Recension and Gita Press Recension, it is mentioned that his chief wife is a princess of Kashi, the daughter of King Kashiraja, who is noted for welcoming Draupadi when she first arrives in Hastinapura.

Lakshmana Kumara and Lakshmanā were the children of Duryodhana. Little is revealed about them in the Mahabharata other than Lakshmana Kumara's death in the Kurukshetra War and Lakshmanā's marriage to Krishna's son Samba.

Derivative works

Urubhangam is a Sanskrit play written by Bhasa in the 2nd or 3rd century AD with Duryodhana as its primary protagonist. Written as a tragedy, the drama focuses on his point of view of the events of Mahabharata. His portrayal as a tragic hero is especially unique within the body of works in Sanskrit drama.

Assessment

Friendship with Karna

The friendship between Karna and Duryodhana is considered to be a great one, and is used as an example of friendship and loyalty. In the Kurukshetra War, Karna was Duryodhana's greatest champion and served as commander from the fifteenth day. Duryodhana sincerely believed that Karna was superior to Arjuna, and would defeat his four brothers. When Karna was killed, Duryodhana mourned his death intensely, even more so than the death of his own brothers and was inconsolable. When Karna's identity was revealed to him, Duryodhana's love for Karna only grew and it is said to be he, and not the Pandavas, who performed Karna's last rites. Krishna confirmed that he had the highest right over Karna, as they loved and supported each other truly.

Modern Worship

• At Poruvazhy Peruviruthy Malanada Temple in Kerala's Kollam district, Duryodhana is worshipped as the main deity. It is the only temple in South India where a Kaurava is considered a God.
• In the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, several beautifully carved temples are dedicated to Duryodhana and he is worshipped as the deity. The mountain tribes of Kumaon fought along with Duryodhana in the Mahabharata war; he was venerated as a capable and generous administrator.
• There is a temple in Osla, Garhwal division of Uttarakhand. This was built by the inhabitants of Saur. People believe he stayed here with the blessings of Lord Mahasu to care for the people.

In media

• Krishnavatara (Hindi: कृष्णअवतार), a series of seven novels written by Dr. K.M. Munshi (Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan)
• Duryodhana by Viswanathan Raghunathan (2014, HarperCollins).

Television & films

• Puneet Issar played a Duryodhana role in the epic TV series Mahabharat (1988–1990) which brought him mainstream popularity.
• Mammootty played a character based on Duryodhana in the 1991 Kollywood film Thalapathi. The theme of the film is based on the friendship between Karna and Duryodhana.
• Manoj Bajpayee played a character based on Duryodhana in the 2010 Bollywood film Raajneeti.

Year	Project	Played by	Country	Language
1964	Karnan	S. A. Ashokan	India	Tamil
1977	Daana Veera Shura Karna	N. T. Rama Rao		Telugu
1988	Mahabharat (1988 TV series)	Puneet Issar		Hindi
1989	The Mahabharata	Georges Corraface	Belgium Australia U.S. Sweden Portugal Norway Netherlands Japan Ireland Iceland Finland Denmark UK France	English
1993	Krishna (TV series)	Kumar Hegde	India	Hindi
2002	Maharathi Karna	Nimai Bali		Hindi
2008	Kahaani Hamaaray Mahaabhaarat Ki	Aryan Vaid		Hindi
2013	Mahabharatham (TV series)	Vetri Vel		Tamil
2013	Mahabharat	Arpit Ranka		Hindi
2013	Mahabharat	Jackie Shroff (voice)		Hindi
2015	Suryaputra Karn	Shaleen Bhanot		Hindi
2018	Karn Sangini	Paras Chhabra		Hindi
2019	Kurukshetra	Darshan		Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi
2020	RadhaKrishn	Krip Suri		Hindi

See also

• Kaurava
• Kali (demon)
• Mahabharata

References

Bibliography

• Buitenen, Johannes Adrianus Bernardus; Fitzgerald, James L. (1973). The Mahabharata, Volume 7: Book 11: The Book of the Women Book 12: The Book of Peace, Part 1. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-25250-6.

External links

• Duryodhana Temples and Lineage
• karna great personalities
• THE RELEVANCE OF "KARNA AND DURYODHANA'S" FRIENDSHIP IN THE MODERN INDIAN SOCIETY
• From Duryodhana's perspective