Monday 26 March 2012

Duryodhana reacts to Krishna's advice. Mahabharata 120

Duryodhana turns towards Krishna and reacts,  'Krishna, it is better you think serioulsy before you speak. You are mainly blaming me. You, my father,  grandfather and my guru are only  after me. I have thought about it and I cannot accept that it is my fault.'

'Pandavas came willingly to gamble. Shakuni defeated them and won their kingdom. How can I be blamed for this? If they lost in a game and went to the forest, it is not my fault. Now they have joined forces with Sanjaya and a  few of our enemies  and are trying to further their enmity! They are intent on killing us, for no fault of ours. We are not afraid of either tough words or actions. Even devatas cannot defeat Bheeshma, Drona and Kripa; so what can  mere pandavas do?'

' If there is a war and I die, I will go to heaven reserved for heroes who are killed in a war! It is khsatriya dharma to sleep on a bed of arrows in the battle field. We have no regrets. A Khsatriya may break but  he will never bend! I will never return the portion of the kingdom my father gave them as long as I am alive. They were given this kingdom by mistake when I was a kid  and they do not deserve it. Not even a  tiny portion of this earth, even as small as the size of the point of a needle, will be given to them!'

Krishna is visibly angry at Duryodhna's words. His eyes widen, but he still replies laughing, 'You will surely  sleep like the fallen heroes. The time for war has come! You want to know what crime you have committed against the pandavas?  You became jealous of their wealth and  plotted with Sakuni and enticed them to gamble and won by cheating. As if this was not enough, a noble and a chaste woman, the queen of pandavas, was dragged into the sabha and  had to face many indignities . Every one knows the injurious and insulting words used by you and Karna. You tried to burn pandavas including their mother alive in Varanavratha. You tried to kill them in many ways, but did not succeed. The way you have tried to harm pandavas, doesn't it  make you a sinner? None but a criminal  will behave with a relative in this manner. There is happiness  for both if there is peace. If  not, you will suffer and will also become infamous.'

Dussasana comes up to Duryodhana and announces, "Elder brother, if you do not agree to a truce with the pandavas, I heard that father, grandfather and our guru will capture you, me and Karna and hand us over to Yudhisthira.'  Duryodhana  hearing this, rears up like a provoked python, walks out of the sabha without even a glance at Dhritharashtra, Bheeshma and Krishna. His brothers and other ministers follow him.

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