Characters in Mahabharatha- Part 9

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shrI hari vAyu gurubhyo namaha

 

Parimalam - March 2008 - http://dvaita.parimalam.googlepages.com/

 

Introduction to Characters in Mahabharata - Part 9- March 2008

By Sri Sri 1008 Sri Suvidyendra Swamiji

 

Duryodana

 

Duryodana born one day before of Bhimasena. This is proper because

Mukyaprana will born only

after the start of evil works. So Duryodana is elder than Bhimasena

and obtained the boon from

Shiva. Along with that Duryodana also had special presence of

Mukyaprana. These were happened

to increase the strength of Duryodana, to indicate that evil works

would be done by Duryodana and

to indicate that Mukyaprana (Bhimasena) would fight against such evil

works. Duryodana was such

a powerful man that his body was made up of Vajra from the birth

itself. He used all those to fight

against Pandavas who are devotees of Sri Krishna. In spite of all

those the result is that he faced

only defeats throughout his life.

Improper Birth of Pandavas

Duryodana showed only enmity with Pandavas when he met them first and

further on. Kunti after

crossing lot of difficulties came back to Hastinapura and stood in the

Sabha without any support.

Duryodana expressed the words which should not be heard by women

saying " Padavas got birth

after the death of the King Pandu. They posses adharmic body and

should be thrown out. " Like this Duryodana told false story over his

mother (father's younger brother's wife) and tried to send out

Pandavas. Sri Vedavyasa came at that time and asked Pandavas to stay

in the palace and left.

Duryodana tried to kill Pandavas who were playing children using

poison. That too which one?

Haalaahala - the poison which came out while churning the ocean. At

the time of churning, Vayu

Deva drank all those poison. Vayu Deva gave small portion of poison to

Rudra Deva. Rudra Deva

also drank only small portion of it, became Neelakanta and retained

the balance himself.

Shukracharya praised Shiva and obtained that poison. Shakuni obtained

that poison from

Shukracharya and gave it to Duryodana. Such a great poison was used to

kill Bhimasena. The

result was another work for Bhimasena got reduced because in his

original form as Vayu Deva he

didn't drink the portion of poison which then came back to Bhimasena.

Bhimasena consumed it but

the poison didn't work with him. Then Duryodana launched 8 cruel

snakes over Bhimasena in order

to kill him. But only snakes were dead and Bhimasena became immortal.

As per the proverb " Dhanam hi Dharmaika phalam " , money has to be used

only to protect the

Dharma. But Duryodana spent money to bring others into his side. He

prostrated in front of Dhrona

and others and made them to fight for him. What a pity! Dhronacharya

may not aware that Kali will

enter through legs only and agreed to fight along with him. Duryodana

during the age of youth

made Karna as King for his kingdom in spite of Karna not having

samskara meant for Kshatriya

and was son of a charioteer. In this way Duryodana made Karna to fight

along with him.

Duryodana did all those with bad intentions only and all these Kalinga

neeti didn't give results.

Duryodana had full trust with Karna and with that confidence, engaged

himself for a war with

Pandavas. But Karna didn't turn up to war field for ten days.

Aswattama being afraid of Bhima's

Rudratandava didn't enter in the war field. Duryodana mislead Shalya,

took him inside, and made

him as charioteer for Karna. But Shalya reduced the self confidence of

Karna and became one of

the reason for his defeat. In total, even though Duryodana used all

his brain, had defeat only in the

shoulder.

Keeping eyes over other's wife, money, and land is the habit of Duryodana

Money obtained after defeating the kings in the world, obtained along

with Bride, like this money

was flowing heavily in Indraprasta. Duryodana got this idea only after

seeing those money –

" Yadi tesham tadaishvaryam namaangachchedashetaha |

sarvadaa naiva jeeveyam iti satyam braveemi te || "

" All those wealth should become mine. Then only I will become happy. "

Duryodana took effort to

obtain the money and invited Pandavas to play dies. During gambling,

he defeated the Pandavas

and got all the wealth of Pandavas. Apart from that he also insulted

Droupadi in the Sabha and

exhibited his interest towards other's wife. But what happened? He saw

all the bad omens.

Dhrutarashtra was afraid with the bad omens and returned everything to

the Pandavas. The fate

indicated Duryodana that whatever wealth he thought of his own went to

Pandavas within few

seconds and indicated that they are the owners. Even after that he

invited Pandavas again for

gambling and made Pandavas to go to the forest. He sent Pandavas to

forest only to kill them. He

thought that Padavas would be wandering in the forest begging for food

and would be the perfect

time to attack them with commando and to kill. But Sri Vedavyasa came

and spoke to

Dhrutarashtra saying " Your son is waging a war with Pandavas. You have

to stop it. Otherwise

Pandavas would not die but only your sons. " Sri Vedavyasa was not

interested to say those words

directly to Duryodana. Like this Duryodana lost the blessings of the

elders which became the

reason for his destruction.

In spite of this, Duryodhana announced that he would go to forest and

went to forest as if to keep

up his words. There he engaged war with a Gandarva (who will sing

songs in Deva loka).

Duryodana was defeated and tied by the Gandarva. He was released only

after the visit of Pandavas. Even after that incident Duryodana's

enmity towards Pandavas was not reduced. The

enmity lasted till the end of Duryodana.

Effort to get the help of mantras to support Adharma

He satisfied Sage Durvasa and obtained 3000 mantras from him. With

that support he can do

Jalastamba, Agnistamba and other results. He did japa of all those

mantras everyday and protected

without making those as yatayama (old). He wanted to use those mantras

to kill Bhimasena. Using

the power of such mantras only he stayed inside the water and did japa

of mantras. If that japa

was continued for seven days, that was sufficient for Kauravas to

become alive again. For this

reason alone, Krishna killed Duryodhana within seven days.

Even at the time of Duryodana's death, he wished that Pandavas'

successors should not alive. He

took promise from Aswattama saying " Pandavas should be killed. This is

my last wish. " But even

the last desire didn't get fulfill. Aswattama was unable to kill the

Pandavas. In total, Duryodana's

single great wish was not fulfilled as those were cruel thoughts.

The death time of Duryodana is a big surprise. Duryodana was cursing

Sri Krishna thinking that he

got death only because of the magic of Sri Krishna. But during the

Duryodana's last breath of

Duryodana who was cursing Sri Krishna, was covered with flower rain.

Everybody was surprised. It

was proper because even during that time Duryodana should think that

his thoughts are correct

and Sri Krishna killed them in adharmic way only. He should die with

such strong belief only to

reach his abode. Like that Sri Krishna made Duryodana to think all

along the way that whatever he

did was correct. Duryodana every after continuous defeat didn't

realize the ever true statement

" Wherever Dharama is there, there only victory " .

 

bhAratIramaNamukhyaprANA.ntargata shrii kR^iShNArpanamastu

 

 

 

 

 

 

--

parameshvara bhaktirnAma niravadhika ananta anavadya kalyANaguNatva

GYAnapUrvakaH

svAtmAtmIya samasta vastubhyo aneka guNAdhiko antarAya sahasrenApya

pratibaddo nirantara premapravAhaH

(jiGYAsAdhikaraNam.h, a verse from Sriman Nyaya Sudha)

(Meaning from Srimad Bhagawad Gita (The song Olympian) by Sri G V Nadgauda.

 

[Devotion to Lord] (bhakthi) is the invariable & continuous flow of ardent

affection to God, undettered by varied frustrations in life, [excelling the

attachment to self, our kindred & other lovable assets] (vairagya),

reinforced by [sound knowledge] (jnAna) & solid conviction of His glory &

greatness, as the sole independent Power, the abode of all auspicious

attributes, free from foibles. As such, it differs from blind belief &

selfish live. It should be founded on an unshakable intellectual &

emotional conviction in the Majesty of the Lord- as the embodiment of all

spiritual excellences.