Talk:Duryodhana

By Swami Harshananda

A total extirpation of the Kaurava race was mainly due to the tragic war of Kurukṣetra. The war occured mainly due to three reasons:

1. Atrocious approach of Duryodhana
2. Duryodhana's personification of greed and jealousy
3. Inordinate attachment of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, his blind father

At the time of Duryodhana's birth there were numerous ill-omens. Hence the well-wisher of the Kuru-Pāṇḍava race exhorted Dhṛtarāṣṭra to abandon this evil boy. But his infatuation towards his son provoked him to ignore their wise counsels. Ultimately it lead to disastrous consequences.

The Kaurava and the Pāṇḍava princes underwent their training and education, first under Kṛpācārya and then under Droṇācārya. The brilliance and the remarkable progress of the Pāṇḍavas roused envy and hatred of Duryodhana to such an extent that he tried his best to eliminate them by abominable means. He even tried to poison and arson them. But none of his tricks worked, due the timely intervention of Vidura and other well-wishers of the Pāṇḍavas.

Then Pāṇḍavas and their wife Draupadī were given half the kingdom. They started ruling it from their capital Indraprastha. Their popularity and prosperity further fueled Duryodhana's jealousy. He invited Yudhiṣṭhira for gambling through a game of dice. It was Yudhiṣṭhira's weakness, hence he readily consented. Śakuni, the uncle of Duryodhana, crafted conspiracy against him. The result was an utter debacle for the Pāṇḍavas who lost everything.

Snatching this opportunity, Duśśāsana, the second Kaurava tried to molest and disrobe the Pāṇḍava queen Draupaḍī. Her honor was saved by the divine intervention of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Dhṛtarāṣṭra then gave them back their kingdom and they returned to Indraprastha.

Duryodhana contrived with Sakuni to have a second round of the game of dice with Yudhiṣṭhira. He lost in group are receptive to spiritual values. By concentrated spiritual disciplines and the grace of God, they can get salvation. Those of the second group are worldlings who delight only in worldly values and feel no need for ethical and spiritual life. Hence they undergo transmigration eternally. The jīvas of the last group are positively evil by nature, go on progressively degen¬erating, finally ending in eternal perdition.

PRAKRTI OR NATURE

Prakṛti or nature is the ultimate source of the physical universe. It is eternal but insentient. The three guṇas— sattva, rajas and tamas—are regarded as its first products. From them emerge in succession the mahat (intellect), ahaṅkāra (egoism), manas (mind), the indriyas (sen¬sory organs) and the five bhutas (elements like earth, water etc.). This evolution of prakṛti is similar to that in Sāṅkhya philosophy. However, being a dependent reality, it evolves, not by itself but by the will of God, who again, exercises his will as per the karmas or deserts of the jīvas. Since prakṛti is the upādānakāraṇa or the material cause of the universe, it is necessary to describe here the dvaita view about the cause and effect relation¬ship. When a pot is produced out of clay, clay is the cause (kāraṇa) and pot is the effect (kārya). The Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika view that the effect did not exist in the cause, is called ‘asatkāryavāda,’ the doctrine that the effect did not exist (asat) in the cause. The Sāñkhya-Yoga view, accepted by cer¬tain schools of Vedānta also, is that the effect (kārya) pre-existed (sat) in the cause (kāraṇa) though in a subtle form. This view is called ‘satkāryavāda’. The Dvaita Vedānta however, differs from both these schools and puts its own view, viz., ‘sad-asat-kārya-vāda,’ the doctrine that the effect is both sat (existent) and asat (non-existent) though not simultaneously. Before production, the pot, existed as the kāraṇa or the cause but not as kārya or effect. After its production it existed as kārya or effect, but not as kāraṇa or cause. The Dvaita Vedānta, however, like other doctrines, recognizes the efficient cause (nimittakāraṇa) also. AVYĀKRTA-ĀKĀŚA OR UNMODIFIED SPACE The dvaita system postulates an avyākṛta-ākāśa or unmodified space, as a fundamental and permanent category, co-eval with God. It is different from the bhutākāśa or elemental space which is a product of prakṛti. This ākāśa enables one to perceive dik (direction), like east and west. It exists even in pralaya or disso¬lution. It is infinite. MOKSA OR LIBERATION A jīva is in saihsāra or bondage, due to avidyā or ignorance induced in him by God, the absolutely independent Reality. Hence it is only by the grace of God that a jīva can get liberation from that bondage. A jīva must first acquire jñāna or knowledge of God—his greatness and goodness—through the scriptures by approaching a competent guru or precep¬tor. Sravaṇa (listening to the scriptures), manana (reflecting on their teachings) and dhyāna (meditation) will induce bhakti or devotion towards God and ultimately win his prasāda or grace. Thus it is bhakti that is the primary means of salvation, days) preceded and followed by an Atirātra. (See ATIRĀTRA.) The Daśāha again has a few minor Soma sacrifices like the Pṛṣṭhya and the Ukthya. The details are too many and complicated.

References

• The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore