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Mahābhārata The History of the Great India
<< 34 Duryodhana Petitions His Father >>
 |  | Recognizing the superior strength of Bhimasena and the masterful skill of Arjuna, evil-minded Duryodhana was consumed with envy. And so Karna, born of the sun, and Sakuni, son of Subala, schemed in many ways with Duryodhana to assassinate the Pandavas. The Pandavas learned everything of these plots, but on the advice of Vidura those tamers of enemies did not make an uprising or even reveal their knowledge.
| | | Seeing that the Pandavas were blessed with so many good qualities, the residents of the capital city, wherever they met, in the town squares and in public assemblies, spoke of the Pandavas. "Dhrtarastra has the eye of wisdom," they said, "but he is physically blind, and thus that lord of the people did not inherit the royal throne. How then has he now become the king? And Bhisma, son of Santanu, is a most honest man, of great vows, but he declined the kingdom, and he will not accept the throne, now or ever.
| | | "Well and good! We ourselves should at once install on the royal throne the eldest Pandava, Yudhisthira, for though he is young he shows the behavior of a wise elder. He is always truthful, and he is a truly compassionate man. Once he is king, he will be most kind to Bhisma, son of Santanu, and to Dhrtarastra and his sons. He will honor them and bestow upon them all gifts and facilities".
| | | When Duryodhana heard the people speak these words, that evil man was consumed with envy. Afire with jealousy, he could not stand those words, and in sheer torment he went to his father, Dhrtarastra. Meeting alone with Dhrtarastra and duly honoring him, he spoke in anguish about the people's love for the Pandavas:
| | | "Dear father, I have heard the people gossiping. They are speaking inauspicious words. Disrespecting you and Bhisma, they want Yudhisthira as their lord. Bhisma gives the same report, and [clearly he has no motive, since] he does not desire the kingdom. The people of this city want to inflict on us the greatest pain. Formerly Pandu got the kingdom from his father by his own qualifications. [Although you were the eldest son of the king] you did not meet the requirements, so you did not attain the royal throne. Now if that man Yudhisthira is able to inherit Pandu's throne and all that goes with it, then certainly his son will also get the throne, and his son, and so on.
| | | "And what shall we do? Deprived of royal lineage, we and our children shall be despised by the world. O lord of the world, hell shall ever be our lot, as we feed off the charity of our rivals! O king, we must at once arrange to stop Yudhisthira from becoming king. If you had been firm in your kingdom, then surely we would have inherited it, and the people would have been powerless".
| | | Hearing his son Duryodhana, Dhrtarastra reflected for a moment and then replied, "Pandu always followed religious principles, and he always acted for my happiness and well-being. He was kind to all our relatives, but he was especially good to me. There is nothing at all I did not know about that man, even what foods he liked to eat and the things he liked to do. Firm in his vows, he always offered me all that he had in his kingdom. And Pandu's son is every bit as good and religious as his father. Why, the whole world knows how qualified the boy is, and he has the full backing of the citizens. How can we possibly drag him down by force from the kingdom of his father and forefathers, especially when he stands with so many faithful friends and allies?
| | | "Pandu always took personal care of the government ministers and the army, and gave special attention to their sons and grandsons. When they and all the citizens were so loved and honored by Pandu, how would they not kill us and all our men for Yudhisthira's sake?"
| | | Duryodhana said, "I have already meditated on that very problem, dear father. I have seen that the citizens are moved by money and position. Surely most of them will become our faithful friends and supporters. And I might add that the royal treasury and its ministers are now firmly on my side, O king.
| | | "You, sir, must quickly banish the Pandavas and send them to live in the city of Varanavata. Tell them you are sending them there for some other purpose, something that appears kind and reasonable. Then, O Bharata, as soon as the kingdom is securely in my hands, Kunti and her children may return".
| | | King Dhrtarastra said, "Duryodhana, this very idea has been turning around in my own heart, but it is such a sinful thought I did not reveal it to anyone. Neither Bhisma nor Drona nor Vidura nor Krpa will ever approve a plan to banish the Pandavas. My son, the Kuru leaders are all intelligent, religious men. They regard us on an equal level with the Pandavas, and they will not tolerate discrimination. If we enact such a plan, then these senior men of the Kuru dynasty, and indeed the whole world, will certainly consider us guilty of capital crimes, and fit to be executed".
| | | Duryodhana said, "Bhisma is always neutral. The son of Drona stands with me. Wherever stands the son of Drona, there stands Drona himself; of this there is no doubt. Krpa, son of Saradvan, will always remain united with Bhisma and Drona, for he will never renounce Drona or Drona's son, who is his own nephew. Though Vidura secretly sides with the Pandavas, his fortunes are bound to ours. And for their sake he alone has no power to harm us. Be confident and banish Pandu's sons and their mother to Varanavata this very day. There will be no difficulty in this plan. Thus, O father, destroy the horrible dart that has sunk into my heart and set such a fire of grief that at night I cannot sleep".
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