Duryodhana - Evaluation

Evaluation

The moderate view of Hindu scholars is that Duryodhana was a powerful and capable emperor.

His refusal to accept Yudhisthira as Crown Prince, stemmed from the fact that he never acknowledged the sons of Kunti & Madri as the sons of Pandu. To him, the tales relating to Kunti's boon were all eyewash. Duryodhana never accepted the fact that Dhritarastra was a mere regent following the death of Pandu, and that Yudhisthira was the only one eligible for Kingship. He believed that being the elder son his father should have been the Emperor but was denied this right due to his blindness. Duryodhana actually fought for his father's right rather than his own.

Bhima's unrestrained, brutal beatings during childhood left psychological scars on him, he had also witnessed how Bhima would torment his weaker younger brothers and the rift was further fueled by the Kuru elders' partiality towards the Pandavas. Vidura, their uncle, in particular, promoted the interests of the Pandavas due to the legalities of their claim to the throne. While Duryodhana did endorse the idea of the dice game in order to usurp the Pandavas' kingdom, Yudishthira is equally to blame due to his impulsive gambling instincts and for making his wife an object of gambling.

While decrying the means of discrimination employed by Dronacharya, he likened Karna to the Sun, stressing that the Sun's identity arises only out of its power to illuminate the world. He went one-step further to accord Karna place among the royals, by crowning him the King of Anga and standing by him whenever anyone pointed a finger at his lower-birth.

Draupadi insulted Duryodhana when he visited Pandava's palace in Indraprastha as fell into a pool in the Mayasabha. Duryodhana was not to blame for the disrobing since it was Karna not Duryodhana who ordered Draupadi be disrobed. Since Duryodhana flashed his thigh at Draupadi, inviting her to sit, Bhima avenged his wife's insult by crushing that very thigh.

It does not seem that Duryodhana was a cruel or unjust ruler since Mahabharata makes no mention that the subjects of Hastinapura were oppressed by their king. In fact he ruled his subjects fairly and kept them happy.

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 Kumaon region of Uttranchal, several beautifully carved temples are dedicated to Duryodhana and he is worshipped as a minor deity. The mountain tribes of Kumaon fought along with Duryodhana armies in the Mahābhārata war; he was venerated as a capable and generous administrator.