Duryodhana

Duryodhana
Duryodhana in the Kuru Court insulting Krishna before the Kurukshetra War, painting by Raja Ravi Varma
Information
Aliases	Suyodhana
Affiliation	Kaurava
Weapon	Gada (mace)
Family	Dhritarashtra (father) Gandhari (mother) Dushasana, Vikarna, and 97 more (younger brothers) Dushala (sister) Yuyutsu (half-brother)
Spouse	Princess of Kalinga Princess of Kashi (in Southern Recension of the Mahabharata)
Children	Lakshmana Kumara (son) Lakshmanaa (daughter, in Puranic scriptures)
Relatives	Pandavas (paternal half cousins) Shakuni (maternal uncle) Pandu and Vidura (paternal uncles)
Home	Hastinapur, Kuru Kingdom

Duryodhana (Sanskrit: दुर्योधन, [d̪ʊɾjoːd̪ʱən̪ᵊ], IAST: Duryodhana), also known as Suyodhana, is the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. He is the eldest of the Kauravas, the hundred sons of King Dhritarashtra and Queen Gandhari of Kuru dynasty. Born through a miraculous manner, his birth is accompanied by ill-omens. Duryodhana grows up in Hastinapura and later becomes its crown prince. Driven by innate selfishness, jealousy, and hostility towards his cousins—the five Pandava brothers—Duryodhana frequently plots against them, aided by his principal allies: his trickster uncle Shakuni, his loyal friend Karna, his devoted brother Dushasana and his blind and indulgent father Dhritarashtra.

Duryodhana's envy culminates in the infamous dice game, where he humiliates Draupadi, the queen of the Pandavas. This incident provokes Bhima, the second Pandava, to vow that he will one day smash Duryodhana's thigh. Later, with the help of Shakuni, Duryodhana tricks the Pandavas into relinquishing their kingdom and forces them into exile. Even after the Pandavas complete their thirteen-year exile, he refuses to restore their kingdom, directly triggering the outbreak of the Kurukshetra War.^[1][2]

During the war, Duryodhana is supported by renowned warriors such as Bhishma, Drona, Karna and Shalya. As the conflict reaches its climax and most of his key supporters have fallen, Duryodhana flees the battlefield and hides within a magically fortified lake. When the Pandavas discover him, he agrees to a final duel, selecting his main rival Bhima as his opponent. Although Duryodhana has superior skills, he is ultimately defeated when Bhima strikes him illegally on the thigh. Gravely wounded and humiliated, Duryodhana remains defiant to the end, appointing his friend Ashvatthaman as commander of the remaining Kaurava forces. Following a final act of vengeance orchestrated by Ashvatthaman, Duryodhana succumbs to his injuries.^[1]

Duryodhana is regarded as an incarnation of the personification of strife, Kali (distinct from the goddess Kali). He is noted for his bravery, ambition, martial skills and adherence to kshatriya dharma (the warrior's code); however, he is also portrayed in the epic as an arrogant and envious man of poor judgment, who refuses to acknowledge Krishna's divinity.^[1][2][3] Duryodhana has been prominently adapted in numerous derivative works, such as Urubhanga and Venisamhara, where his character is expanded and portrayed with elements of pathos and tragedy.^[3]