Mahabharata

by

Vyasa

Duryodhana Character Analysis

Duryodhana is one of the 100 sons of the king Dhritarashtra. He is the main antagonist of the Mahabharata, instigating and leading a war against five of his cousins: Yudhishthira, Arjuna, Bhima, Nakula, and Sahadeva. He is jealous of his cousins and their kingdom from an early age, and this jealousy soon turns violent, with Duryodhana devising a scheme to burn them alive. Later, with the help of his advisor Śakuni, he hatches a plan to take away his cousins’ kingdom by taking advantage of Yudhishthira’s gambling addiction. Although Duryodhana wins the kingdom, he begins a feud that leads to the deaths of over a trillion people in battle, with he himself being defeated in a duel of clubs by Bhima. Despite Duryodhana’s strength and cunning, his defining feature is ultimately his ego. Duryodhana shows the dangers of jealousy and how it can lead to self-destruction. He also demonstrates the poisonous effects that arrogance has on others, as he convinces otherwise honorable characters like Dhritarashtra, Bhishma, and Drona to support his unjust war.

Duryodhana Quotes in Mahabharata

The Mahabharata quotes below are all either spoken by Duryodhana or refer to Duryodhana . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Dharma Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2. The Hall Quotes

Once, in the middle of the hall, Dhritarashtra’s royal son came upon a crystal floor; fooled into thinking it water, King Duryodhana drew up his garments. After this he walked about the hall with angry heart and averted gaze. Next, seeing a pond of crystalline water adorned with crystal lotuses, he thought it was a floor, and fell, fully clothed, headlong into the water; when the servants saw that he had fallen in the pond, they laughed uproariously, before giving him clean clothes at the king’s command. Then mighty Bhima and Arjuna and the twins saw him in this state, and they too all burst out laughing.

Related Characters: Ugraśravas (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Yudhishthira , Arjuna , Duryodhana , Bhima , Dhritarashtra , Nakula and Sahadeva
Page Number: 121
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3. The Forest Quotes

‘I choose fame in the world, O Sun, even over life itself; for he that has fame gains heaven, whilst he that has none perishes.’

Related Characters: Karna (speaker), Ugraśravas (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Arjuna , Duryodhana , Kunti , Indra
Page Number: 235
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 4. Virata Quotes

‘Prince of men,’ replied Arjuna, ‘here on this peak is a huge, dense śami tree. It has awesome branches, so it is hard to climb, and it stands next to the burning-ground; no one comes here, lord for it is growing off the path, in forest frequented by beasts and savage creatures. Let us stow our weapons in it and then set out for the city; in this way we shall be able to pass our days here free from worry, heir of Bharata.’

Related Characters: Arjuna (speaker), Ugraśravas (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Yudhishthira , Duryodhana , Virata
Page Number: 248
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 5. Perseverance Quotes

When Kunti’s son the wealth-winner heard Krishna’s words, he chose Krishna Keśava, though he would not fight in battle.

Related Characters: Ugraśravas (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Arjuna , Duryodhana , Krishna , Vishnu
Page Number: 295
Explanation and Analysis:

Anyone seeking pleasure and wealth should also practice dharma from the outset, for neither wealth nor pleasure is ever found away from dharma.

Related Characters: Krishna (speaker), Ugraśravas (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Duryodhana
Page Number: 322
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6. Bhishma Quotes

Hear, lord of the earth, how those heroes, the Kauravas, Pandavas and Somakas, fought on Kurukshetra, that place of asceticism. The mighty Pandavas came to Kurukshetra with the Somakas and advanced against the Kauravas, for they were eager for victory. Accomplished Vedic scholars all, they revelled in warfare, hoping for victory in combat but prepared for death on the battlefield.

Related Characters: Ugraśravas (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Yudhishthira , Arjuna , Duryodhana , Bhima , Janamejaya , Nakula and Sahadeva
Related Symbols: Snakes
Page Number: 348
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8. Karna Quotes

‘Karna, if you challenge Arjuna to battle, you are a hare challenging a mighty elephant with tusks like plough-shafts, its temporal glands bursting with rut. If you want to fight the son of Kunti, you are a silly child poking with a stick a deadly poisonous king cobra in its hole, its hood expanded.’

Related Characters: Samjaya (speaker), Ugraśravas (speaker), Salya (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Arjuna , Duryodhana , Karna, Abhimanyu , Kunti , Ghatotkaca
Related Symbols: Snakes, Celestial Weapons
Page Number: 496
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9. Salya Quotes

Bhima of fearful deeds brought down that club with an impact like that of a thunderbolt, and it smashed Duryodhana’s two handsome thighs.

Related Characters: Samjaya (speaker), Ugraśravas (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Duryodhana , Krishna , Bhima
Page Number: 553
Explanation and Analysis:

Seeing these most wonderful happenings, and the honour paid to Duryodhana, the Pandavas felt ashamed; they grieved mightily to hear it said that Bhishma, Drona, Karna, and Buriśravas had been killed unfairly. But Krishna, seeing them anxious and downcast, proclaimed in a voice sounding like thunder or drums, ‘Duryodhana here with his swift weapons, and those other valiant chariot-fighters, could not have been slain by you on the battlefield in a fair fight. That is why I devised these stratagems, lords of men—otherwise the victory of the Pandavas could never have happened.’

Related Characters: Krishna (speaker), Samjaya (speaker), Ugraśravas (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Duryodhana , Bhishma , Drona, Karna
Page Number: 560
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 11. The Women Quotes

‘Do not grieve, Dhritarashtra. You have not slain Bhima. This was an iron effigy, king that you laid low.’

Related Characters: Krishna (speaker), Ugraśravas (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Yudhishthira , Duryodhana , Bhima , Dhritarashtra
Page Number: 584
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 15. The Hermitage Quotes

So, like a cloud sating the earth with rain, King Dhritarashtra sated those priests with the torrents of wealth he showered upon them; and when all was done, that lord of the earth then deluged his guests of every class with downpours of food and drink.

Related Characters: Vyasa (speaker), Ugraśravas (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Yudhishthira , Duryodhana , Krishna , Dhritarashtra
Page Number: 738
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18. The Ascent to Heaven Quotes

‘All kings shall see hell—this is inescapable, son. One’s merits and demerits form two heaps, bull-like hero. He who first enjoys the merit of his good deeds goes afterwards to hell, whereas he who first endures hell goes afterwards to heaven.’

Related Characters: Ugraśravas (speaker), Indra (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Yudhishthira , Duryodhana
Page Number: 784
Explanation and Analysis:
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Duryodhana Quotes in Mahabharata

The Mahabharata quotes below are all either spoken by Duryodhana or refer to Duryodhana . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Dharma Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2. The Hall Quotes

Once, in the middle of the hall, Dhritarashtra’s royal son came upon a crystal floor; fooled into thinking it water, King Duryodhana drew up his garments. After this he walked about the hall with angry heart and averted gaze. Next, seeing a pond of crystalline water adorned with crystal lotuses, he thought it was a floor, and fell, fully clothed, headlong into the water; when the servants saw that he had fallen in the pond, they laughed uproariously, before giving him clean clothes at the king’s command. Then mighty Bhima and Arjuna and the twins saw him in this state, and they too all burst out laughing.

Related Characters: Ugraśravas (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Yudhishthira , Arjuna , Duryodhana , Bhima , Dhritarashtra , Nakula and Sahadeva
Page Number: 121
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3. The Forest Quotes

‘I choose fame in the world, O Sun, even over life itself; for he that has fame gains heaven, whilst he that has none perishes.’

Related Characters: Karna (speaker), Ugraśravas (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Arjuna , Duryodhana , Kunti , Indra
Page Number: 235
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 4. Virata Quotes

‘Prince of men,’ replied Arjuna, ‘here on this peak is a huge, dense śami tree. It has awesome branches, so it is hard to climb, and it stands next to the burning-ground; no one comes here, lord for it is growing off the path, in forest frequented by beasts and savage creatures. Let us stow our weapons in it and then set out for the city; in this way we shall be able to pass our days here free from worry, heir of Bharata.’

Related Characters: Arjuna (speaker), Ugraśravas (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Yudhishthira , Duryodhana , Virata
Page Number: 248
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 5. Perseverance Quotes

When Kunti’s son the wealth-winner heard Krishna’s words, he chose Krishna Keśava, though he would not fight in battle.

Related Characters: Ugraśravas (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Arjuna , Duryodhana , Krishna , Vishnu
Page Number: 295
Explanation and Analysis:

Anyone seeking pleasure and wealth should also practice dharma from the outset, for neither wealth nor pleasure is ever found away from dharma.

Related Characters: Krishna (speaker), Ugraśravas (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Duryodhana
Page Number: 322
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6. Bhishma Quotes

Hear, lord of the earth, how those heroes, the Kauravas, Pandavas and Somakas, fought on Kurukshetra, that place of asceticism. The mighty Pandavas came to Kurukshetra with the Somakas and advanced against the Kauravas, for they were eager for victory. Accomplished Vedic scholars all, they revelled in warfare, hoping for victory in combat but prepared for death on the battlefield.

Related Characters: Ugraśravas (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Yudhishthira , Arjuna , Duryodhana , Bhima , Janamejaya , Nakula and Sahadeva
Related Symbols: Snakes
Page Number: 348
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8. Karna Quotes

‘Karna, if you challenge Arjuna to battle, you are a hare challenging a mighty elephant with tusks like plough-shafts, its temporal glands bursting with rut. If you want to fight the son of Kunti, you are a silly child poking with a stick a deadly poisonous king cobra in its hole, its hood expanded.’

Related Characters: Samjaya (speaker), Ugraśravas (speaker), Salya (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Arjuna , Duryodhana , Karna, Abhimanyu , Kunti , Ghatotkaca
Related Symbols: Snakes, Celestial Weapons
Page Number: 496
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9. Salya Quotes

Bhima of fearful deeds brought down that club with an impact like that of a thunderbolt, and it smashed Duryodhana’s two handsome thighs.

Related Characters: Samjaya (speaker), Ugraśravas (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Duryodhana , Krishna , Bhima
Page Number: 553
Explanation and Analysis:

Seeing these most wonderful happenings, and the honour paid to Duryodhana, the Pandavas felt ashamed; they grieved mightily to hear it said that Bhishma, Drona, Karna, and Buriśravas had been killed unfairly. But Krishna, seeing them anxious and downcast, proclaimed in a voice sounding like thunder or drums, ‘Duryodhana here with his swift weapons, and those other valiant chariot-fighters, could not have been slain by you on the battlefield in a fair fight. That is why I devised these stratagems, lords of men—otherwise the victory of the Pandavas could never have happened.’

Related Characters: Krishna (speaker), Samjaya (speaker), Ugraśravas (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Duryodhana , Bhishma , Drona, Karna
Page Number: 560
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 11. The Women Quotes

‘Do not grieve, Dhritarashtra. You have not slain Bhima. This was an iron effigy, king that you laid low.’

Related Characters: Krishna (speaker), Ugraśravas (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Yudhishthira , Duryodhana , Bhima , Dhritarashtra
Page Number: 584
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 15. The Hermitage Quotes

So, like a cloud sating the earth with rain, King Dhritarashtra sated those priests with the torrents of wealth he showered upon them; and when all was done, that lord of the earth then deluged his guests of every class with downpours of food and drink.

Related Characters: Vyasa (speaker), Ugraśravas (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Yudhishthira , Duryodhana , Krishna , Dhritarashtra
Page Number: 738
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18. The Ascent to Heaven Quotes

‘All kings shall see hell—this is inescapable, son. One’s merits and demerits form two heaps, bull-like hero. He who first enjoys the merit of his good deeds goes afterwards to hell, whereas he who first endures hell goes afterwards to heaven.’

Related Characters: Ugraśravas (speaker), Indra (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Yudhishthira , Duryodhana
Page Number: 784
Explanation and Analysis: