....जानामि धर्मं न च मे प्रवृत्ति जानाम्यधर्म न च मे निवृत्ति त्वया हृषिकेश हृदि स्थितेन यथा प्रयुक्तोस्मि तथा करोमि....

....जानामि धर्मं न च मे प्रवृत्ति जानाम्यधर्म न च मे निवृत्ति
त्वया हृषिकेश हृदि स्थितेन यथा प्रयुक्तोस्मि तथा करोमि....

The great lines from Mahabharata will be today's discussion, friends... Something from the horse's mouth. It is not Mahamani Duryodhan speaking...out his stubbornness..the ego eccentric...last ounce of pride and prejudice..  It is a helpless doll dancing at the hand of  rope manager..the Almighty... The duo hands in hand.. Shakuni and the Lord Shrikrishna Himself...
Puppets all are..all are inflated balloons made to make sound..at the hand of  the greatest  instigater...

Duryodhan, a prince on whose shoulders, Goddess Laxmi resided with pride...lotuses bloomed on the foot prints of whose...was the true representative of the so called warrior clan of the day... that forced Dharmaraj Yudhishthir to put all his brothers and queen Draupadi on bet...of juaa...gambling...because it was the approved costume...of the day..Duryodhan was on the right track on his own way...to win the throne...the way was also as per customs.. everything is fair in love and war...Pandavas were more powerful with battle technique, good will of the subjects and blessings of seniors. But that was not enough to renunciate the kingdom.. he had to wrestle  and he did all that.. There can't be two lions at one region and owning the kingdom.is the first duty of a warrior... To boast and to plot was part of the system at that time and he along with all others was taught to do that..some other positive things were also in the curriculum...who specialised in which thing was optional.

This he told to Lord Krishna who mediated to bring peace between the warrior sides. Stake was higher... The entire generation was going to be annihilated...

The theory of Dharma I know O lord.. I have been taught well as others did..the dharma you want to propagate is not my cup of tea. He told lord Krishna politely.... I don't subscribe to the school you want to prevail..  And adharma also I know...have learnt. Dharma and adharma are abstract notions and are purely relative in meaning. Whatever is dharma to one party, is adharma to its rival party. I can't denounce the adharma because it is so to Pandavas..

Duryodhan further says.. We are all puppets in your hand O lord, he addresses Krishna.. we do whatever you ask us us to do.. you are the director and we are all players on this stage.. sitting in our mind, you make every action of ours as per your own will. So do I do O lord... You have taught me to be nonchalant... You have told me to be arrogant..to give side of the injustice.. to humiliate Pandavas... To cut a sorry figure before the whole world. I am abiding by your command with all sincerity..... Just like Pandavas are doing theirs...

Friends, is not it the soft soliloquy of a prince who was made to behave harsh.. just like a villain on the stage..... Did he played his part well ? It is you who would decide.

©®SACHIDANANDA MISHRA