Lessons from the East XXV: Duryodhan’s Dilemma in each one’s Life at every stage of Life

Why all wrongs are justified by the wrongdoer as being a victim?

Why can’t one control oneself, despite knowing that wrong is being undertaken?

Why one doesn’t realize that wronging someone creates more harm to oneself than to the other?

The History, the past, the events

In the epic Mahabharata, the five Pandavas, symbolize the Dharma, whilst the hundred Kauravas, son of Dhritarashtra symbolize Adharma and finally in the battle of Kurukshetra, the Dharma prevails over Adharma. During the monumental battle, both sides suffer the severe irreparable loss of loved ones.

Most have looked at one face of the coin, let's explore the other face today.




Was Duryodhana really on the wrong side of Dharma in seeking the entire Kingdom of Hastinapur and Indraprastha (developed by Pandavas along with the help from Shree Krishna and Lord Vishwakarma)?

The battle of Mahabharata ultimately happened for the throne of the largest and most powerful Kingdom of then Akhand Bharat.

Before one digs deeper into Duryodhana's perspective, let's probe and point out here some relevant questions.
Why was Duryodhana hell-bent on succeeding as the King of Hastinapur after his father Dhritarashtra?

What was playing in Duryodhana's mind, during multiple conversations of peace that were brought in front of him and his father?

What thoughts finally shaped the destiny of Duryodhan?

Duryodhana's Frame of Reference

1. Though Yudhisthira was born first, Duryodhana was conceived before Yudhisthira and thus the right to the throne should have been given to the soul who starts taking form in the mother’s womb first.

2. Duryodhana's father was the eldest in the family and was very powerful, physically strong and mighty. But due to his blindness, his Younger brother Pandu was given the throne. Dhritarashtra could only take over the throne when Pandu left for Vanvas (renunciation) and later on died in the forest.

Though Dhritarashtra occupied the throne, he always remained insecure and he fed his insecurity into his eldest son Duryodhana.

Was he responsible for what he saw, noticed and witnessed as a child?

Furthermore, he grew up in the Palace with all royalty and luxury, whilst Pandavas grew up in the forest. Since Duryodhana's early years, Duryodhana was told that he is the future of the Kingdom but then Pandavas came staking a claim on his so-called kingdom, his property, his palace.

3. Duryodhana spent the most time in the august company of Shakuni (maternal uncle of Duryodhana), whose father and ninety-nine brothers were starved to death by the Kuru Dynasty (The Great grandfather of Duryodhana). Additionally, Shakuni’s most beloved sister Gandhari (mother of Duryodhana), who was afraid of darkness was forced to be blindfolded for life. This prompted Shakuni to devise a plan to divide Kauravas and Pandavas and demonize Pandavas so that Duryodhan could only nurture venom against his first cousins Pandavas.

Thinking all of the above facts from Duryodhana's viewpoint, the acts of Duryodhan, planning and conspiring to burn his cousins Pandavas in Lakshagraha alive, ordering Cheer-Haran (stripping-off one's clothes) of Pandavas wife Draupadi, declining to give even five villages to Pandavas in return of peace seem justified.

Situation, Circumstances or Victim's Mindset

Is there any human on this planet who has never felt that he or she has ever been wronged?

Isn't the same justification given by most people for acting adversely, inappropriately, disdainfully with others?

Regrettably, bad begets bad. Bad cannot be destroyed by bad. This kind of depravity leads to further heinous and detrimental acts. This is a cognitive language known as Victim's Mindset. An entire subject is based on this issue related to crime and the motives of the crime known as Victimology.

When encountering a tough situation or atrocities, one frequently questions

1. Why me? Why always me?

2. Why I am not born into a better family with better resources?

3. Why I had a tough childhood?

4. What if my parents would have taken more care of me? Why my parents didn't stop me from taking that adverse step?

5. Why is my superior or boss can't be more humane? Why do my seniors never understand my perspective? Why my company and my seniors are always against me?

6. What have I not inherited some money from my parents?

7. What am I not so good-looking?

8. Why am I so fat, even when I eat so less?

9. Why does only bad happens to me, but for others even if they do bad deeds nothing happens?

10. I work so hard, and put in so much effort, but never are my efforts recognized by my family, or by my employer or even by my children?

11. Why my spouse is not so caring?

12. Why do I have to get an abusive partner?

The list can go on and on. Forever and ever. Every setback, every interruption, every unplanned challenge brings forth these and similar thoughts of victimhood.

Repeated failure to recognize that these demurrals bring strength rather than weakness makes one a Victim than a victor. The victim then seeks vengeance.

Thence a victim seeking vengeance justifies every act of wrongdoing to others on account of one being a victim.
After the act of revenge, the victim likes to receive sympathy and pity.

For others who don't seek revenge, get in gloom and doom rather seek motivation or encouragement to move ahead and do better things in life.

Some others take solace by trying to predict the future for how long this situation will last.

The Awareness, the knowhow, the cognizance

The interesting part is victim realizes what the victim is doing, however on account of Behavioral tendencies, one continues to be in victimhood mode.

The three behavioural tendencies that humans have - Tamas, Rajas and Sattva.

a. Tamas is a state of darkness, inertia, inactivity, and materiality. Tamas manifests from ignorance and deludes all beings from their spiritual truths. Other tamasic qualities are laziness, disgust, attachment, depression, helplessness, doubt, guilt, shame, boredom, addiction, hurt, sadness, apathy, confusion, grief, dependency, and ignorance.

b. Rajas is a state of energy, action, change, and movement. The nature of rajas is attraction, longing, and attachment. Rajas strongly bind one to the fruits of one’s work. Other rajasic qualities are anger, euphoria, anxiety, fear, irritation, worry, restlessness, stress, courage, rumination, determination, and chaos.

c. Sattva is a state of harmony, balance, joy, and intelligence. Sattva reduces rajas and tamas enabling liberation. Other sattvic qualities are delight, happiness, peace, wellness, freedom, love, compassion, equanimity, empathy, friendliness, focus, self-control, satisfaction, trust, fulfilment, calmness, bliss, cheerfulness, gratitude, fearlessness, and selflessness.

Unfortunately, the person in Victimhood is mostly under the influence of Tamas and when acts of vengeance prevail Rajas takes over.

Effect of Victimhood

The universe or Param-atma has given all humans the power of Buddhi (intellect), Vivek (wisdom) or Mati. In Sanatan philosophy, Mati means a state of awareness or spiritual intelligence however in common language Mati is a combination of intelligence, understanding, mindfulness, intuition and perception.

But this Buddhi, Vivek and Mati get clouded when there is Raag and Dwesh. Anger and arrogance are modes of raag whilst illusion and greed symbolize Dwesh.

Raag and Dwesh is the next stage of Victimhood. In this stage, the person does more harm to himself than to others.
When a person, gets angry with someone else, it leaves a more negative impact on oneself than on the person with whom one is getting angry.

Gautam Buddha said, Anger is like burning coal, when one throws it on others, it leaves one's own hand burnt.

Human Energy or Sharirik Urja

Digressing from the concept here to go a little deeper.

Life forms represent energy. The difference between a living body and a dead body is merely the energy that vanishes.

Energy moves like water from higher to lower and thus even a highly energetic and healthy person visiting a silent morbid, hospital filled with illness, feels the draining out of energy.

Humans in particular transmit energy through three forms

(1) Thoughts

(2) Words

(3) Touch

Words are the most common and easiest mode of transmission of energy. However when one uses destructive words like lies, expletives, abuses, or insulting words laced with negative energy it first harms the self-first and then impacts the person to whom it’s been targeted.

More often if the receiver of the expletive or abuse, refuses to take the negative energy of the other person, the negative energy multiplies within oneself and creates multifold harm.

It happens, exactly like a jammed pistol that is trying to shoot a bullet at others and explodes in the hands of the shooter.

The simplest way of refusing an expletive or abuse is by ignoring it or by closing the inner ears and shifting one's thoughts to a pleasant past incident or event. There are times when one account of circumstances or situations can't avoid nasty situations, changing the frame of one's own mind, however, remains in one's own control.

Touch is the instant and most effective way for passing one’s energies. Good hug, Charan Sparsh (Touching the feet), shaking hands or holding hands is a good way of transmitting positivity or favourable energies. The negative feelings get doused or evaporate with a soothing touch.

Change in ideology or belief can be done through Thought transmission. History has captured how Acharya Chanakya influenced Chandragupta Maurya through thoughts rather than words when they are distant at different places. The modern world sometimes calls it Telepathy.

Back to History

Coming back to the question of Duryodhana and his dilemma.

Quote from Pandava Geeta, Verse 57.

जानामि धर्मं न च मे प्रवृत्ति-, र्जानामि पापं न च मे निवृत्तिः ।

केनापि देवेन हृदि स्थितेन, यथा नियुक्तोऽस्मि तथा करोमि ॥ ५७॥

Duryodhana Uvacha,

jānāmi dharmaṃ na ca me pravṛtti-, rjānāmi pāpaṃ na ca me nivṛttiḥ ।

kenāpi devena hṛdi sthitena yathā niyukto’smi tathā karomi ॥ 57॥

Meaning:

Duryodhana says: “I know what is right but I am not able to practice it; I know what is wrong and I am not able to keep away from it. I act as if I am directed by some mysterious power that is seated in my heart.”

Duryodhan knew that Lord Krishna has killed the mighty, powerful and invincible Kansa. In front of Duryodhan, Lord Krishna kills the Shishupala, the king of the Chedi Kingdom with his Sudarshan Chakra. Despite that Duryodhan tries to capture Lord Shree Krishna with chains when Shree Krishna approaches Dhritarashtra to give peace a final chance.

Furthermore, Lord Shree Krishna offered Duryodhana to have the entire land and kingdom of Hastinapur and Indraprastha and only to have five villages to five Pandavas, in return for peace, which he decided to negate, and that in itself is the classic case of Mati Bhram (Illusions or hallucinations).

This happens due to the consumption or intake of toxic thoughts, toxic food, toxic people, toxic energy, toxic air, toxic environment, and toxic water.

Human beings are social animals and they do not only survive on food and water only, but they need people, culture, society, community to live with.

Thus Siddhartha Rastogi says, any wrong intake of any kind can alter thoughts, wrong thoughts alter ideas, wrong ideas alter beliefs, wrong beliefs alter words, Wrong words alter actions, wrong actions alter habits, wrong habits alter the character, and wrong character alters one’s destiny.

Be Watchful about what you are consuming next!

P.S. It’s assumed everyone reading this note is aware of the Epic of Mahabharata.