Duryodhana was the son of Dhritrashtra, he was the mighty warrior (Maharatha) and expert of mace fighting. He was the linage of Kuru and Bharata the Great King. He was the amshavtara of Kali. His great friend was Karna, who helped him against Pandavas. He fought valiantly and slain by a hero (Bhima) and went heaven like Great Kshatriya.
Mahabharata describes Duryodhana as “Adharma Tree”, Karna as “Trunk”, Shakuni was “Branches” and Dushashana was the “Fruit”. Dhritrashtra was the root of that “Adharma Tree”.
जानामि धर्मं न च मे प्रावॄज्ञिल्त;ा: |
जानाम्यधर्मं न च मे निवॄज्ञिल्त;ा: ||
Duryodhana says, “It’s not that I didn’t knew what was ‘Dharma’ and what was ‘adharma’. But inspite of knowing what is ‘Dharma’, I couldn’t follow it (It didn’t become my habit) and even though I knew what was ‘adharma’ I couldn’t desist from not doing it”.
Duryodhana had a great memory but no education to organize and use that great memory. He surrounded himself with yes men and men who fed his ego and his false ambitions. He had advisors like Kunika, Purochana, Karna, Kuniti, Kuchakra and Kudharma themselves.
Here, I’m starting the INDEX of Victory, Achievement and Defeat in the Great War (Mahabharata aka Bharata).
Sources: Gita Press Mahabharata and KMG Mahabharata
Swooned to Bhima – Bhishma Parva (Chapter – 94)
Battle with Nakula and Nakula fled from the Battlefield – Drona Parva (186)
Killed Kulinda Prince – Karna Parva (85)
Killed Checkitana – Shalya Parva (12)
Achievements in Battlefield
Battle with Bhima – Bhishma Parva (45)
Battle with Bhima – Bhishma Parva (73)
Battle with Satyaki – Bhishma Parva (110)
Battle with Abhimanyu – Bhishma Parva (116)
Combat with Yudhishthira – Drona Parva
Battle with Yudhamanyu and Uttamauja – Drona Parva (130)
Battle with Arjuna – Drona Parva (145)
Battle with Satyaki – Drona Parva (189)
Battle with Nakula and Sahdeva – Karna Parva (56)
Terrible mace fight with Bhima – Shalya Parva (56)
Battle with Bhima and lost own senses – Bhishma Parva (58)
Combat with Bhima and Swooned by Bhima – Bhishma Parva (64)
Battle with Bhima and lost senses – Bhishma Parva
Defeated by Bhima – Bhishma Parva (79)
Defeated by Dhrishtadyumna – Bhishma Parva (82)
Defeated by Ghatotakcha – Bhishma Parva (95)
Defeated by Abhimanyu – Drona Parva (45)
Defeated by Arjuna – Drona Parva (103)
Defeated by Satyaki – Drona Parva (116)
Defeated by Stayaki and fled away- Drona Parva (120)
Defeated by Yudhishthira – Drona Parva (153)
Defeated by Bhima and fled away -Drona Parva (166)
Defeated by Satyaki – Drona Parva (171)
Defeated by Satyaki – Drona Parva (200)
Defeated by Yudhishthira – Karna Parva (28-29)
Defeated by Dhrishtadyumna – Karna Parva (56)
Defeated by Bhima – Karna Parva (61)
Defeated by Bhima – Shalya Parva (16)
Defeated by Dhrishtadyumna – Shalya Parva (25)
Slain by Bhima (Thigh Broken) – Shalya Parva (58)
Final words for Duryodhana from Yudhisthira.
Yudhisthira said “My dear brother Duryodhan is suffering from ignorance and is being misguided. Remove those layers, and in his heart, he is an angel”.