CHENNAI : Sanjaya returns to the Hastinapura court carrying messages from the Pandavas. With Dhritarashtra’s permission, he starts narrating how the Pandavas have built alliances and also gained confidence, and how they are not afraid of the prospect of war at all. In fact, in Sanjaya’s retelling, Arjuna’s words show the Pandavas as desperately itching for the war to begin. ‘Without being touched, the strings of the bow shudder,’ Arjuna says.
‘The arrows jump out from the mouths of the quivers and repeatedly wish to fly out at every instant. My happy steel emerges from its scabbard, like a snake that has discarded its old skin.’ On hearing Arjuna’s words, Bhishma forwards the theory of how Arjuna is Nara and Krishna is Narayana, and how it is impossible to win against their combined might. He also bemoans how Duryodhana doesn’t listen to wise counsel, but only the wicked troika of Karna, Shakuni, and Duhshasana.
When Karna protests being called low-born, Bhishma asks Dhritarashtra if Karna has done any deeds equal to those of the Pandavas. He also reminds everyone that, in each of the two great cattle raids — on the Kamyaka forest and the kingdom of Matsya — Karna was defeated by Arjuna. Dhritarashtra then bares his fears about the Pandavas, Bhima in particular. He tells everyone about how he’s been having sleepless nights and how he’s had to seek comfort in the words of Vidura. Duryodhana finally speaks, accusing everyone of hyping the Pandavas’ valour.
He enumerates his own alliances and shows himself confident of victory. He uses the fact of Yudhisthira asking for only five villages as proof that the Pandavas are scared of him. With respect to the strength of Bhima, Duryodhana announces himself as the best wielder of the club. He also talks of how his army is bigger (eleven akshouhinis against the Pandavas’ seven) and ridicules the idea that such advantage of number will have no effect on battles against lone warriors like Arjuna.
In response to another of his father’s nervous utterings, Duryodhana says, ‘Both the sides come from the same lineage. Both the sides walk on earth. Why do you then think that only the Pandavas can be victorious?’— and one tends to agree with his point of view. When Dhritarashtra says that the gods are certain to act in favour of the Pandavas, Duryodhana points out that the gods always ignore sentiments that have nothing to do with divine affairs.
We know that Duryodhana’s assumption of divine neutrality is wrong and that, already, Indra has intervened in the plot by taking away Karna’s natural armour. Yet, his belief in his own strength and bravery, and his disregard for supernatural force, do help form an image of a man challenging the notion of divine endowments and trying to fights for his beliefs on the back of his own strengths. One can blame Duryodhana for being arrogant, but one cannot but admire his clarity and courage.