Welcome to Episode 37 of Bhagavad Gita: Mahabharata.
In this series I outline the epic of the Mahabharata. The events that happened before and after the Bhagavad Gita.

For those that have not watched my Bhagavad Gita series you can find it on    • Video  

For this series I have drawn inspiration from the works of
Sudipta Bhawmik and Avi Ziv in their series “Stories of the Mahabharata” https://shows.acast.com/thestoriesofm... as well as the illustrated “Mahabharata” by Manoj Publications www.manojpublications.com.

Many images are from the visually stunning Mahabharat by StarPlus available on Youtube

Music by ShidenBeatsMusic from Pixabay

Chapter 37 – The Humiliation of Duryodhan

News of the austere life led by the Pandavas had reached King Dhritrashtra, and it grieved him to hear of his nephews' and their wife's hardships. Despite his determination to see his own son, Duryodhana, ascend to the throne, the Pandavas remained family, being the sons of his brother, Pandu.
However, when Shakuni learned of the Pandavas' circumstances, his reaction was quite different. He manipulated Duryodhana into embarking on a sporting expedition into the forest, with the intention of camping near the Pandavas and flaunting their extravagant wealth and luxuries. Shakuni aimed to further break the spirit of the Pandavas, and Duryodhana readily embraced this idea. So, accompanied by his dear friend Karna, his uncle Shakuni, his many wives, his brothers, and his royal guard, including hundreds of fierce soldiers, Duryodhana set off into the forest.
Upon learning of this trip, King Dhritrashtra, in his misguided belief that his son might be attempting to assist his distressed cousins, gave his blessings for the journey.

As they journeyed, Duryodhana's group came upon a beautiful lake where he wished to swim with his wives and friends. However, the site was already occupied by soldiers from another kingdom. Duryodhana instructed his royal guard to clear the area so he could have the lake to himself.

To their astonishment, the soldiers camped at the lake proved to be formidable adversaries, and when provoked, they retaliated violently. In the ensuing clash, Duryodhana's royal guard was soundly defeated. Even the valiant Karna was forced to retreat. Duryodhana and many of his entourage were taken captive, with only a few of his wives managing to escape and seek refuge in the Pandava camp.

When Duryodhana's wives arrived at the Pandava camp, they implored Yudhishthira to help rescue their husband. Bheema scoffed at the idea, “Why should we help our enemy?” However, Yudhishthira, ever rational and stoic, recognized the importance of family. "Duryodhana is our cousin and part of the Kuru dynasty. We cannot allow a family member to fall into enemy hands."

Yudhishthira's decision surprised his brothers, but Draupadi, moved by the pleas of the distraught women, insisted that they rescue Duryodhana.
The Pandavas promptly gathered their weapons and set out on a mission to rescue their cousin. With the assistance of Duryodhana's wives, they located the enemy camp and executed a surprise attack, overpowering the warriors. As the leader of the enemy army revealed himself, Arjuna gasped in astonishment.