Week 6 Storytelling: Duryodhana and the Gandharvas

(Epic battle from the Mahabharata)

True destitution did suffer the brothers,

At hand of forest beasts.

They wandered now no more with mother,

Nor palace, gold nor feast.

And in this place they suffered shame

For sinful past endeavors.

And so their wife did suffer same

And all the six did weather

The pains of lowly living here

In forest now to dwell.

The six bore agony without peer.

Some horrors drawn from hell.

Now here the shame of noble pride

Duryodhana did display

And sought to attend to his cousins’ side,

View their poverty and dismay.

Each third year, as tradition bore,

A prince need the cattle brand.

So Duryodhana, with envy sore,

Assembled a royal band.

They left the city, proud, jubilant.

To find upon the road.

Deities there who passage would not grant.

And seeds of battle sowed.

The Kauravas then, their battle lost,

Bearing shame in their defeat.

The women, pride, and gold the cost.

Of the capture they did meet.

And through the woods swift word did pass.

To fall on Panadavan ear.

The brothers and their lovely lass

Cought word then of their peer.

And spite of wrongs in times then past,

Let noble blood then spring.

As noble blood did noble acts cast,

On which good men might sing.

To their cousin’s aid then rushed the six.

And rescued him post haste.

They fell into the fray, the mix,

And for battle had quite the taste.

The Gandharvas then were driven back

And released their royal burden.

All glories on Yudhisthira stack

Forbear all sufferings uncertain.

Gladly the brothers offered up

The freedom of their kin

And with their noble cousin supped

When the battle they did win.

But rajah met with pleasure pain,

And every gift resented.

For the Pandavas were their cousins bane.

And his loathing represented.

So the prince’s rescue brought only rage

And sorrow to his heart.

And against the will of his every sage

Wished from this world to part.

So the hateful raj then set aside

The gift of food and drink

Resolved to die for his swollen pride

He chose only to sit and think

And in his thoughts the daityas came

To their lord then to persuade.

Along with danavas who wished the same.

His death to dissuade.

At length enticing him with tales

Of battle and of glory.

He then gave up his austere death

For something bold and gory.

The prince returned then to his castle rich

And prepared his sacrifice

Power from the gods his wish

And his cousins to entice

With taunts of his glorious gifts

To bear this insult fresh

They hear his message and the mood then shifts

Hot anger burned through Bhima’s flesh.

Though Yidhishthira just words replied

To insult far too dear.

Bhima, strong and fearsome cried

To bring his cousin fear.

Then when his sacrifice was made

And vows ‘gainst kin he spoke

Good Karna swore Arjuna would be slayed

Beside the fire’s pungent smoke

Finally spies unto Pandavas rode

And recalled the awful scene

Yidhisthira knew that the omens bode

For his brother a fate quite mean

And sorrowed in the night so bleak

For those two men must fight.

And hardly then did dare to speak.

For he knew the good men’s might.

 Author's Note: I was inspired to rewrite the piece in verse by a portfolio project I saw. I chose specifically this story because I felt it offered a wide variety of aspects of the story as well as some interesting imagery in the sacrifice and the battle.

Bibliography: Duryodhana and the Gandharvas, PDE Mahabharata