Duryodhana of the Ikshvāku Line

Duryodhana, simply known as Duryodhana, Sanskrit: दुर्योधन, Telugu: దుర్యోధనుడు, Hindi: दुर्योधन.

This Duryodhana was an ancient rājarshi (a royal ṛshi, a king who was also a seer) of the Ikshvāku line. He lived long before the war between the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas. He is a different person from Duryodhana, the eldest Kaurava prince of the main Mahābhārata story.

He was descended from Manu through Ikshvāku, Daśāśva, Madirāśva, Dyutimanta, Suvīra and Durjaya. His body was as splendid as Indra’s, and he was as full of tejas (radiance) as the Aśvins. His kingdom was fully prosperous, and none of his subjects was poor, ill or wasted. The river devī Narmadā became his wife. Their daughter, the princess Sudarśanā, was claimed by Agni himself, after Duryodhana had at first refused her to any suitor he thought unworthy.

Lineage

Bhīshma traces this Duryodhana’s descent from Prajāpati Manu. Manu’s son was Ikshvāku, who had a hundred sons of solar tejas. The tenth of these was Daśāśva, who ruled Māhishmatī as a dharmātmā (a man of dharma) and a king of true valour.

• Daśāśva’s son was Madirāśva, devoted to truth, tapas (austerity) and dāna (giving).
• His son was the noble Dyutimanta, of great radiance, steadiness and strength.
• His son was Suvīra, a man of the highest dharma, famous in all the lokas, as brave as Indra and very wealthy.
• Suvīra’s son was Durjaya, unconquerable in every kind of battle and the foremost of all who bear weapons.
• Durjaya’s son was this rājarshi Duryodhana.

His reign

Under Duryodhana’s rājadharma (the duty of a king), Indra sent down blessings on his kingdom. It overflowed with jewels, wealth, cattle and every kind of crop. None of his subjects was ever poor, diseased or wasted.

The king himself loved giving, spoke sweetly and was free of envy. He was master of his senses, a man of dharma, kind, brave and without pride. He was devoted to yajña (fire ritual), dear to the brāhmaṇas, true to his word, and insulting to none. He gave freely and was a master of the Veda and the Vedāṅgas (the limbs of the Veda).

Marriage to Narmadā and Agni’s claim

The river devī Narmadā loved King Duryodhana with her whole heart and became his wife. She bore him a lotus-eyed daughter, Sudarśanā, who was unmatched in beauty among all the women of his line.

Duryodhana judged no suitor worthy of her. He also held that Agni was not a kshatriya, so he refused Sudarśanā even to Agni. Agni was angry and vanished from the king’s great yajña. Agni then told the assembled brāhmaṇas that he himself desired Sudarśanā. Duryodhana was overjoyed and agreed. He asked only that Agni stay forever present in his city, and Agni granted this. Duryodhana then gave Sudarśanā to Agni in vivāha (marriage) according to Vedic rule.

Their son was Sudarśana. He married Oghavatī and conquered Mṛtyu through atithi-sevā (service to guests).

Sources

• Mahābhārata, Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 2