Mahabharata credits him with giving Kunti a boon
for treating him as a proper guest—she will have
children by five gods. These five gods are the true
fathers of the five PANDAVAS.
Further reading: Cornelia Dimmitt and J. A. B. van
Buitenen, Classical Hindu Mythology: A Reader in the
Sanskrit Puranas (Philadelphia: Temple University
Press, 1978); E. Washburn Hopkins, Epic Mythology
(Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1986).
Duryodhana
Duryodhana was the eldest of the 100 KAURAVAS,
the evil sons of Dhritarashtra in the MAHAB-
HARATA story. He was the chief conspirator among
the Kauravas against their cousins the PANDA-
VA S, whose kingdom they tried to seize. He was
a fierce fighter, as his Sanskrit name implies:
duryodhana means “tough in battle.” He had
a particular rivalry with BHIMA, physically the
strongest of the Pandavas.
When Duryodhana’s cousin YUDHISHTHIRA was
designated as heir to the throne, he persuaded his
father to banish the Pandavas to a city where he
had them placed in a house made of wax, where
he planned to burn them to death. They escaped
and went into hiding for some time. Later he
challenged the Pandavas to a dice game in which
he had the game fixed. After Yudhishthira lost
everything in this game the Pandavas’ wife, DRAU-
PADI, was publicly humiliated. The dice game was
replayed and the Pandavas lost again and went into
exile for 13 years.
After they returned from exile, Duryodhana
refused to split the kingdom with them and the
great Mahabharata war began. Duryodhana was
slain by his lifetime rival Bhima, and the Kauravas
were defeated.
Further reading: Manorama Bhavanagara, Duryod-
hana (Delhi: Anila Prakashan, 2000); J. A. B. van
Buitenen, trans., The Mahabharata, 3 vols. (Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1973–78); William Buck,
trans., The Mahabharata (Berkeley: University of Cali-
fornia Press, 1973).dvaita
Dvaita (from dvi, two) is usually translated as
“dualist.” In theological terms it refers to the
notion that God is completely separate and differ-
ent from the human soul.
Abrahamic traditions in their normative form—
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—would be seen
as dvaita or dualistic because they believe that the
human soul is a separate entity and reality from
God. Normative Hinduism tends toward forms of
ADVAITA, non-dualism, the opposite of dvaita. But
there are some Indian systems that are truly dvaita
in nature. One form of VEDANTA, championed
by MADHVA, a 12th-century sage, is authentically
dvaita. Also, the South Indian tradition of Shaiva
Siddhanta can be classified as dvaita.Further reading: S. N. Dasgupta, History of Indian
Philosophy, 5 vols. (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1975);
Ananta Sharan Tiwari, Vedic Myth, Ritual, and Philoso-
phy: A Study of Dvaita Interpretation of the Veda by Mad-
hva (Delhi: Pratibha Prakashan, 2001).Dvapara Yuga
In the Indian tradition the YUGAS, or ages, refer to
throws in an ancient dice game. Dvapara is named
after the throw “two” (dvi), which is the third best
throw or the second worst throw. Dvapara Yuga is
864,000 years in duration. In Dvapara the deterio-
ration in human and worldly life continues. Pas-
sion, strife, greed, and war develop, and truth is
no longer adhered to in the same way. In Dvapara
Yuga, the once-unified VEDA was divided into four
parts by VYA S A. Because differences of opinion
had arisen, the different Vedas (RIG, SAMA, YAJUR,
ATHARVA) developed distinctions. Death arose
among humankind, as well as disgust with exis-
tence, calamity, suffering, and disease. In dvapara
a notion of “wisdom” became necessary as a result
of the perception of the faults that now existed.Dvapara Yuga 141 J