ORIENTAL SERIES.

ioo DUR-YODHANA.
sank to the regions of the Nagas, where he was restored to health
and vigour. When Dhnta-rash/ra proposed to make Yudhi-
shtfhira heir-apparent, Dur-yodhana strongly remonstrated, and
the result was that the Pawdavas went into exile. Even then
his animosity pursued them, and he laid a plot to burn them in
their house, from which they escaped and retaliated upon his
emissaries. After the return of the Parz^avas from exile, and
their establishment at Indra-prastha, his anger was further
excited by Yudhi-shftnra's performance of the Raja-suya sacrifice.
He prevailed on his father to invite the Pawdavas to Hastina-
pura to a gambling match, in which, with the help of his
confederate $akuni, he won from Yudhi-shtfhira everything he
possessed, even to the freedom of himself, his brothers, and his
wife DraupadL Dur-yodhana exultingly sent for Draupadi to
act as a slave and sweep the room. When she refused to come,
his brother, DuA-sasana, dragged her in by the hair of her head,
and Dur-yodhana insulted her by inviting her to sit upon his
knee. This drew from Bhima a vow that he would one day
smash. Dur-yodhana's thigh. Dhnta-rashte interfered, and the
result of the gambling was that the Pa?w?avas again went into
exile, and were to remain absent thirteen years. While the
Pa?w?avas were living in the forest, Dur-yodhana went out for
the purpose of gratifying his hatred with a sight of their poverty.
He was attacked and made prisoner by the Gandharvas, probably
hiU people, and was rescued by the Pan^avas. This incident
greatly mortified him. The exile of the Pa^avas drew to a
close. War was inevitable, and both parties prepared for the
struggle. Dur-yodhana sought the aid of Knshwa, but made
the great mistake of accepting Krishna's army in preference to
his personal attendance. He accompanied his army to the field,
and on the eighteenth day of the battle, after his party had been
utterly defeated, he fled and hid himself in a lake, for he was
said to possess the power of remaining under water. He was
discovered, and with great difficulty, by taunts and sarcasms, was
induced to come out. It was agreed that he and Bhima should
fight it out with cluhe. The contest was long and furious, and
Dur-yodhana was getting the best of it, when Bhima remembered
his vow, and, although it was unfair to strike below the waist,
he gave his antagonist such a violent blow on the thigh that the
bone was smashed and Dur-yodhana fell Then Bhima kicked