Duryodhana is one character in the Mahabharatha who is routinely portrayed as a villain without any redeeming features. Even his famed friendship with Karna comes under a shadow if one were to ask if he supported his ‘lowborn’ friend only to get back at the Pandavas. How authentic was Duryodhana’s love for Karna? Did he really treat him as an equal? Did he really love him as a brother?

But Duryodhana, who bent rules to suit his interests, who took advantage of every opportunity, however unfairly, was one of the few husbands in the epics who did not look at his wife with a suspicious eye, despite circumstances that could have forced him to do so.

Karna and Duryodhana’s wife, Bhanumathi, were good friends. They often enjoyed a game of dice together. Once the two of them were playing a game in Bhanumathi’s chamber with great concentration. Karna was playing very well and it looked like he would win the game soon. He was looking forward to taunting Bhanumathi after his victory. However, Bhanumathi suddenly got up from her seat. Karna thought she was trying to run away from the game and put out a hand to make her stay. By accident, his hand pulled at Bhanumathi’s waist belt and it broke, scattering pearls to the floor. Seeing Bhanumathi’s shocked and terrified expression, Karna turned around to see who she was looking at.

It was Duryodhana, standing by the door and watching the two of them. Karna was aghast. Would his friend misunderstand him? He’d not realised that Bhanumathi had stood up on seeing Duryodhana, the king and her husband, enter the chamber. She was going to greet him, not run away from the game! But in his haste, he’d pulled at her waist belt! What would it look like to Duryodhana? Would he fly into a rage and admonish him for behaving improperly with his wife? Would Bhanumathi have to face his wrath, too? To their surprise, Duryodhana calmly walked into the room and asked Bhanumathi if he should just pick up the pearls or string them together for her as well.

Duryodhana trusted his wife and his best friend so much that it did not occur to him that either of them may have been unfaithful to him. It is said that nothing in the world is inherently evil, and it is the way we think about it that makes it so. Duryodhana and the Kauravas are characterised as the very manifestation of evil, with the Pandavas being their anti-thesis. But in this situation, it was Duryodhana who did not have a shred of evil in his mind!