Karna Proposes a Ghosha Expedition to Duryodhana
Night ends and Karna approaches Duryodhana with a plan. All the ghoshas — the cattle stations of the Kurus — are gathered in Dvaitavana, ripe for an expedition. Karna urges Duryodhana to seek his father's permission, and Shakuni endorses the scheme, certain the king will press them to go.
When night was over, Karna came to Duryodhana. He was smiling.
“O lord of men,” Karna said, “a means has been found. Listen. All the ghoshas — the cattle stations of the Kurus — are in Dvaitavana, awaiting you. There is no doubt that we can undertake an expedition to the ghoshas. O lord of the earth! It is always proper to go on a ghosha expedition. O king! If you tell your father this, he will grant you permission.”
The ghosha expedition was a familiar thing — a royal outing to inspect the cattle herds, to count the stock, to enjoy the open country. But this one would not be ordinary. Dvaitavana was where the Pandavas were living in exile. The cattle stations there belonged to the Kurus, yes. But the forest itself was the Pandavas’ home now.
While they were conversing in this fashion, having decided on the ghosha expedition, Shakuni, the king of Gandhara, joined them. He too was smiling.
“I can see that this means of going is without any difficulties,” Shakuni said. “The king will not only give us permission, he will press us to go. O lord of men! All the ghoshas in Dvaitavana are waiting for you. There is no doubt that we can go there on a ghosha expedition.”
All three of them laughed. They offered each other their palms — clasping hands in agreement, the gesture of men who had settled on a course of action.
Having decided on this, they went to see the foremost among the Kurus — Dhritarashtra, the blind king, Duryodhana’s father — to present their plan. Aranyaka Parva, Chapter 524