Duryodhana's Servants Confronted by Gandharvas

Duryodhana had come to the forest with his brothers and his pride. He instructed his servants to go ahead to Lake Dvaitavana and build pleasure houses — quickly, so that he could sport there with his retinue. The servants agreed and set out. They reached the lake and found it already occupied. The king of the gandharvas had arrived from Kubera's abode, surrounded by his masses, sporting with apsaras (celestial dancers) and the sons of the thirty gods. He had barred entry to the lake entirely. When Duryodhana's servants tried to enter the forest, the gandharvas stopped them at the gate. The servants returned to Duryodhana and told him what had happened. Duryodhana did not pause to consider who these gandharvas were or what authority they might carry. He dispatched his war-crazy soldiers — the ones who lived for battle — to evict the others. The soldiers went to Lake Dvaitavana and delivered the king's message: "King Duryodhana, Dhritarashtra's strong son, has come here to sport. Leave this place." The gandharvas laughed. They answered in harsh words: "Your king Suyodhana is evil in his intelligence. How can he command us, as if we are his servants? We are inhabitants of heaven. There is no doubt that you are evil in wisdom, since you are heading towards death. You have lost your senses if you repeat his orders to us. All of you should swiftly go back to the Kourava king. If you do not do that, you will depart today for Yama's abode." The vanguard of the king's army did not stay to argue. They rushed back to where Duryodhana waited.