Duryodhana Instates Duhshasana as King and Fasts

Duryodhana had been freed. The Gandharvas had captured him in battle, bound him, and would have dragged him away as a prisoner. The Pandavas had ridden out, fought them off, and released him. Now he sat in his own camp, and the weight of what had happened pressed down on him until he could not breathe. He called Duhshasana to him. "Listen to my words," Duryodhana said. "You are being instated as a king by me. Accept this. Protected by Karna and Soubala (Shakuni), rule over this extensive earth. Protect your brothers as confidently as the slayer of Vritra protects the Maruts. Let your relatives earn a living from you, just as the gods earn a living from Shatakratu. Always provide livelihood to brahmanas without any deviation. Always be the refuge for your relatives and well-wishers. Look after the relatives. Protect the seniors. Go and govern the earth. Gladden all your well-wishers and chastise the enemies." He embraced Duhshasana by the neck and asked him to go. Duhshasana could not move. His heart burned. He prostrated himself on the ground, his words choked with tears. In a broken voice, he begged his elder brother to relent. "This cannot be," Duhshasana said. "The earth with its mountains can be shattered. The sky can be splintered. The sun can lose its light. The moon can lose its cool. The wind can lose its speed. The Himalayas can begin to walk. The water of the ocean may be dried up. The fire can lose its head. But I will not govern the earth without you." He touched Duryodhana's feet — the feet of the brother who deserved to be honoured by him — and wept. Karna saw them both in grief. He was miserable himself, but he approached and spoke. "O Kouravyas! Why are you overcome by childish grief, like two ordinary people? Sorrow can never be driven away through grieving. Grieving never alters the state of the one who is sorrowful. What will be gained through this lamentation? Get a grip on your own selves. Do not delight the enemies through this sorrow." He told Duryodhana that the Pandavas had simply performed their duty. Those who reside within a king's dominions must always do what is pleasant for him. The Pandavas had lived under Duryodhana's protection without anxiety. There was nothing surprising in them freeing their king when he was in the clutches of enemies. "O king! The Pandavas live in your kingdom. Even if they have freed you now, what is the reason for this lamentation? You are enjoying the riches of the Pandavas. But look at the Pandavas. They are still powerful and are not fasting to death. O king! Arise! You should not think about this." Karna finished with a threat of his own: "If you do not act in accordance with my words, I will stay here at your feet and serve you. Without you, I do not desire to live. If you decide to fast to death, all the other kings will laugh at you." Duryodhana heard every word. He did not rise. He had set his mind on going to heaven, and he would not be moved.