Bhishma Advises Duryodhana to Make Peace
After the Pandavas free Duryodhana from captivity, Bhishma confronts him with the shame of being rescued by his enemies while Karna fled in fear. He urges peace for the sake of the lineage — but Duryodhana only laughs and walks away.
The Pandavas had freed Duryodhana from the gandharvas and returned to their forest exile. Duryodhana went back to Hastinapura, humiliated and indebted to the very men he had tried to destroy. When he arrived, Bhishma spoke.
Bhishma did not soften his words. He reminded Duryodhana that he had warned him against the trip to the forest of ascetics. Duryodhana had gone anyway. And now — forcibly taken captive by enemies, freed by the virtuous Pandavas — he still had no shame.
"In your sight and in the presence of your army," Bhishma said, "the suta's son — Karna — was frightened of the gandharvas and fled from the field of battle. While you and your soldiers cried in distress, you witnessed the valour of the great-souled Pandavas and that of the mighty-armed and evil-minded Karna."
Bhishma did not stop. He told Duryodhana plainly: whether in knowledge of arms, valour, dharma, or devotion to dharma, Karna was not worth a small part of the Pandavas. And then he gave his counsel: "For the welfare of this lineage, I think that peace with the great-souled Pandavas is desirable."
Duryodhana listened. Then he laughed. Without a word of reply, he abruptly departed with Soubala at his side. Aranyaka Parva, Chapter 538