Part 7 - Characters in the Ūrubhaṅga

In the Ūrubhaṅga, the characters are represented in two ways. Some characters like Duryodhana, Baladeva, Aśvatthāmā, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Gāndhārī, Durjaya, Pauravīand Mālavī are shown as present directly on the stage; and Kṛṣṇa, Bhīma, Arjuna, Yudhiṣṭhira, Vyāsa, Vidura and other Pāṇḍavas are described as present behind the curtain. Some of the important characters will be discussed below:

Kṛṣṇa –

The Mahābhārata would be difficult to imagine without the role of Kṛṣṇa. Because of Kṛṣṇa, the Pāṇḍavas win the Great War. In the case of the Ūrubhaṅga, he supports the Pāṇḍavas by all means. At the end of the great Kuru-war, the club-fight goes on between Bhīma and Duryodhana. Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍavas were present with Vyāsa, Vidura and Balarāma. The fight was horrific, because Bhīma was stronger than Duryodhana; but Duryodhana was a trained club-fighter. Hence, Bhīma gets a terrible blow on his head and falls down. Seeing this, Kṛṣṇa makes a secret-sign to Bhīma by striking on his own thigh. Getting the intended idea, Bhīma gets up with a thundering sound and fights with Duryodhana. In this situation, Kṛṣṇa helps Bhīma. He makes secret sign to Bhīma to strike his mace on Duryodhana’s thigh, because Kṛṣṇa knew that in lawful warfare, the powerful opponent could not be killed. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa is the actual hero of the epic. After the war, Kṛṣṇa congratulates the king Yudhiṣṭhira for regaining the lost kingdom. He criticizes Duryodhana. Duryodhana abuses Kṛṣṇa for his cunning act. Kṛṣṇa also answers in the same way to Duryodhana. Then he goes to Hastināpura to console Gāndhārī. In the drama, all these activities of Kṛṣṇa take place behind the curtain only.

Balarāma –

Balarāma is the teacher of Duryodhana in the art of mace fighting. He is also the on looker of the war. He is the only person who sees the secret sign that Kṛṣṇa gives to Bhīma, when Bhīma smashes Duryodhana’s thigh. Balarāma does not tolerate this. He blames Bhīma for breaking the law of fighting. He becomes angry, so Kṛṣṇa tries to convince him, but he is not convinced. He praises Duryodhana and promises to kill Pāṇḍavas. However, Duryodhana prohibits him by his indifference. Durjaya, the son of Duryodhana, in the mean time, is declared as the successor of the kingdom. Balarāma becomes the witness when Durjaya is declared as the king of the state.

Duryodhana –

Duryodhana, the king of Hastināpura is one of the leading characters of the drama. For the kingdom, he fights with the Pāṇḍavas and loses all the hundred brothers in the battlefield. His ego is destroyed by everything. For revenge, Bhīma fights with him. Bhīma defeats him in the club fighting, though he was a trained mace-fighter. Balarāma was his teacher. He is the real fighter who would almost defeat Bhīma but Kṛṣṇa cheats him by making a secret sign to hit by the mace on the thighs. Duryodhana falls down with a broken thigh and bleeds profusely. Seeing this, Balarāma becomes angry for breaking of the rule of the war. When Duryodhana comes to know that it was the plan of Kṛṣṇa, he abuses him. However, he understands that it is useless and so he requests Balarāma to calm down from his aggressive mood to kill all the Pāṇḍavas. He is also not interested in informing the situation to his family members, by which they would be shocked. However, Kṛṣṇa informs the unfortunate event by going to Hastināpura. When he sees the family members, he could not control himself. He is unable to salute Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Gāndhārī by rising up. He consoles the queens, father and mother. He advises the son Durjaya to behave properly with the Pāṇḍavas and Draupadī. He wants Gāndhārī again as his mother in the next birth. He is satisfied that he has finished his duty. He leaves the world; his body is covered with a piece of cloth. He is proud because he could keep his dignity.

Bhīma –

The second leading character in the drama is Bhīma. He fights with Duryodhana to take revenge for his past deed. Bhīma is physically strongand fights by his mace, but Duryodhana is a clever and trained fighter. He follows the rules of the war. Without cheating, no one could defeat him. At the end of the great Kuru-Pāṇḍava war, Bhīma fights with Duryodhana. The terrible mace fighting goes on in the presence of Vyāsa, Vidura, Balarāma, Kṛṣṇa, Yudhiṣṭhira and others. In between, Bhīma gets a heard-blow on his head and falls down, which worries Pāṇḍava supporters. Balarāma is the only person, who becomes happy in the victory of his pupil. Then Duryodhana taunts Bhīma that his death is in his hand. It bothers Kṛṣṇa no end. Hence, he makes a secret sign indicating that Bhīma should strike on Duryodhana’s thigh. Getting the sign from Kṛṣṇa, Bhīma recovers and fights fearlessly. After a few moments, he strikes on both the thighs of Duryodhana. Duryodhana falls down and bleeds profusely. Balarāma objects to it on the ground that the rules are broken. He gets very angry and rushes to Duryodhana. Kṛṣṇa sends away Bhīma immediately according to Vyāsa’s advice, so that the further harm could be avoided. Then the altercation takes place between Kṛṣṇa and Duryodhana wherein the latter accuses the former of cheating. It should be noted here that Duryodhana could be defeated only due to the help of Kṛṣṇa, as Duryodhana was a trained fighter. This concludes the Great War and brings victory to the Pāṇdavas.

Durjaya –

Durjaya, the son of Duryodhana, is very young to understand the politics. He enters with the other family members, when Bhīma defeats Duryodhana. Seeing Durjaya and other members, Duryodhana could not control himself. Durjaya does not understand, as to why he is not able sit on the lap of his father. He wants to sit on the lap, but Duryodhana could not offer him his lap and tells him to sit anywhere he wants to and also that from today onwards he cannot sit on his lap. Durjaya asks his father as to where he is going. In tearful condition, Duryodhana replies that he is going to the place where his hundred brothers have already gone. Then Durjaya says that he also wants to go with him. Such conversation between the father and the son creates the real pathetic. As a son, Durjaya tries to understand the situation and wants to take his father to other family members. However, Duryodhana expresses his inability and tells that he loves his fatherand so he does not want to leave him. The situation is insignificant for a child but it is pathetic for a grown up like Duryodhana.