In the final day of the Battle of Mahabharata, Duryodhana lay grievously wounded on the battlefield. As he awaited his end. Ashwatthama, seeking revenge for his father Dronacharya’s death, took a drastic and cruel step. Under the cover of night, he infiltrated the Pandava camp and killed the five sons of Draupadi, mistaking them for the Pandavas.
When Ashwatthama returned, he reported his deed to the dying Duryodhana. He believed he had killed the Pandavas and conveyed this message with a sense of triumph. Duryodhana, upon hearing this, experienced a fleeting moment of satisfaction. In his mind, he had won the war. The thought of his enemies being vanquished brought him a final sense of victory, even in his last moments.
Duryodhana’s satisfaction was profound. His entire life had been driven by his rivalry with the Pandavas. He had sought their destruction with relentless determination. To die believing that his lifelong quest had been fulfilled must have brought him immense, albeit brief, contentment.
However, the reality was far different. Ashwatthama’s actions were misguided, and his belief that he had killed the Pandavas was false. The true tragedy lay in the fact that innocent children (the 5 children of Draupadi with Pandavas) were the victims of this act of revenge. This gruesome mistake added to the horrors of the war and highlights the futility of hatred and vengeance.
Duryodhana’s death, shrouded in a false sense of triumph, underscores the tragic consequences of his relentless enmity. It serves as a poignant reminder of the devastating impact of misguided ambitions and the tragic errors that arise from revenge-driven actions.