In the great assembly of the Kurus, before the gathered elders and in the presence of his blind father, Duryodhana spoke with hardened resolve. He declared that he would not yield even a needle’s breadth of land to the sons of Pandu, no matter what fate might bring. Knowing well that Krishna was coming to Hastinapura to demand half the kingdom on behalf of the Pandavas, he proclaimed that no demand would be accepted. He claimed that he had decided to draw a final curtain over all future claims through decisive action, asserting that gentle measures were useless and that harsh treatment alone was fit for his rivals. He urged the elders to listen carefully, boasting that he had long labored over this plan.
He described Krishna as the guide, protector, teacher, and divine benefactor of the Pandavas, while the elders listened in grave silence, sensing that the course of thought was turning perilous. Then, from the depths of a corrupt mind, Duryodhana descended to a vile resolve. With a sinister smile he announced that he would imprison Krishna himself. By this act, he said, the Pandavas would become like birds deprived of wings, broken and subdued. The king of Panchala and the Yadavas would be forced into loyalty, his allies and friends would fall under his command, and he would rule the earth as sovereign over all kings. Having declared his preparations complete, he demanded to know what the elders had to say.
This dreadful intention of the prince sent waves of terror through the assembly. Never before had such a plot been heard in the annals of any kingdom, and murmurs of horror spread among the gathered men. King Dhritarashtra then addressed his son in anguish, lamenting that he had crossed all bounds of propriety. He warned that Duryodhana was openly declaring his resolve to crush every effort at peace and plunge the realm into conflict. Such an idea, he said, would be condemned by the world and must be abandoned at once.
Dhritarashtra reminded him that the one who was coming was an emissary, a divine personality engaged in the cause of justice, who should never be insulted. Krishna, he said, was great beyond measure, ever striving to uphold righteousness, and must not be harmed or treated with disrespect. He was no ordinary being but the all-pervading Narayana himself. What loss could the Kuru lineage suffer by his arrival, and what harm could it bring to Duryodhana? He rebuked his son as a sinner for conceiving such a wicked thought, declaring it both vile and senseless. Krishna, unique and inconceivable, was coming for the welfare of the Kuru race, and to oppose him was like kicking away fortune that had arrived of its own accord. Overcome by grief and helplessness, the king burst into tears as he reproached his son, unable to endure the enormity of the thought.
Then Bhishma spoke to Dhritarashtra, saying that the prince had embraced a path of self-destruction. He warned that anyone who sought to harm Govinda would be utterly destroyed, for no weapon or scheme could touch him without bringing ruin upon the attacker. Such words and intentions, Bhishma said, were unheard of, and filled him with both concern and revulsion. With these grave reflections, he left the assembly. Dhritarashtra again warned his son that every evil thought he conceived would surely be carried out, and that this course would reduce all his prospects to nothing. He dismissed the assembly and sat in troubled reflection.
Bhishma firmly rejected the plan and emphasized the catastrophic future it would bring, leaving the outcome to destiny with a harsh warning that dreadful thoughts arise when destruction draws near. Dhritarashtra and Duryodhana attempted divisive strategies, but they failed. The very arrival of Krishna had caused such agitation, and the king feared that his diplomacy might unleash even more severe events. He lamented that Duryodhana acted the moment a thought struck him, without regard for consequence, and that he himself lacked the authority to restrain or punish him. Seeing his son build a mountain of corruption and an ocean of cruelty, Dhritarashtra retired with a disturbed and conflicted mind, revealing his own inner contradictions.
After completing his morning rites, Krishna prepared to depart for Hastinapura. The people of Dvaraka bade him farewell with reverence and affection. Along the way, his entourage was received with fruits, delicacies, and fine foods arranged by Duryodhana, and they were honored with garlands, sandalwood paste, and fragrant offerings. Narayana accepted this hospitality with gracious composure. Dhritarashtra sent Bhishma, Drona, Bahlika, Vidura, Sanjaya, and many princes, elders, and eminent citizens to welcome Krishna, along with musicians and Vedic scholars, leaving out only his eldest son. Krishna returned their greetings with perfect courtesy, honoring both personal affection and diplomatic protocol.
As he entered the city, crowds surged forward, eager to behold him. People waved their hands in joy, crying out that they were blessed by his presence. Women showered him with flowers, sanctified grains, fragrant waters, and radiant colors, as though the gods themselves had descended among them. His divine aura drew people of every age into a state of exalted wonder, and none remembered that he had come on a mission of state. They recalled his deeds among themselves, how as a child he overcame deadly demons, how he slew tyrants, restored rightful kings, brought celestial treasures, stole butter and hearts alike, and how the wisdom of the sacred texts was said to dwell at his feet. Surrounded by this sea of devotion, Vasudeva moved slowly, blessing all with a gentle smile, restraining the guards who tried to clear the way.
He crossed the royal gates, dismounted near the stables, and walked toward the palace halls. Dhritarashtra, supported by Bhishma and Drona and accompanied by Vidura and Sanjaya, came forward to welcome him. Madhava embraced the king, greeted the elders with fitting words and gestures, and sent Satyaki to inquire about the welfare of the people. A noble seat was prepared for him, and the scholars completed the rites of hospitality with Vedic hymns, rejoicing in their rare fortune to serve the divine guest. The vassal kings and relatives took their places, and Dhritarashtra ascended his throne, marking the formal opening of the assembly, which shone like a lotus pond at dawn.
Krishna then greeted the sons of Ambika and the assembled kings with impeccable decorum, still not assuming the role of an emissary. After the formal courtesies, he sought permission to visit the homes of Vidura and other elders. Vidura received him with devotion, humility, friendship, and joy, worshipping him according to sacred tradition. Krishna inquired about the welfare of Kunti’s sons and narrated their condition in detail, displaying perfect conduct and respect for royal protocol before undertaking his diplomatic task. Thereafter he joyfully went to Kunti’s dwelling, accepting Vidura’s earnest request to take his meal there.
At the sight of Krishna, Kunti’s suppressed grief overflowed. She clasped him and wept, remembering her sons, and Krishna gently consoled her, calling her his maternal aunt, dear as his own mother. Sitting beside her, he soothed her sorrow as she spoke of her sons’ virtues, their obedience to dharma, their former comfort and honor, and the cruel hardships of forest exile they had endured without fault. She recalled how they had once lived amid abundance and affection, and how they were cast into desolation, leaving her behind with a grieving heart. With a mother’s anxious love, she asked about each of them in turn, about the righteous eldest, the mighty warrior, the peerless archer, the gentle twins, and the devoted queen who shared their fate.
Krishna resolved to address her concerns fully, as he had promised Dharmaraja before beginning his journey. His arrival awakened hopes and fears in every heart, and his visits to the homes of influential figures formed part of his careful understanding of the temper of Hastinapura. Thus the stage was set, and the next phase of events would unfold when he entered the hall of the Kuru assembly to speak on the fate of kings and kingdoms.
