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All creation is ruled, in turns, by the forces of darkness and light: the earth as well. Both forces have their own creatures in the world, ordinary men and those with great power. The Kauravas and the Pandavas served opposite causes.
These were the days of a yugasandhi, a cusp of ages between a dwapara and a kali yuga. Krishna's mission was to ensure that no power of evil survived into the coming, lesser age, to dominate it. The powers of darkness were losing what was, just years ago, a stranglehold over the earth and its affairs. Krishna had killed Kamsa, Jarasandha and thousands of other incarnate demons. Now an ancient mantle of evil had fallen on the shoulders of Duryodhana of Hastinapura. He was the last hope of the forces of tyranny and violence on earth, for Krishna had swept the other evil ones before him in a tide of light.
In grim patala, under world, domain of perpetual twilight, some of the most powerful Demons sat in conclave. Many of them were as old as the earth herself. Some had great saurian forms. Some were humanoid, but huge, their eyes dreadful; and still others were unquiet vapors. They saw what Duryodhana meant to do and their persuasions within his mind seemed to have no effect on the Kuru prince. He had grown numb and seemed determined to die. Those Asuras lit a fire of yagna and sat around it chanting eerie mantras. The fire blazed dark and high; as the incantations grew more resonant, a kritya, a dark female spirit, appeared among the flames. She was tall as a palm tree, her eyes burning, her hair flames and her body a cool fire. She stood before the monsters that had summoned her and said in a hollow voice, "Command me, masters of the night. Why have I been called from the pit?" In fell voices, the Demons said, "Fly up to the earth and fetch the Kuru prince Duryodhana to us." Duryodhana, who sat with his eyes shut beside the river, fell into a dream. He dreamt a fierce woman flew down out of the air and plucked him up in her arms.
The smallest, but the eldest, Demon said to Duryodhana in an echoing voice, "King of men, how can you think of killing yourself, when there is so much you must still accomplish? The very purpose of your birth!" Another, a graybeard, said, "Kshatriya, you are no ordinary mortal. We worshipped Siva and the Devi with a thousand yagnas, so you would be born. Above the waist, your body was made by Mahadeva out of impenetrable vajras. Below the waist, the Devi herself made your form from the flowers of heaven, to please the women of earth. You were created by Siva and Uma." Another said in a woman's voice,"You must rule the earth. Narakasura's spirit has entered Karna:
you have nothing to fear from Arjuna, Karna will kill him. Millions of Danavas and Daityas have been born into the world of men, to be your legions. The Pandavas cannot stand against you, Duryodhana!" "Don't let a petty defeat deflect you from your true purpose, Kaurava," said the first one who had spoken. "Yours and ours is a great destiny. We shall rule the earth for a thousand years of the Devas. It is an older war than you think that you fight. It is almost the dawning of the kali yuga. We must win the war on the crack of the ages and win it we shall. You are never alone, Duryodhana; we are always with you, proud spirit!"
Menon, Ramesh (2006-07-20). THE MAHABHARATA: A Modern Rendering, Vol 1 iUniverse. Kindle Edition.
EVIL/DARK versus shades of grey: a constant battle...
I leave the rest to the reader's interpretation
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Indian Mythology
Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan
Shiv Shakti
