Rise of the Pandavas and Seeds of Jealousy

Duryodhan greatly yearned to become the crown prince. When Yudhishthir was crowned the prince of Hastinapur, he was very upset. Meanwhile, the Pandavas showed that they were brave, virtuous, and popular. Within a short time, Yudhishthir proved that he was more noble, truthful, and intelligent than even his father, Pandu.

The second-oldest Pandav, Bheem, learned sword fighting, mace fighting, and horse riding from Lord Krishna's elder brother, Balaram. Arjun was well known for his accuracy in archery, agility, and expertise in using various weapons. Guru Dron felt that Arjun was invincible. Sahadev learned ethics and moral conduct from Guru Dron. Dron was regarded as the brother of Brihaspati, the gods' guru. Nakul gained proficiency in using extraordinary and uncommon weapons.

Dhritarashtra seemed to align with the Pandavas, but he secretly favored his son Duryodhan. When the Pandavas' growing strength worried Dhritarashtra, he sought counsel from his evil minister, Kanik:

"Fortune seems to be favoring the Pandavas, who have been continuously successful. Should I consider them my allies or my enemies? I will do as you advise."

Kanik replied, "O King, listen carefully. You must adopt the strategic principles of persuasion and governance. Persuade your enemies to join you, and give them gifts. If they don't agree, use force or divide them."

Dhritarashtra then asked, "What is the most effective strategy against one's enemies—persuasion, incentives, force, or division?"

Kanik was a clever minister. He replied, "Emperor, I will narrate to you the story of the jackal who was adept at diplomacy. He lived in a jungle with his four friends: a tiger, a mouse, a wolf, and a mongoose. One day, they spotted a beautiful and agile deer. They chased the deer but failed to catch it. Disappointed, they consulted among themselves.

The jackal said, 'Tiger, you weren't able to catch that deer because it was young, agile, and strong. I have a plan: when it is asleep, let the mouse bite off its feet. Then, it will not be able to run, and you will easily catch it. Afterward, the five of us will feast on its meat.'