Duryodhana died after Bhima broke his thighs at the end of
the Kurukshetra battle in the Mahabharata. Duryodhana was cursed first by
Draupadi and later by Sage Maitreya that his thighs will be broken.
Draupadi was dragged to the Hastinapura court and insulted
by Kauravas, Shakuni and Karna after Yudhishtira lost the dice game.
In the court, Duryodhana crudely bared this thigh, exposed it to Draupadi, and invited her to sit on his lap.
In the court, Duryodhana crudely bared this thigh, exposed it to Draupadi, and invited her to sit on his lap.
Seething in anger, Draupadi, the insulted and humiliated wife
of the Pandavas, cursed Duryodhana that his thighs will be broken on the
battlefield and that he will die a dreadful death, with vultures and wolves
howling around him.
Bhima, the second of the Pandava brothers, immediately took
the oath that he would break the thighs of Duryodhana first and then kill him.
When Pandavas along with Draupadi were exiled, Sage Maitreya
tried to reason with Duryodhana. He asked him to make peace with Pandavas by
returning their kingdom. But Duryodhana insulted the sage by smiting his thigh.
Sage Maitreya in anger cursed Duryodhana that Bhima’s oath
will come true and that he will lose his life when his thighs are broken.