Duryodana's Positive Traits
Duryodhana's wife Bhanumathi and his close friend Karna were playing a game of dice. it was evident that Karna was winning and Bhanumathi was losing. Karna could not suppress his delight. Just then Duryodhana entered his queen's chamber. Karna had his back to the door while Bhanumathi was facing it. Seeing her husband coming, she was about to stand up. As she was just rising, Karna, thinking that she was trying to get away from the embarrassment of certain defeat in the game, snatched at her drape, studded with pearls.
The thread snapped and all the pearls rolled on the floor. Bhanumathi was stunned and did not know what to say or do. She was afraid that, for no fault of hers, she would be misunderstood by her husband because of Karna's offensive and insensitive behavior. Seeing her shocked state and sensing that something was wrong, Karna turned round and saw his friend Duryodhana. He was also deeply shocked and distressed beyond words.He was in the royal chamber, playing a game of dice with his friend's wife and, as if this was not enough, he had the audacity to catch her clothes, and embarrassing/endangering her reputation. He stood transfixed. Surely, Duryodhana would not tolerate such immodesty. He readied himself for the inevitable punishment.
As both she and Karna look down sheepishly, unable to meet Duryodhana's eyes, he simply says:
"Should I just collect the beads, or string them as well."
Both Bhanumathi and Karna had misjudged him. He had implicit faith and great love for his queen and greater was his faith on his friend Karna. He does not suspect, does not get angry with Karna but helps him in picking up the pearls.
He seems to not care about the low birth of Karna and is the only one to vocally support Karna candidature in the archery contest without caring about caste inequality. When Kripa and Drona humiliated, Duryodhana immediately defended Karna, and made him king of Anga.
When Draupadi refuses to allow Karna to string the bow at her swayamvar because of his low birth, Duryodhana defends him saying "great sages, philosophers, and warriors have no source. They are made great, not born great".
Another incident, is when knowing Sahadev's ability as an astrologer, Duryodhana asked him to fix Muhurtha time for commencement of war.
He commits to his duties as a Kshatriya, and even in his last combat, fights bravely. He chooses to face Bhima in combat over all the other Pandavas.. He could have easily gained back the kingdom Yudishitria offered to the winner of this battle, but Duryodana wanted a fair challenge.
4) A Descent King
Besides, his emense greed for the throne, he did rule descently and wanted the kingdom to prosper. As Duryodhana is about to die, he looks at Krishna malevolently. "I have been a good king,” he says. "I have conducted myself as a Kshatriya should and have come by death in battle. I'll die and attain heaven, but you will live in grief and sorrow." He fell back and flowers rained from the heavens to drop gently on his pain-wracked body. The Pandavas, wincing with shame, turned away.
Lord Indra explains to Yudishitira that he had already served his time in hell, and earned his eventual place in heaven by being a good king and warrior.
He managed to win the pledge of King Shayla, who was actually the maternal uncle of Pandavas, to fight on his side in battle of Kurukshetra. While King Shalya was moving with his army to go and support Yudhishthira, he and his force were looked after extremely well en route. Floored by the hospitality, Shalya offered complete support to the host thinking it was Yudhishthira. Only later did he discover that Duryodhana was the person behind the hospitality, and was thus indebted to him. Duryodhana wanted Shalya mainly so that Karna would have an equivalent charioteer to Arjuna's Krishna.
