Duryodhana envied Bhima’s strength, Arjuna’s skill and the love of the people for Yudhishthira and the Pandavas. Dhritarashtra, blind and weak-willed, favoured Duryodhana even when he knew that what he said or did was wrong. Shakuni and Karna gave Duryodhana evil and bad advice. Duryodhana laid a plot with his brothers, maternal uncle Shakuni and Karna, to send the Pandavas to stay at Varnavata. He persuaded his father to talk to Kunti and the Pandavas to go there. He sent a minister, Purochana, in advance to get a palace specially built at Varnavata for them. It was made of lacquer and was full of things that would catch fire very easily. Vidura warned Yudhishthira in time and sent a miner to dig a secret underground passage for them to escape. And Yudhishthira told Kunti and his brothers to act as if they had known nothing.
The Lacquer Palace (Lakshagriha)
