Strategic reasons
Duryodhana when he was capable of waging war restrained from doing it not because of lack of ambition or anger. It was due to strategic sense. Let us have a look at some facts about Hastinapur as a kingdom.
Before Kauravas and Pandavas
Shantanu and later Bhishma and Vichitravirya and then Dhritharashtra and Pandu are the people and the times we need to check. Shanthanu was a powerful warrior and King and so was Bhishma. But not only that they had a strong army and were always well allied.
Later it became stronger with Dritharashtra marrying Gandhara princess and Pandu the Madra and Kuntibhoja's princesses. Thus they had allies who could attack anyone for all sides and were capable strong warrior led kingdoms. Not to mention Pandu or Bhishma the great warriors.
Kripacharya , Kuntibhoja, Yadavas (relatives of Kunti whose brother is Vasudeva father of Lord Krishna), Kaasi (Ambika and Ambalika's kingdom), Shalya from Madra were there to add might. So Hastinapur was never attacked by Jarasandha even then.
Panchal and Kuru had enmities long back and uneasy truce.
Kaurava, Pandava allies before Rajasuya
Once Kaurava , Pandava rivalry began things took a different turn. Let us look at how the entire sides stacked up. Kaurava allies let us take a look first.
Hastinapur without Bhishma or Kripa taking sides would be just half or not support to Duryodhana. Gandhar and Anga from Karna were assured support. Ashwadhama would be support with half Panchal. Jayadradha the Sindhu king was support. Kaasi cannot be supportive fully to either.
That is all the support they had before Rajasuya.
Pandava allies
Pandavas had Yadavas, Vrishni, Kuntibhoja, Shalya of Madra for assured support as mother's relatives. Krishna, Balarama, Satyaki, Pradyumna and then the Pandavas themselves. Strong field. Once Draupadi was won, half of Panchal with Drupad and Drishtadyumna as strong maharathis.
Subhadra, Uloopi, Chitrangada ensured that they had strong Naga, Gandharva and Yadava support. Bhima with Hidimbi and Ghatotkacha ensured strong support from the Rakshasas also. Pandavas were unassailable.
Post Rajasuya
This made Pandavas overall sovereigns of even Hastinapur and its relatives. Kauravas had no allies because even Karna was defeated, Jarasandha no more, Sisupala dead and all those who were vanquished had to swear allegiance to Pandavas. Virtually all under Pandavas.
Duryodhana had no choice but to take it all by crook or stay second to the Pandavas. There was no way Duryodhana could get Bhishma, Drona, Kripa to support a war against the emperor of Aryavartha.
Kurukshetra preparation stage
The stage changed with Yudhishtira no longer the emperor and the loyalty towards Hastinapur being called upon by Dhritharashtra it was an army loaded in favor of Duryodhana.
Duryodhana had his army, Drona, Ashwadhama and half Panchala, Bhagadutta of Pragjyothisha, Alambusha and Rakshasas, Kalinga, Trigarta, Gandhar, Sindhu and Anga armies with him. He had almost 8 akshauhinis and more warriors. Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Kripa, Bhagadutta, Ashwadhama, Jayadrada and his brothers, Shakuni and more. And his final coup Shalya cheated and forced to join. That made him numerically superior.
Pandavas
Half of Panchala, Vrishni and Satyaki, Kuntibhoja and Sahadeva of Magadha, Virata and Ghatotkacha and rakshasas. The numbers and warriors were less because Shalya was cheated. Barring Arjuna, Bhima, Drupad, Ghatotkacha, Abhimanyu, Drishtadyumna, Satyaki the number of maharathis were less.
Conclusion
Like a strategically smart king Duryodhana waited for his advantage and then called the war. He was quite sure with invincible and death as he wishes Bhishma and protected Karna and Drona and forever living Ashwadhama and Kripa he had the strength to take on and defeat Pandavas.
He felt that with the numeric superiority he could win over the normal battles also. What he did not count on was the master strategist and divine supremo Lord Krishna who could and did tilt it all. An angry Arjuna followed by Satyaki and Bhima in one day destroyed 8-9 akshauhinis and destroyed Kauravas in one day and night.
Arjuna took care of Bhishma, Jayadratha, Bhagadutta, Bhurishrava, Karna thus finishing the maharathis.
Bhima finished Kalinga, Pandya, Kaurava brothers and held off most others when required.
Strategically Duryodhana had the edge and superiority but it was not to be. All the calculations to win and waiting and playing the hand at the right moment failed. Duryodhana lost it all. All the maharathis, divine astras could not help him.
Justice won over strategy and superior tactics, skilled warriors. Of course there was no one who was equal to Bhima, Arjuna and Krishna. So the war was balanced. The best archer with more divine weapons and the strongest living warrior restored parity and ensured victory with the divine strategist aiding and abetting.
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Why Duryodhana delayed till last a war with Pandavas?
General FictionDuryodhana and Shakuni were no fools. They looked at things strategically and decided not to fight until they felt the odds were in favor for them in every way. Why and what is the details that we will explore here.
