During the Pandavas' exile, a sage informed King Dhritarashtra about their hardships. While the king felt troubled, his main concern was the potential retaliation from Bhima and Arjuna. Despite Dhritarashtra's anxiety, Duryodhana, Karna, and Sakuni were thrilled with their own prosperity and sought to witness the Pandavas' suffering firsthand. Duryodhana proposed visiting the forest under the pretext of taking stock of their cattle. Although Dhritarashtra initially resisted due to the potential danger, Sakuni persuaded him to allow the trip. Consumed by hatred and jealousy, Duryodhana ignored the risks, eager to gloat over the Pandavas' misfortunes.

Sources:

1. Ganguli, Kisari Mohan, translator. The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa. 12 vols. P. C. Roy, 1883-1896.

2. Pattanaik, Devdutt. Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata. Penguin Books, 2010.

3. Narayan, R. K. The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic. University of Chicago Press, 1978.

4. Menon, Ramesh. The Mahabharata: A Modern Rendering. Rupa Publications, 2006.

5. Buck, William. Mahabharata. University of California Press, 1973.

6. Hiltebeitel, Alf. The Ritual of Battle: Krishna in the Mahabharata. State University of New York Press, 1990.

7. van Buitenen, J. A. B., translator. The Mahabharata, Volume 2: The Book of the Assembly Hall; The Book of the Forest. University of Chicago Press, 1975.

8. Witzel, Michael. The Origins of the World's Mythologies. Oxford University Press, 2012.