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If one examines the incidents that involved these two more closely, it is Duryodhana who comes up as ‘better of the two’, many times. I would like to lay emphasis on the phrase ‘many times’. I do not mean ‘always’. That Karna was fiercely loyal is a fact that cannot be denied. But it cannot also be denied that that loyalty was not without shortfalls. We will take the incidents involving the two and measure them against the indisputable yardstick of Thirukkural, one by one. The students of the Acharya Drona had assembled that day for a display of the skills they had acquired, both Kauravas and Pandavas. It has to be remembered that the name Kaurava is derived from the name of their ancestor Kuru and therefore the five also fall under the same name ‘Kaurava’. However, it is a matter of distinction that they are known by their father’s name, Pandu. It is like saying though all the four brothers can be called ‘Raghava’, only Rama is more known by that name. We know what happened that day. Arjuna had just completed his firework of a display and made everyone in the arena go gaga about him. Karna appeared at the gate and challenged Arjuna. He challenged him for ‘dvanda yuddham’ more commonly known as a duel in English. Two different styles of battle are described in Mahabharata namely, ‘dvanda’ and the ‘sankula’ styles. ‘Dvanda’ is the battle between the hierarchically equals. A king fights only with another king. The chariot-warrior with the chariot-warrior, a horseman with another and so on. The ‘sankula’ style is normally not adopted except in the case of emergencies – like a king having to fight a gang of thieves, etc. But what is going on is a display of skills and there is no emergency which called for the ‘sankula’ style to be adopted. And therefore, Kripa asked for his status in the society. There is no other significance to this question as people imagine and attribute to this incident.
Now, Karna was doubtless an excellent archer. But his credentials need to be checked and verified because he was not known to the royalty until then. What he desired was a ‘dvanda yuddha’ and verification of social status, either of the person in question directly or that of his father was a necessary precondition. Karna was crestfallen. What he wanted was public recognition by establishing his supremacy over Arjuna. What stood in the way of his goal was the question of hierarchy. (It however has to be remembered that though Karna was a great archer, he was defeated in many later scuffles, duels and battles by Arjuna whereas there is not a single instance when Arjuna was defeated by Karna.) Apart from not getting the recognition that he thirsted for, Karna had now to stand with his head bent low for no fault of his, since he did not know the family to which he belonged, he did not know that he was born to the same Kunti. A pitiable condition indeed for a person like Karna. On the other side, Duryodhana considered only Arjuna and Bhima as formidable warriors. He could match – and even outdo – the skills of Bhima with the mace. But he needed an archer who could handle this Arjuna. He spotted his friend there, at that moment. He rushed to his rescue and quickly argued and obtained the approval of elders to make Karna the king of Anga, at the very same spot. The question of hierarchy was wiped out in one simple stroke. But then, it was too late to continue that day and other diversions did not make the duel between Arjuna and Karna. Karna was overcome by feelings of gratitude at this unmatched gesture. One needed the strength of the other. One needed the other to complement shortfalls and supplement strong points. But that is what friendship is all about. seyarkku ariya yaavuLa natpin adhu pOl
Duryodhana settled the score of hierarchy much later, when Dharmaputra stood against him in the Kurukshetra. ‘If a duel is fought between equals,’ he chuckled, on the first day of the war, just before the war started, ‘do tell me who is the king that has come in war against me, and which country is that he rules over!’ Only, Karna was not there by his side on that day to listen to the way his friend avenged for the insult that he suffered on the first day of their friendship. Hari Krishnan Published on 14th Feb 2003
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Speaking of friendship, one is always reminded of the splendid example of Duryodhana and Karna. People even go the extent of describing it as the most ideal friendship. But the warmth of this ‘friendship’ seems more to be a Tamil contribution. The very popular incident that describes the
‘edukkavo kOkkavO’ incident‘ shall I pick up or shall is re-string these pearls’ is found in the Bharata Venba and Villi Bharatam in Tamil and not in Vyasa’s original. The ‘friendship’ that Vyasa depicts is of a complex nature. It was born with an ulterior motive; it was nurtured with a motive; it grew with a motive; but nonetheless the relations between the two contain sparkling examples of friendship of the ‘most excellent’ (for want of a better phrase!) nature.
‘Very well. You want to fight a duel with Arjuna. He is a prince. He is the son of Kunti and is therefore known as Kaunteya. Who are you? You are unknown to us. What is your status in society? What is your father and who is he? A duel is fought only between equals and therefore the details are to be made public. Give me the particulars.’ 
What is rarer to get than friendship and a stronger shield against a foe? (Translated by P. S. Sundaram) It is not only a shield against the foe. ‘vinaikku ariya yaa vuLa kaappu,’ includes all kinds of endeavours a person undertakes. Friendship is the bond that shields, that strengthens, that protects and that vitalises. 
