Sun TV Mahabharatham

Scene 1 Eight years later... on the banks of the river, the royal guru is teaching the three royal princes: Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura. Bhishma is standing near them and queens Satyavati, Ambika and Ambalika are sitting and watching the proceedings. Sivai(Vidura's mother) is also present there. Guru : Today Bhishma is going to test your intelligence. All of you are no doubt intelligent; but I believe Bhishma won't test merely your bookish knowledge but your out-of-the-box thinking. Bhishma : Dear children, I have no doubt about your skills in education. But presence of mind, independent and lateral thinking are factors that distinguish one person from the other. I am going to begin the test: are you all ready? The princes chorus their readiness. Bhishma (Holding a sieve in his hands): This vessel will help only the person shrewd enough to understand the subtleties and nuances of the situation. Who will come first? Dhritarashtra : I am the eldest and so I will come fir

Scene 1 Princess Ambika is seated on her bed, anxious and dressed in her bridal finery. Vyasa approaches her. Ambika is appalled by Vyasa's hideous and unkempt appearance and closes her eyes in fright. The next day, Vyasa is seen approaching Ambalika, dressed similarly for her nuptial night. Ambalika too is horrified by Vyasa's appearance and she turns pale. The next day, Vyasa is offering the prayers to the goddess, when the maids bring two babies and lay them in front of the sage. Queen Satyavati is delighted to see the babies and asks Vyasa to name them. Vyasa, with his Yogic insight is able to see their future and names them Dhritarashtra and Pandu. Queen Satyavati wants to know about the future of the two new born babies, but Vyasa is reluctant to reveal it. Upon Queen's insistence, he tells her that Ambika had closed her eyes, disgusted by Vyasa's looks and so her son was born blind. Ambalika's face had turned sallow and hence her son would have short life.

Scene 1 Bhishma tells Chief Physician about the prince's death and commands him to embalm the body. The news of the prince's death is to be a secret, he warns the physician. Queen Satyavati is pacing up and down, looking at the embalmed body of her son. Then she resolutely walks out. Bhishma is deep in thoughts in his chamber when Queen Satyavati comes in. Queen : I wanted to see and talk to you. That's why I have come. Bhishma : Tell me. Queen : Bhishma, I do not know what you think about me, but I can tell you what I think about myself. There are two Satyavati's inside me. One is a mother who cannot cry aloud or perform the final rites of her son. The other is the queen of Hastinapura who believes she has to even lay her life for protecting her country. Your father has entrusted the care of this country to you and to me. Both of us share this responsibility. Your brother is being preserved by floating him in medicated oils. If I do his final rites, both Ambika

Scene 1 Sage Parasurama is sitting in meditation outside his hermitage. Amba approaches the sage and offers her prostrations. She introduces herself as the daughter of the king of Kashi. Sage Parasurama : King of Kashi is a great devotee of Lord Shiva. How is he? Amba : I cannot say he is fine. He is beset with worries about myself. Sage : Is it so? What is your problem? Amba : A Kshatriya entered my life and my life disintegrated and scattered away like a flower garden caught in a raging tempest. If Kshatriya dharma goes counter to humanitarian dharma, what will a helpless girl like me do? Amba recounts the incidents that happened during the Swayamvaram and the subsequent events leading to her rejection by King Shalwa, Bhishma and by her own father. Sage is moved by her condition and sends for Bhishma. Bhishma arrives soon and Sage Parasurama asks Bhishma to marry Amba. Bhishma refuses, citing his vow as the reason. Parasurama : If so, why did you go to Kashi and hold the girls

Scene 1 Vichitraveerya marries the two Kashi princesses Ambika and Ambalika, as Queen Satyavati and Bhishma look on happily. Physicians begin their treatments on the Prince. Special prayers are offered at various temples for the speedy recovery of the prince. Scene 2 Queen Satyavati is seated on the throne and is flanked by Bhishma. Amba stomps into the assembly, demanding justice. Amba : Does anybody know here about dharma? Do such people still live here? Satyavati : Who are you, woman? Hastinapur is a land of dharma. What complaint do you bring here? Amba : I am Amba, the princes of Kashi. Satyavati (sarcastically): Oh you are that woman who spurned the throne of Hastinapur and went seeking your lover! Amba : That was past. Let's talk of the future now.

Scene 1 Bhishma sets out to consult Sage Vyasa on the next course of action. Outside the hermitage, sage Vyasa is discoursing on dharma, "Dharma varies from person to person. Brahmin is one who is devoted to selfless service. Kshatriya is known not by his birth but by his strength. He uses his strength for the welfare of his country. It is expected that he acts without being influenced by personal likes and dislikes." Bheeshma enters, salutes and tells him that he has come to receive his advice on matters of great importance. Vyasa : What is the problem, Bhishma? Bhishma : You know that very well. One of my brothers is dead, and the other is incapable of producing a progeny. Vyasa : Hmm. Is there a more curious tale than that happening in the Kuru dynasty? Bhishma : Every clan has its ups and down. Hastinapur is without a king today. We have sent word to other states stating we are observing one year's condolence following Chitrangada's death and it is coming to

Scene 1 Shantanu is touched deeply by Devavrata's incomparable sacrifice and hugs him. The next day, Devavrata calls for a special meeting presided by Sages Vasishtha and Parasurama. He tells them of the oath of life-time celibacy he has taken and abdicates the crown as the future king of Hastinapura. In front of a packed audience, he invokes his mother Ganga and all the gods, and swears he would never accept any official position throughout his life. Sage Parasurama extols his renunciation as a virtue of the highest order. Sage Vasishtha blesses him and bestows the appellation of Bhishma on him. The court resounds with the reverberations of 'Bhishma as gods from the sky chorus 'Bhishma' and those assembled in the court join the chorus. Parasurama reminds Bhishma of his duties toward Hastinapur as its custodian. He hands over to Bhishma a sword he had received from Lord Vishnu. Shantanu meets Bhishma in his private chambers. He expresses his anguish over the many pleasu