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Furore in Hastinapur Assembly: Nobody the Legitimate Kuru Heir Except Bhishma

In the previous episode, Dhritarashtra had announced that the elders' assembly would discuss who should be crowned the future king of Hastinapura. Kunti has an inkling that the elders in the assembly would request the Pandavas to give up their claims to the throne for the sake of peace. She tells Yudhishtra not to yield if such a request is ever made. Yudhishtra and others agree entirely with this.

Drona sees a man bringing a sack of rice to Ashwathama who directs him to take it inside. On Drona's enquiry, Ashwathama reveals that this is a tribute Drupada is paying them after his defeat by Arjuna. Drona disapproves and advises him not to continue the practice, as he considers Drupada his friend. Ashwathama points out that Drona is thankless and always regards Drona only as an adversary. On two occasions he sought the help of Drona: once for training his son under Drona and subsequently for devising the swayamwara contest for Draupadi. Yet, he failed to thank Drona after Draupadi's marriage. Drona says he was aware of Drupada's shortcomings, yet he wants to extend only friendship to Drupada.

Drupada is seen offering 'pinda' to himself. When Drishtadyumna enquires about this, Drupada says that he is seething under the shame of paying tribute to Hastinapur and this would cease only when Drona is killed and he regains his full kingdom.

Bhishma convenes the meeting, recalling the glorious past of the Kurus whose kings like Puru and Pandu excelled in renunciation and selflessness. He would like to choose the successor with everybody's cooperation, without any conflict or controversy. So he asks who is prepared to renounce and who is prepared to rule the country. Yudhishtra counters Bhishma asking him if it meant that they should once again live like refugees in the forest. Duryodhana grandiosely announces that if he becomes the king, he would let the Pandavas live comfortably like princes. Arjuna reminds them that the king had decided to crown Yudhishtra before the Pandavas left for Varanavata and that decision has to be respected. Shankuni says the circumstances have changed. He asks why the Pandavas had befriended Drupada and married his daughter, knowing fully well that Drupada is an old enemy of Hastinapura who has been nursing advertorial intentions against Bhishma and Drona. Bhishma and Drona protest, asking Duryodhana and others not to politicize their personal problems which they could settle themselves.

Kunti reminds politely that she and Pandu lived in the Hastinapur only for a couple of days. Pandu had left the palace on a 'digvijaya' or an expansion spree immediately after his coronation as king. Only after Pandu returned from the battles did she realize that Pandu had undertaken this territorial aggression only to be out of the way of his elder brother whom he loved deeply. She had then to leave the palace along with her husband and had to give birth to her children in the forest. Her travails continued with their being driven away to Varanavata and subsequently being forced to live as mendicants. She points out that renunciation and sacrifice have to be voluntary, and if it is imposed on somebody, it can only be termed injustice. Yudhishtra says emphatically that they were not prepared to renounce their right in the name of love.

Shakuni accuses Kunti of disrespecting King Dhritarashtra and Kunti protests that she has merely pointed out that Yudhishtra was the rightful heir as the eldest son of King Pandu. Shakuni and the Kauravas laugh derisively and say Pandavas are not Pandu's sons. The Pandavas are infuriated and Arjuna says that Dritarashtra himself was actually the son of Sage Vyasa. In fact, Bhishma alone could claim pure Kuru blood.

Bhishma gets disgusted with all the muck thrown at each other. He wonders aloud if he should invoke the boon of 'death by wish' that his father Shantanu had bestowed on him. He leaves the assembly angrily.

Vidura is worried. He sends for his trusted minister Kanaka and tells him to find out the opinion of the people regarding the selection of the next king so that he could advise the king accordingly.

Dritarshtra is disturbed by the aspersion cast at his birth. He is unable to sleep. In the middle of the night, he sets out to Parvata mountain to meet Sage Vyasa.

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