Satyavati, Ambika and Ambalika Perish in Forest Fire : Episode 77 (24-08-2014)

Satyavati, Ambika and Ambalika plod through the forest when Ambika notices Shikhandi. Shikhandi is now a man, but Ambika can still recognize her sister Amba in him. Sayavati remembers Amba's rage when Bhishma turns down her demand for marrying her and how she swore to take revenge on him. Ambika wants to talk to her sister, but Satyavati discourages her, reminding her how Amba had jumped into the fire and killed herself.

As the three drink water from a river, a man approaches them, asking if they were the queens of Hastinapur. This man was the priest at a Durga temple and had stopped the daily worship at the temple when he lost his daughter to small pox. At that time, Queen Satyavati had admonished him telling him how she had stoically faced her own bereavement. Satyavati recalls all this, yet refuses to acknowledge or recognize him, saying they are hermits who had renounced everything.

Bhoomadevi comes to meet Krishna. A woman carrying a heavy basket on her head comes to Dwaraka and asks Krishna to help her unload it. Krishna tries to lift her burden off the head, but is unable to do so. Surprised, Krishna asks her to reveal her true identity, and Bhoomadevi readily obliges. She then asks Krishna why he let go of the opportunity to reduce her burden, even though He had incarnated on this earth for this very purpose. An opportunity had presented itself when Pandavas and Kauravas were about to launch themselves into a war path, but Krishna had aborted this and probably lost the chance to reduce her burden. Krishna reveals that it was not the opportune moment yet. Had the Pandavas and Kauravas taken recourse to war, it would have been on a fairly small scale, being confined to them alone. He assures Bhoomadevi that at a later stage, more forces would join hands with them and there would be a great war in which many evil forces would be destroyed.

Amba comes across a Shiva Linga while rambling in the forest. Her passions are aroused, and she pours out her rage at having been born a man but with a woman's body, which doesn't allow her to take revenge on her enemy. She blames Shiva for deceiving her in order to protect Bhishma. He had rendered her life meaningless. In her rage, she lifts a heavy rock to throw at the Linga when Shiva appears before her. He tells her to shed anger as that was the cause for all her present miseries. Shikhandi demands to know why she was born a woman, instead of being born a man in accordance with Shiva's boon. Shiva explains that as soon as a man begins his journey at birth, his end is already assigned to him. It is a sin to kill oneself, just as it is a sin to kill others. Nobody has a right to do that. By killing herself, Amba had interfered with the destiny, which is outside the purview of even the tri-murthies. Had she not killed herself, she would have suffered all the miseries she was destined to suffer, and would have taken birth as a man in due course of time. Shiva tells her that it was cowardly to escape destiny through suicide. Shikhandi/Amba counters that it takes a brave heart to take out one's life. Shiva advises her to use her bravery to live. Destiny was un-transmutable and nobody would escape its clutches. When the destined troubles had run their course, she would have the occasion to become a man and fulfill her ambition. She had to wait for it.

Shakuni, Gandhari and Dhritarashtra discuss about Duryodhana's alliance with Subhadra. Shakuni tells them that this proposal would be favored by Balarama who always liked Duryodhana for his skill in wrestling. Besides, he would value the prospect of forging an alliance with a country as powerful as Hastinapura. Dhritarashtra wishes to go to Dwaraka but Shakuni doesn't approve of the king's personal visit to a small country. He finally gets the king's approval to go to Dwaraka along with Dushshasana to fix Duryodhana's wedding with Subhadra.

Satyavati and Ambika come face-to-face with Shikhandi. Shikhandi is still full of the venom of revenge despite Satyavati's pleadings to the contrary. The priest who had seen the proceedings now knows for certain the identity of Satyavati and others. He then tells them about the partition of Hastinapura because of Duryodhana's obstinacy. Satyavati is heart broken. Just then a forest fire engulfs them The priest runs away, but Satyavati has no desire to live. She decides to die in the fire. Ambika and Ambalika too decide to join her. The fire surrounds them completely.