After the successful completion of twelve years of exile, Pandavas leave Dwaita vana to plan their ajnatavasa. As warned by Sage Dhaumya, Duryodhana's spies follow them, but Bhima kills them nimbly. At one point, Bhima is about to kill a spy, but it turns out to be Kanika who is sent by Vidura and who had once helped Pandavas escape the lac palace at Varanavata. Yudhishtra tells Kanaka to inform Vidura about their well being. Later at the suggestion of Sahadeva, Bhima carries the dead body of one of the spies he has killed as they travel further.
Krishna Gives Parijata Flower to Rukmini
Krishna appears from the fire of Yagna that Indra is performing at Indraloka to seek Vishnu's help in vanquishing Narakasura who has imprisoned devas and their wives. Narada is present there too. Since Narakasura cannot be killed except with his mother's permission, Indra wants to know who his mother is. Krishna reveals that Narakasura's mother is his wife Bhama. To get Bhama's permission to kill Narakasura, Krishna suggests that Narada should initiate a fight between Rukmini and Bhama. He then suggests to Narada to bring a flower to be gifted to Rukmini and ensure both fight over this.
Pandavas reach the outer boundary of Virata country. Yudhishtra decides that Arjuna and Bhima must hide their Gandiva bow and Gadhayudha (mace) because they would easily reveal their identity. They hang the dead body on one of the branches of a old and huge vanni tree where they also leave their stash of precious weapons in a bundle. They express the hope that people would consider the tree as haunted and not dare to venture near it. They pray to Durga who appears and blesses that their identity would never be known during their Ajnatavasa. She also tells them that to anybody who sees the bundle of weapons, it would appear as deadly snakes.
Pandavas discuss and decide the identities each of them would assume while seeking a job at Virata's palace. Yudhisthira calls himself as Kanaka who had been a personal assistant to Yudhishtra and is well versed in the game of dice; Bhima decides to become a cook by the name of Ballava; Arjuna decides to teach dance and music to prince Uttara under the guise of a eunuch called Brihannala; Nakula offers to tend horses as Granthika; Sahadeva announces he would take of the royal cows herds Tantipala, and Draupadi says that she would be a maid to queen Shudeshna under the name of Sairandhri.
Narada gifts Krishna a Parijata flower and tells Rukmini that this flower is found only in Indraloka. He also excites Rukmini's curiosity in the flower by suggesting that husbands would be fanatically interested in their wives if they wore this flower on their hair. Rukmini wants to have the flower and Krishna gives it to her. Narada then goes to Bhama and tells her that because of the Parijata flower that Rukmini has, Krishna spends all his time with Rukmini alone. Bhama is angry with Krishna, who now pacifies her saying that she could have the Parijata tree which is in Indraloka. Bhama gets ready to go to Indraloka along with Krishna to take away the Parijata tree.
Duryodhana is incesed to know that the spies that he had sent were found and suspects them to be the handiwork of the Pandavas who always received Krishna's help. He remembers how Krishna performed Pandavas' final rites and kept the Kauravas in the dark regarding Pandavas' escape from the great fire. Adding to duryodhana's frustration, another spy who has been overhearing the conversation between Vidura and Kunti about Pandavas' being alive is unable to say where Pandavas have gone. Shakuni gets a brain wave (as usual) and conspires with Duryodhana and Karna how to get this information out of Vidura .
Keechaka, Sudeshna and Sairandhari
In the form of Brihannala, Arjuna teaches the art of dancing Uttara. Keechaka, Queen Sudeshna's brother, returns to Viratanagar after conquering neighboring countries. He is welcomed by the king and his sons including Uttar. Uttara receives him warmly too. Keechaka meets his sister and comments on the new and the beautful look that her anthapura has. Sudeshna gives the credit to her new maid Sairandhari, but warns him that she has five Gandharva husbands who would not let any harm come to her.
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