Bhishma Tests the Kuru Princes : Episode 10

Bhishma Tests the Kuru Princes

Eight years have passed. On the quiet banks of the Yamuna, the royal guru sits with his pupils — the three princes of Hastinapur: Dhritarashtra, Pandu, and Vidura. Bhishma stands nearby, watching with pride and purpose. The queens, Satyavati, Ambika, and Ambalika, are seated a little apart, observing the session.

The guru smiles. “Today, Bhishma himself will test your intelligence. But remember — this test is not about memory or lessons. It is about the mind that sees differently.”

Bhishma lifts a small sieve in his hands. “This,” he says, “is no ordinary object. It will reveal who among you can see beyond the obvious. Who will come first?”

Dhritarashtra steps forward. “I am the eldest,” he says firmly.

Bhishma nods. “Good. Confidence suits a prince. Now, here is your task — there is a pot full of water beside you. Use this sieve to transfer the water into that empty pot.”

Dhritarashtra feels the vessel, runs his fingers across the holes, and laughs softly.

“It is impossible, Grandfather. This vessel cannot hold water. You call it a test — but it is only a trick.”

Bhishma’s tone remains calm. “A king must not reject a task without trying. Even impossibility deserves effort.”

Dhritarashtra shakes his head. “I know the sound of a full pot. I know what is and isn’t possible. This sieve can hold nothing.”

Bhishma smiles faintly and gestures for Pandu to step forward.

Pandu takes the sieve, scoops the water, and tries again and again. The water keeps slipping away. His hands tire, but he continues.

Bhishma stops him gently. “Enough, Pandu. Persistence is your strength — it will never fail you.”

Then comes Vidura. Quiet and thoughtful, he studies the sieve, the pots, the water — and the intent behind the question.

Finally, he says, “I can do it. But I’ll need some time.”

Bhishma looks amused. “How much time?”

“Till the water cools and turns to ice,” Vidura replies simply.

For a moment, silence. Then Bhishma’s smile deepens. “You have seen what lies beyond appearances. That is true intelligence.”

He turns to the three princes. “Each of you has revealed a royal quality —
Dhritarashtra, your clarity and firmness of decision;
Pandu, your endurance and perseverance;
Vidura, your calm and discerning intellect.
A kingdom needs all three.”

Vidura’s Quiet Wisdom

Later that evening, the princes gather for a meal. Ambika and Ambalika are serving their sons, each proudly claiming her child gave the best answer. Their gentle rivalry soon turns into a quarrel, and Dhritarashtra angrily throws a mango toward Pandu.

Vidura catches it swiftly before it hits anyone. Smiling, he says lightly, “Thank you both — now I at least have something to eat.”

His quiet humour breaks the tension. But Ambika, still upset, remarks bitterly, “Only a maid’s son would joke at such a time.”

A hush falls. Vidura bows slightly. “Forgive me, Mother. I meant no disrespect. I only wished to keep peace at the table.”

His humility softens the moment. Even Bhishma, watching from afar, feels a quiet pride. Vidura’s wisdom has begun to shine — not in the classroom, but in life.

Bhishma walks away with a soft smile.

He sees in the three princes not perfection, but promise — and in Vidura, the silent thread that will one day hold the family together.

Life and Duty Beyond Loss

In Hastinapur’s court, a priest petitions to stop the Durga worship after losing his daughter to smallpox. Sage Vyasa, present at the queen’s invitation, counsels him gently.

He asks, “Did you create her - her heart, her breath, her soul? Though a mother houses a child in her womb, she has no role in designing the child's eyes You were only an instrument for her creation.The one who formed this universe formed her too. She belongs to God, not to us.”

He explains that life never ends — only the body changes. “As the sun never sets, the soul never dies,” says Vyasa.

Queen Satyavati, moved, recalls her own losses. “Only now I understand why Bhishma’s eyes were dry when mine wept,” she says. “We must rise above personal sorrow and serve our duty.”

The priest bows and agrees to reopen the temple.

Amba’s Vow Against Bhishma

Far away in the snowy caves of Kailash, Amba meditates before Shiva. When the Lord appears, she asks for only one boon — to kill Bhishma. Shiva warns her, “It cannot happen in this life, but in your next birth your wish will be fulfilled.”

Amba’s fury burns brighter than the fire before her. Determined to hasten her rebirth, she leaps into the flames, crying that she will return — to end Bhishma’s life.