Scene 1
This is the continuation of one of the scenes in the previous episode. Sulabha is narrating to her mother how she met Vidura, and Vidura is narrating the same to Bhishma. Vidura notices Sulabha folowing and watching him from a distance at a temple. He corners her and asks her why she was doing so. She reveals she has lost her heart for him. Vidura shakes his finger at her and warns her she ought to realize that he was from the royal family of Hastinapura and that she should find someone more worthy of her.Vidura now tells Bhishma that the pride of belonging to the royal family had gotten to his head, but now he knows his real standing. He tells him that he has decided to accept Sulabha's love.
Sulabha tells her mother she did not know about the background of Vidura when she expressed her love for him. Though Sulabha's mother fears the royal wrath, she tells her daughter to seek Bhishma's forgiveness for her audacity. Sulabha does so, but Vidura asks her to join him in seeking Bhishma's blessings for their future life together.
Though shocked, Bhishma accepts their love and hugs Vidura.
Scene 2
Shakuni inside the chamber of his personal attendant. Gandhara king's messenger tells Shakuni's attendant that the king would like to meet Shakuni, but the attendant says Shakuni has gone hunting and it would take 3–4 days for him to be back. Inside his chambers Shakuni confers with his chief spy and sends him on some secret errands.Scene 3
Bhishma meets Satyavati in her prayer room. Satyavati is remorseful about forgetting Vidura while fixing up matrimonial alliances for Pandu and Dhritarashtra. She would like to arrange for Vidura's marriage as well, she says.Bhishma
: Don't worry on that account, mother. He has taken that responsibility off your shoulders! He has already chosen his own partner.Just then Vidura comes with Sulabha and both prostrate before Satyavati, who blesses them.
Satyavati
: Vidura, you haven't mistaken this old lady, have you?Vidura
: Never, Rajamata. This has happened in full accordance with my desires. I am always your grandson and will always remain bound by your commands. I will always remain loyal to you and Hastinapura.Satyavati showers flowers on the young couple and tells Vidura to seek the blessings of his mother Sivai. After Vidura leaves, she expresses her guilt to Bhishma that she has been the reason for Vidura's choosing a commoner all by himself.
Scene 4
Vidura and Sulabha go to Sivai to seek her blessings. Vidura doesn't let his mother utter inappropriate words disparaging Sulabha. After his mother leaves the chamber in a huff, he tells Sulabha that his mother was a maid in the Hastinapur palace, but she, as a daughter-in-law, should never treat her as such.The spy Shakuni had sent reports back to him. Shakuni tells the perplexed attendant to send word to the king that he had returned back from hunting.
Scene 5
King Kuntibhoja is conferring with his ministers. They tell him that they have received messages from 35 kingdoms accepting the swayamvara invitation of his daughter. The King is hopeful that a suitable alliance befitting his daughter Kunti would be found among these suitors.Just then a messenger from Hastinapur hands over a message from Bhishma to Kuntibhoja. Kuntibhoja is elated and conveys a message expressing happiness over the proposal.
Scene 6
The King of Gandhara and his daughter Gandhari enter Shakuni's chambers. The king tells him that they have received a proposal of marriage for their daughter with Dhritarashtra, the prince of Hastinapura.Shakuni
: But the prince is congenitally blind!King
: That is a point that worries me constantly.Gandhari
: But the proposal has come from Grandfather('pitamaha') Bhishma.Shakuni
: You should respect Bhisma. You cannot ignore a powerful statesman like him.King
: So what's your final verdict?Shakuni starts telling the king a story.
Shakuni
: In one fierce jungle, many fresh blades of grass sprouted, and they used to talk amongst themselves, "Aren't we lucky that we can live independently without anyone's help? Who can can live like us?" There came a deer who was ravenously hungry. He not only gobbled up all these grass plants and sprinted away, saying 'who can run like me?' A lion heard this. With one leap, he caught the deer and all the animals ran helter skelter. The lion puffed up his chest proudly and challenged' "Who can defeat me?' A king like who had gone to the forest hunting, picked up his powerful bow and aimed a deadly arrow that pierced through the lion. The lion fell dead.King
: My head in a whirl, listening to a story. Here I am asking what befitting reply you should give Bhishma and you are telling me a lion-and-deer story.Shakuni
: My story carries the answer to your question.King
: What is the answer? Be more specific and clear.Shakuni
: I have to continue the story from where I left it. You have to be patient for a little longer and hear me out. After hunting the lion, the king took a few majestic steps when a sword came flying to his head. Do you know where that sword is now? It is right in your hands! The message that you are holding in your hands is the sword I am talking about. That sword can cut your head is what I am saying.King
: What are you saying?Shakuni
: I am saying power is supreme and it rules the world. They euphemistically call it 'kshatriya dharma'.King
: Why don't you speak more clearly?Shakuni
: Don't you know the story of the king of Kashi?King
: God! Another story?Shakuni
: Dont be scared, Father. Whether or not we want it, Gandhari is going to marry Dhritarashtra and we cannot change that. There is no scope for our thinking or worrying. The strong rule the country. There is another point we have to think about.Gandhari
: What is it, Shakuni?Shakuni
: It is a fact that Dhritarashtra is blind. But he is no nameless passerby. Nor is he an insignificant king like us. When you consider he is the future emperor of a great country, his disability is trivial. It is a matter of pride to be linked with Hastinapura. Can we refuse when a great man like Bhishma proposes? Sister, what do you say?Gandhari
: This is what I had been explaining to Father. But Father was very confused. That is why we left the decision to you.King
: So what is your final word?Shakuni
: Not only should you give Gandhari in marriage to Dhritarashtra, you must offer the other ten princesses to him as well! That is my opinion.Scene 7
Bhisma and Kunti rejoice over the reply from the Gandhara king. They also decide to wait for a suitable reply from the Mathura king Kuntibhoja. They are confident that no other king ever stood a chance when Pandu attended Kunti's Swayamwara.Shakuni explains his game plan to his attendant and confidant. He says Hastinapur had 56 countries under them, Gandhara being one of them. The spies had told him that Pandu had a short span of life, so Dhritarashtra becoming the emperor (despite being blind) was highly likely. He also reckons that as a wife Gandhari would be able to influence Dhritarashtra's plans and as a brother, he would be able to influence Gandhari's thoughts. So all-in-all, he would be able to play an important role in the Hastinapur politics.
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