Pandu Decides to Go to Forest Again : Episode 19

Scene 1

Kamsa visiting Devaki and Vasudeva in the prison

The security guards of Mathura put Devaki and Vasudeva behind bars. Kamsa comes to meet them in the prison. He instructs the security guards not to allow anyone or anything without his permission. He threatens them with dire consequences if ever they tried to escape. He jocularly tells them to begin their spring-like pleasant marital life in confinement and give him his nephews whom he is eager to meet.

Scene 2

Vidura's marriage with Sulabha is conducted in the palace in the presence of all elders, including Sage Vyasa. After the marriage, Sage Vyasa talks to his mother Queen Satyavati and asks her if she is content now. Satyavati says she is not, as she is tormented by the loss of her sons and the delay in the arrival of children to Dhritarashtra's and Pandu's wives. Vyasa smiles and explains this was the result of their karmas. Satyavati does not understand and asks Vyasa to explain.

Vyasa

: Who should have been the rightful Emperor of Hastinapur?

Satyavati

: Bhishma

Vyasa

: But your father selfishly sabotaged that by denying him the throne. Not only that, he deviously caused him to remain celibate. The present situation is the result of that sin.

Satyavati

: How do I get release from this curse?

Vyasa

: Don't think of this as a curse. Think of it as the result of karma. Besides, Bhishma is kind-hearted. You will not be subject to any misery in his name. Do not worry. Ask your daughter-inlaw and her bride to worship Katyayani, their family deity with whose blessings they can beget numerous offsprings to their heart's content.

Scene 3

Queen Ambika and her daughter-in-law Gandhari worship Katyayani with devotion and serve Sage Vyasa with food. Sage Vyasa says he is thoroughly satisfied with her service and tells her to ask for a boon.

Gandhari and Queen Ambika

Gandhari(sobs)

: It has been several year since my marriage but I have no child who could address me 'mother'.

Vyasa

: Are you crying for this. You will have children. Tell me with how many flowers did you worship Mother Katyayani?

Gandhari

: I invoked Mother with 101 names (namavali) and worshipped her with 101 flowers.

Vyasa

: Then you will get 101 children. (Blesses Gandhari and leaves.)

Scene 4

An old minister comes running in panic to King Ugrasena. He informs the King that Kamsa chained and dragged his sister Devaki and her husband through the streets of Mathura and imprisoned them. The king is incensed and storms out to confront Kamsa.

Kamsa shows no regret for treating his sister badly. He pompously tells King Ugrasena that he killed his younger brother on the day prior to his own coronation. Ugrasena raises his hand to hit Kamsa, but Kamsa gets him arrested and sent to jail. Later, he goes to the jail to meet his father and slaps him for having dared to raise his hands against him. The King expresses shock that Kamsa stooped to hit his own father. But Kamsa says he is aware that his father was Dramila.

Scene 4

Pandu and his two wives come to Queen Satyavati's chambers and seek Sage Vyasa's blessings. For a minute, Sage Vyasa appears to be taken aback, perhaps by some divine premonition. He quickly recovers and says Pandu's wives will be blessed by gods with five children.

Devaki is full of remorse at having lost her baby. Vasudeva consoles her saying as humans they do not have the key to life and death. He advises her to remain without attachment, which is the seed for all miseries. He then suggests that they should live like yogis meditating on Narayana and not procreate children.

Scene 5

Pandu is lost in thoughts and Kunti asks him the reason for his worries. Pandu reveals to her that Dhritarashtra wouldn't ever want him to become the king. Kunti tries to reason that such a stand by Dhritarashtra is against Kshtriya dharma, for Pandu has become the Emperor or Chakravarthi by conquering the entire country. Pandu says he knows his brother had been nurturing dreams of becoming the emperor since childhood, and would never like to give up that dream. He says he would like to consult some wise elders who could help him tide over the crisis.

Pandu then decides to seek the advice of Shakuni much against the cautionary appeal of Kunti. Shakuni, for his part, cunningly shows empathy to Pandu's situation and decries the untenable stand of Dhritarashtra. As Pandu leaves and is within his earshot, he suggests to his companion Nilavan that he would like to go to live in forests to get away from the worrisome intrigues in the palace. As per his plan, Pandu hears this and turns to tell Shakuni that he has found the ideal solution to the problem: he would go the forest himself and let Dhritarashtra carry on as the king of Hastinapura.