Pandavas Leave For Forest Stay Leaving Kunti Under Vidura's Care : Episode 88 (09-11-14)

Bhishma, Vidura, Drona and Kripacharya caution Yudhishtra against playing the game of dice the second time. Yudhishtra pleads helplessness against Fate, quoting the example of Sri Rama who chased a fake deer into the forest. Shakuni remembers the promise he made to his father and how he came to acquire the dice made out of his bones.

The game begins under the same conditions that Bhishma set for the previous game. The player should select the target number before rolling the dice. Whoever scores three passes first is the winner. Yudhishtra magnanimously offers the first throw to Shakuni as the priority offered to the previous winner. Shakuni purposely 'loses' the first throw of dice. Duryodhana suggests that they place some bet for the sake of introducing the 'interest' element into the game. At first, he suggests that the loser spend 12 'நாழிகை'/nadi in the forest. (2.5 nadi is 1 hour and there are 60 nadis in 1 day) and then to make it interesting, the stake is raised to 12 days. Shakuni 'warns' Duryodhana that unlike Yudhishtra, he has led a luxurious life and it will be difficult for him to stay that long in the forest. Yudhishtra willingly falls into the trap. Taking pride in the fact that he was born in the forest and spent his childhood there, he airily suggests twelve months of exile in the forest. During this period of exile for the lose, the winner gains the right to rule the loser's kingdom. As the game proceeds, Duryodhana slowly introduces an year of living incognito following the twelve years of exile, during which time if the losers are traced, they would have to live in exile for another 12 years and an additional year in incognito exile.

Yudhishtra loses the game and gets ready to leave the Hastinpur palace along with his brothers and Draupadi. They seek the blessings of all the elders. Vidura comforts Draupadi with soothing words and says all those mute witnesses to Draupadi's dishonor would have to face the consequences one day.

Vidura asks Sage Dhaumya to guide the Pandavas in the forest. As the Pandavas leave, Dritarashtra asks Vidura meekly, "can we avoid or rverse Pandavas exile?" Vidura replies sternly, "the future has pushed us back and is walking ahead. We can only follow its course."

Dhaumya, Kunti, Pandavas exit Hastinapur

The ill omens — the earthquake, falling meteors, the lightning and thunder — frighten Dritarashtra and he cries in helpless agony. He asks Kunti not to go to the forest but stay with them in the palace, which Kunti declines. Kunti joins the group led by Sage Dhaumya. Dritarashtra then asks Vidura and Sulabha to persuade Kunti to stay back with them. When Vidura says that Kunti being old would be a source of inconvenience to the Pandavas in the forest, she agrees to stay with Vidura.

Duryodhana and Dushshasana ride a chariot and meet the Pandavas on their way to the forest. They jeer at Draupadi saying she should marry either Duryodhana alone or all the 100 brothers and enjoy life instead of languishing in the forest with the useless Pandavas. Bhima and Arjuna once again repeat their ferocious oath, and the two Kauravas leave.