Dritarashtra Asks Vidura to Leave Hastinapura : Episode 91

As Pandavas, Draupadi and Sage Dhaumya walk along the woods of Kamyaka, they encounter the demon Kirmira, the brother of Bakasura and a friend of Hidimba.

A fierce battle ensues between Bhima and the demon, where the two equally matched fighters hurl rocks and trees at each other. Eventually, Bhima emerges victorious. Shakuni and Dushasana, who have brought in Kirmira and secretly watching it from a distance, scurry away.

Dritarashtra and Gandhari are worried about Duryodhana whom Sage Maitreya has cursed that his thighs would be broken by Bhima. Dritarashtra feels that Vidura, being wise in all administrative and moral matters, would appease their minds and allay their fears. Yet Vidura is brutally frank that Dritarashtra has brought on all the calamities himself by not heeding to the sagacious advice that he and others like Bhishma have given him, including discarding the new-born Duryodhana who was prophesied to cause the downfall of their dynasty. Dritarashtra is stung by his words and tells in an equally brutal manner that Vidura displayed the lowly traits of his dasi heritage. He then angrily orders Vidura to leave the kingdom and join his beloved Pandavas to whom he is always partial.

Vidura hands over a casket containing important royal secrets to Sanjaya and requests him not to disclose even to his wife the painful reasons for his leaving Hastinapura. Duryodhana and Dushasana (who has returned from the forest after Kirmira's death) rejoice about Vidura leaving the kaurava palace, but Shakuni is deeply disturbed. He is worried that if Vidura joins hands with the Pandavas, the Pandavas would become invincible, as Vidura possesses Vishnu Dhanush, a deadly and powerful bow that could easily bid farewell to the Kauravas. Thhey decide that Vidura should be persuaded to return to Hastinapura.

King Drupada and his son Drishtadhyumna visit Pandavas in their cottage. Drupada is infuriated that his daughter is forced to live an austere life in the jungle, but Draupadi assures him that she is unbothered by the arduous life she has to lead; her mind is focussed on the day when she would anoint her hair with the blood of Dushasana. She hands over the custody of her sons, the upapandavas, to Drupada and tells him to take them to Panchala.

Krishna has come to meet the Pandavas. Draupadi and Krishna have sentimental exchanges about the trauma Draupadi is forced to endure. The Pandavas want to know where Krishna was at the crucial hour of the treacherous game of dice. Krishna explans that he was engaged in a battle with the king of Salva who wanted to avenge the death of his friend Shishupala at Krishna's hands. He agrees that had he been present, he would have averted the catastrophe that had befallen them. He also categorically asks Yudhishtra why he had not asked him to play dice on his behalf, just as Duryodhana had asked Shakuni to play on his behalf. Yudhishtra says the thought did not cross his mind and expresses his regret over the same.