Bhishma and Karna Argue Out Their Stands : Episode 118

Kunti is furious that Duryodhana is unrepentent, unrelenting and bent on continuing to rule instead of returning the kingdom to the Pandavas. She asserts vehemently that the Pandavas will seize Hastinapur that rightfully belonged to them, but was given as alms by her husband Pandu to his father Dritarashtra.

Sanjaya, the messenger sent by Dritarashtra, conveys to the Pandavas the message that Yudhishtra should go back to forest, as meditation would do him a lot of good. All the Pandavas except Yudhishtra root for declaring war, but Yudhishtra is reluctant and tells Sanjaya that he would need some time to confer with his brothers before reaching any conclusion.

Shakuni tells Duryodhana that they need to be cautious in dealing with Kunti as she is ambitious and savvy in politics. He recounts the incidents in Kunti's life to substantiate this claim. After Pandu loses his virility as a result of Sage Kindama's curse, she seeks to get offsprings through the intervention of Devas because of this ambition. She doesn't choose to ascend the funeral pyre of her husband Pandu like Madri did, but brings her sons to Hastinapura to reclaim the throne. She doesn't choose to return to Hastinapura after the escape from Varanavata, but cleverly manages to forge an alliance with the Panchala. Similarly, she could have chosen to go to the forest along with her sons, but makes a strategic decision to stay back to keep an eye on the happenings at Hastinapur. Karna defends Kunti's actions but Duryodhana begins to see shrewdness in Kunti's actions.

Shikhandi, who had approached Yudhishtra to incite him into a war with Hastinapura, turns away with disgust. Draupadi intercepts him and asks the reason for his despair. Shikhandi calls Yudhishtra a coward, but Draupadi defends Yudhishtra's actions as being based on the welfare of the country. She points out the folly in Shikhandi's obduracy.

Sanjaya returns to Hastinapur and tells Dritarashtra that except for Yudhishtra everyone else wanted settlement of issues through war. Duryodhana mocks about the Pandavas cowardice and Bhishma reminds him of the fights with the Gandharvas when he had to be saved by the Pandavas. Vidura joins Bhishma in advising Duryodhana to return to the Pandavas the kingdom that rightfully belonged to them, with Pandu and then Yudhishtra having been coronated in the past. Duryodhana tells his father emphatically that he would listen to anything except the talk of returning the kingdom to the Pandavas. Dritarashtra looks helpless as usual. As Karna talks in Duryodhana's support, Bhishma declares Karna to be the termite that is eating away Duryodhana. Bhisma's words sting Karna.

Later that day, Karna visits Bhishma and tells him that he respects him highly, but Bhishma never loses an opportunity to belittle him. He also wants to know why Bhishma calls him the termite. Bhishma explains how wrong Duryodhana had been wrong all along and why Karna should leave him alone. Karna agrees not to support Duryodhana provided Bhishma too agrees to leave the Kauravas and switch loyalties to the Pandavas. Bhishma declares his helplessness owing to his being bound by the pledge he had given to his father about protecting Hastinapur's rulers. Karna says he too is similarly bound by the pledge of support he had given to Duryodhana who had made him the king of Anga when the Pandavas mocked him at the tournament. Bhishma is quiet for a moment, but protests that though he had stuck to the oath of support to the Hastinapur throne, he always pointed out Duryodhana's mistakes, whereas Karna not only kept quiet about Duryodhana's misdeeds but actively encouraged his wrongdoings.