Duryodhana has convened a meeting to decide or, more correctly, announce their decision to launch war against the Pandavas. Vidura and Bhishma tell Duryodhana to spell out his agenda without wasting time on discussing the issue, as their opinions would anyway be ignored. Duryodhana accuses Pandavas of revealing themselves before the end of the 1-year ajnatavasa, and instead of going to the forest omce again as agreed to earlier, have sent Krishna on a peace mission. Hence they would have to register their disapproval appropriately. Virtuous Vikarna, Dritarashtra's son from a Vaisya woman, protests and requests that the kingdom that the Pandavas seek should be restored to them immediately. Duryodhana silences him, threatening to kill him on the spot. Finally Dritarashtra announces that Kauravas would launch war against the Pandavas for disobeying their directives and asks the court to seek allies for the impending war.
Krishna announces, to the utter bewilderment of the Pandavas, the success of his mission. He then explains how Duryodhana has scorned each of his suggestion for peace, including that of giving merely five houses for the Pandavas. Except for Yudhishtra and probably Sahadeva, everybody is visibly happy to learn that Krishna has declared war on their behalf. Drupada and the King of Virata announce their full participation in the war and promise to rally the support of their allies.
Duryodhana's son Lakshmana and Karna's son Vasanthasena are displaying their talents in sword-wielding and mace fighting to Karna and his wife Shubhangi when Duryodhana and Shakuni come to meet them. Duryodhana informs Karna about the decision taken at the court. Shakuni asks Karna if it is true that Kunti met him. Karna answers in the affirmative and says she had come to ask him not to participate in a war between two cousins. Duryodhana takes it lightly, as Kunti had also come to meet him, but Shakuni is still not convinced. He thinks there is more to their meeting than what meets the eye.
Draupadi thanks Krishna for announcing the war, but Krishna explains to her that Duryodhana was not amenable to his sincere pleadings, and she has only to thank him.
Krishna finds Sahadeva pouring over books and lost in thoughts. Sahadeva jokingly accuses Krishna of inciting the war and that he could have avoided the war if he has so desired. In his opinion, there are only five ways in which war could be averted: one, Bhima's Gadha/mace could be destroyed; two, Arjuna Gandiva could be broken; three, Draupadi's head could be shaven; fourth, Karna could be made the king. The fifth option would be to tie Krishna with a rope. Krishna asks Sahadeva to attempt doing just that. Sahadeva tries to do it physically, and when he finds it impossible, sits in meditation and within his mind, he ties Krishna with a rope.
Krishna is unable to extricate himself. He pleads with Sahadeva to release him. He pleads that war was necessary to establish Dharma. Sahadeva agrees to let go of him under one condition: that Krishna should bless that Pandavas won't be killed in the war. Krishna agrees and grants this boon to Sahadeva.
Shakuni is lost in deep thoughts while juggling with conch shells. Duryodhana asks him the reason, and Shakuni explains he is assessing the relative strength of each side. Karna then enumerates each of the countries that would be either on the side of the Pandavas or the Kauravas. Shakuni assesses that Virata king on the side of Pandavas would be matched evenly with Jayadratha, the king of Sindhu, on the side of Kauravas; similarly Drupada on the Pandavas side would be matched by Somadatta, the king of Dasarna, on the side of Kauravas; Duryodhana's father-in-law Chitrangada, the king of Kalinga, on the side of Kauravas would be matched by Karna's father-in-law on the side of Kauravas. When it was the turn of Shalya, the brother of Madri (mother of Nakula and Sahadeva) as well as the ruler of the kingdom of Madra-desa, as a match against Krishna's army on the side of the Kauravas, Shakuni uses three conch shells to indicate Shalya's strength against one conch shell to represent Krishna's army. Karna and Duryodhana are surprised; but Shakuni gives them the background for Shalya's all-consuming feeling of revenge against Dritarashtra for divesting the rightful heir Pandu of his crown and driving him to the forest, which ultimately led to his death and the burning-at-the-pyre of Madri, his sister. Shalya on the side of Kauravas would be a formidable foe to contend with and they have to inveigle him to their own side.
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