Duryodhana, Dushshasana and Shakuni are brought handcuffed before Yudhishtra who orders Arjuna and Bhima to release them. Bhima doesn't let go of the chance to taunt them. Though all the three of them feel the humiliation of being saved by their enemy, they still want to save their face. Shakuni says that since Duryodhana is the emperor and the Pandavas are only ordinary citizens under their dominion, Pandavas had merely done their duty. Under this premise, Duryodhana wants to bestow gift on Yudhishtra for saving his life, but Yudhishtra declines it. On repeated insistence, Yudhishtra says he would ask for his boon at a later date. Duryodhana cannot stand the shame of being given the lease of life by their enemy. He wants to jump into fire. Karna, Dushshasana, Shakuni and Bhanumathi dissuade him, but Duryodhana is inconsolable. He jumps into fire. The king of Daityas divines Duryodhana's plight and sends an attendant to bring him. When Duryodhana regains consciousness, he fi...

Duryodhana's soldiers report to him that the gandharva Chitrasena not only refuses to vacate Dwaita vana but also threatens them with dire consequences for having trespassed into his land. Dushshasana offers to teach the Gandharva a lesson but gets imprisoned by the Gandharva. Chitrasena then comes in his aerial chariot to where Duryodhana is sitting along with Karna and Shakuni. He demands to know who Duryodhana is and informs them that he has held his brother captive. Despite Shakuni's advice not to engage in a fight with Gandharvas who were powerful enough to have killed their grandfather Chitrangada , Duryodhana enters into a fight, but finds that he is no match for the Gandharva who has mystical powers and can become invisible. In a few minutes of fight, the gandharva causes grave injury to Karna and holds Duryodhana and Shakuni captive. Duryodhan's wife Bhanumathi begs the Gandharva to show mercy, but the Gandharva huddles them into his chariot and flies away.

Indra brings his son Arjuna back to Pandavas' cottage in Dwaitavana. He tells everyone that the divyastras Arjuna has obtained from Shiva and other gods have made them very powerful and there is no doubt they will be successful in defeating the Kauravas in any future war. Particularly, the Pasupatastra he obtained by fighting with Shiva who came in the form of Kirata has made Arjuna invincible. Drupada and his wife, Drishtadyumna and Shikhandi have planned to make a shrine for Lord Subramanya. When Drupada is engaged in a discussion, Shikhandi's attention is drawn to a garland on one of the spears ('vel') planted in the ground. The memories of past birth as Amba flood him and he can recognize the garland as the own he had discarded after finding even mighty warriors unwilling to risk wearing it. Joyfully, he dons it and gets ready to confront Bhishma. Drupada stops him and says that the time is not yet ripe for a confrontation. They have to master all martial form...

Sage Parasurama is resting under a tree with his head on Karna's lap. Karna is gloating over his learning the Brahmastra with which he can vanquish Arjuna. Indra hatches a scheme which would expose the lie that Karna has told his guru. He assumes the form of a bee and stings Karna's thighs. Karna experiences excruciating pain, but simply bears it, because he doesn't want to wake up his master. The blood oozing from the bite soon touches the guru and he wakes up. Karna tells the sage he has borne the pain caused by the bee digging into his flesh because he didn't want to disturb the sage's sleep. The sage concludes that since only kshatriyas can bear pain, Karna must be a Kshatriya, and knowing that the sage was hostile towards Kshatriyas, he had lied that he is a Brahmana. Karna's blatant lie infuriates Parasurama and he curses that Karna would forget the Brahmastra mantra when he needed it most. Karna falls at the sage's feet and begs for his pardon. Th...

Karna approaches Sage Parasurama and requests that he teach him the intricacies of archery. Knowing Parasurama's animosity towards Kshatriyas, he proclaims himself to be a Brahmin. Parasurama accepts him as his disciple. Finding Karna very dexterous, he teaches him the ultimate weapon, the Brahmastra. He cautions Karna that he should use it only on the battle field against a powerful foe and not against ordinary mortals, as it has the capacity to destroy the world. Arjuna goes to Indra's abode, where he is entertained with a dance by the celestial dancer Urvashi. Arjuna is entranced by her, and Indra orders Urvashi to teach him all the fine arts. Indra also instructs Chitrasena, the king of Gandharvas, to teach him all forms of art. Arjuna learns music as well as musical instruments and dance from Chitrasena. Urvashi goes to Arjuna's room one night and expresses her love for Arjuna, but Arjuna spurns it, saying he considers her as his mother. Urvashi explains tha...

Shakuni and Dushshasana incite Mookasura and tells him that Arjuna is in meditation on Indrakeel mountains at Kailasa. Mookasura assumes the form of a wild boar and charges at Arjuna. Before Arjuna aims a deadly arrow, another arrow from a hunter pierces the boar and kills it. Arjuna feels it is his arrow which had killed the boar, but the hunter claims otherwise. A fight ensues between the hunter and Arjuna, and the hunter overpowers Arjuna in archery and in wrestling. Arjuna realizes that the hunter is not a mere mortal and asks hims who he is. The hunter, who is Lord Shiva, reveals his true form and blesses him. He gives Pashupatastra to Arjuna and tells him he has a mission to accomplish. He calls Indra to take Ajuna to heaven, give him his special weapon Vajrayudha and instruct other gods to provide similar weapons to Arjuna.

Yudhishtra overhears Vidura speaking to Sanjaya sent by Dritarashtra. He comes to know that Dritarashtra had sent away Vidura in an angry moment, but regrets it later. Realizing the deep love between Vidura and Dritarashtra, Yudhishtra asks Vidura to go back to Hastinapura, as it is his duty to help and guide the king. Vidura goes back to Hastinapura and is welcomed by an emotionally charged Dritarashtra and Gandhari. Dritarashtra chides Vidura for deserting them and asks him to promise that he'd never leave them in the future even if he finds fault with him or asks him to get out. Sthulakana, the Yaksha, asks Shikhandini who she is, and Shikhandini tells him about her vow to kill Bhishma, the boon she received from Lord Shiva, her marriage with a princess, the shame she experiences when the bride realizes that she is a woman, which makes her ran away from the palace. The Yaksha is moved by her story and he tells Shikhandini that he could exchange his masculinity with Shikhandin...

Draupadi thanks Krishna for protecting her honor but asks why he delayed helping her and let her be humiliated by Dushasana who tries to disrobe her in the Kuru assembly. Krishna asks Draupadi what she did when Dushasana dragged her by the hair. Draupadi recalls struggling to free and protect herself herself from Dushasana's grip and later asking the elders in the court to intervene. Krishna explains that as long as Draupadi believed that she could save herself with her own efforts, Krishna did not help her but when surrendered herself totally and called out to him he did appear protected her honor the next instant. Draupadi understands her folly and asks for Krishna's forgiveness. Krishna reminds Draupadi of the incident that took place at Indraprastha soon after Yudhishtra's Rajasuya Yagna when Krishna cuts his finger and blood starts to pour out of the wound. Draupadi instantly tears a piece of cloth from her upper garment and ties it around Krishna's finger to st...

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 hi...

Shakuni doesn't let Duryodhana become complacent and he keeps drilling the necessity of being on the guard against wounded tigers who may attack them any time. They decide to keep tabs on the Pandavas through spies and kill them at an opportune moment. Gandhari and Dritarashtra, who have come to meet Duryodhana and advise him to forsake enmity towards the Pandavas, are astonished and they return back dejected. Dritarashtra then decides to request Vyasa to advise Duryodhana. Kunti receives a sage who has paid them a visit. The sage notices that Kunti is morose and tells her that he is aware of the concern for her sons who are wandering in the forest. He assures her that with Dhaumya's guidance and blessings from gods, Pandavas have received Akshaya Patra because of which they do not have to suffer hunger pangs. Kunti wants to know who the sage is, who then reveals himself as lord Krishna. He tells her not to worry over sons because he would always protect them. Kunti is overjo...