Sun TV Mahabharatham

Satyavati, Ambika and Ambalika plod through the forest when Ambika notices Shikhandi. Shikhandi is now a man, but Ambika can still recognize her sister Amba in him. Sayavati remembers Amba's rage when Bhishma turns down her demand for marrying her and how she swore to take revenge on him. Ambika wants to talk to her sister, but Satyavati discourages her, reminding her how Amba had jumped into the fire and killed herself. As the three drink water from a river, a man approaches them, asking if they were the queens of Hastinapur. This man was the priest at a Durga temple and had stopped the daily worship at the temple when he lost his daughter to small pox. At that time, Queen Satyavati had admonished him telling him how she had stoically faced her own bereavement. Satyavati recalls all this, yet refuses to acknowledge or recognize him, saying they are hermits who had renounced everything. Bhoomadevi comes to meet Krishna . A woman carrying a heavy basket on her head comes to Dwa...

Balarama reminds Krishna that he has to go to Hastinapur to seek the alliance of Duryodhana for their sister Subhadra, a job he has been constantly postponing on some pretext or the other. Just then, a messenger from Hastinapura brings him a message from Kunti informing him that the coronation of Yudhishtra has been fixed, after which they would move to Khandavaprastha, a region they have been assigned to rule. Balarama expresses the concern that this meant the division of Hastinapura, which is neither a matter to rejoice nor the opportune time to talk of marriage alliances; hence Balarama doesn't want to participate in the coronation ceremony. Krishna says he has promised to Draupadi to come whenever they are in trouble; hence he would go down to Hastinapur. Drupada gets the news about the coronation, and he is delirious with happiness that his sons-in-law have now moved away from his enemy Bhishma and Drona. This would bring him closer to his dream of extracting revenge agains...

Subhadra and Rukmini are seated with a soothsayer woman who predicts the birth of a world renowned warrior son to Subhadra. Subhadra is more concerned about her marriage with Arjuna, as Balarama is already making preparations for seeking Duryodhana's alliance with her. The woman predicts Subhadra's marriage with an old man who is a sanyasi as well. Subhadra is worried by this prediction, but Krishna consoles her with mysterious words as usual, and tells her to have confidence that things will turn out right. Pandavas and Kunti meet Dritarashtra who openly admits that Yudhishtra is the sole rightful heir, but despite this he is still bound by his son Duryodhana's greed and fiercely blind ambition. He asks Yudhishtra to pardon him for his many lapses. He promises to hold Yudhishtra's coronation soon, after which he could go to Khandavaprastha. In fact, if Yudhishtra insists, he is prepared to give the entire Hastinapura to him and he would then leave the palace along w...

Vidura protests that the division of Hastinapura as delineated by Dritarashtra is unjust. Dritarashtra reminds Vidura that Hastinapura itself was a forest in the days of yore and had been cultivated by their ancestors. So Pandavas, being diligent, could do the same. He had entrusted them with the task of finding a solution and Vidura had suggested partition. He, as the king, has now accepted their solution and has devised a plan for the division of the country and it is their duty to obey their king's order. Vidura expresses the fear that the Pandavas might not agree to this gross injustice, but Dritarashtra discounts it saying it was Vidura's duty as a chief minister to force Pandavas into submission. Vidura retorts that it was also his duty to warn the king of dire consequences that might result from his action: in particular, Drupada might send an army in support of the Pandavas. This infuriates Dritarashtra who declares that he is not worried about the threat from Pancha...

After Bheeshma's outburst over Vidura's suggestion of partition of Hastinapura , Vidura pleads with Dritarashtra to try and understand him, but Dritarashtra says he is helpless against the senior's wrath. Vidura returns to his suite utterly shaken. He tells his wife how for the first time he had earned his uncle's displeasure. Bheeshma cannot contain his fury. He goes to the Ganges river and shoots a shower of arrows at the river. He pleads with his mother to appear before him and release him from the dilemma he is stuck in. Seeing her son so desperate, Ganga appears before him. Vidura conveys the happy tidings of Bheeshma's acquiescence to Dritarashtra, who is visibly disturbed and angry. He accuses Vidura of plotting for Yudhishtra's coronation and coercing Bheeshma to agree to his plans. Bheeshma enters and explains to Dritarashtra the consequence of not partitioning Dritarashtra, because it could lead to bloodshed between the cousin brothers. He then tel...

Vidura gets down the chariot to meet Sage Vyasa. Sage Vyasa listens to Vidura's woes and tells him that he is the incarnation of the Lord of Justice. Then he asks his disciple Vaishampayana to bring him a few fruits to quench his hunger. Vaishampayana brings a single mango, and the sage asks his disciple to halve the fruit so that both Vyasa and Vidura could have it. He tells Vidura that he has the answer to the problem and he would understand it once he contemplates on the issue on hand in a dispassionate way. Kunti meets Bhishma and expresses her anguish. Bhishma admits his helplessness in not being able to defend her honor when Duryodhana smeared mud on her reputation. He promises Kunti his support for her cause. Bhishma threatens to kill Vidura for suggesting the division of Hastinapura Dritarashtra asks Bhishma and Vidura to meet him. He tells them that he would not be able to think dispassionately because his mind is muddled with passion and anxiety for his sons. He...

Dhritarastra visits Vyasa Dritarashtra goes to Vyasa's ashram. He tells the sage that he is unable to make decisions because of the predicament he is in. Vyasa asks him whether he is merely unable to take decisions or whether he does not want to take decision; after all he has already made his decision known (about crowning Yudhistra before the Pandavas left for Varanavata). Dritarashtra says Duryodhana refuses to accept that decision. Sage Vyasa points out Dritarashtra failed to tell Duyodhana in his young age itself that his elder brother Yudhishtra living in the forest is the undisputed heir to the throne. Instead he has filled his son with his own greedy thoughts of becoming the future king. Dritarashtra could never follow his righteous advice; after all, he was already aware of the justice but wanted to use the sage's name to further his own cause. Finally Vyasa advises him to remove the garb of father from himself and instead think and act like the king of Hastinapu...