Sun TV Mahabharatham

Bhishma, Vidura, Drona and Kripacharya caution Yudhishtra against playing the game of dice the second time. Yudhishtra pleads helplessness against Fate, quoting the example of Sri Rama who chased a fake deer into the forest. Shakuni remembers the promise he made to his father and how he came to acquire the dice made out of his bones. The game begins under the same conditions that Bhishma set for the previous game. The player should select the target number before rolling the dice. Whoever scores three passes first is the winner. Yudhishtra magnanimously offers the first throw to Shakuni as the priority offered to the previous winner. Shakuni purposely 'loses' the first throw of dice. Duryodhana suggests that they place some bet for the sake of introducing the 'interest' element into the game. At first, he suggests that the loser spend 12 'நாழிகை'/nadi in the forest. (2.5 nadi is 1 hour and there are 60 nadis in 1 day) and then to make it interesting, the

The second boon Draupadi seeks from Dritarashtra is to regain Indraprastha and all the weapons. The king asks Draupadi what she wishes as third boon. Draupadi declines saying a kshatriya woman is not entitled for more than two boons. However, Dritarashtra reinstates all the wealth that Yudhishtra has lost in the dice game. He then asks Yudhishtra not to think of retribution, as it would bring about the downfall of the entire clan, but rule Indraprastha just as he did before. Draupadi is weeping alone in her chamber and Kunti consoles her. She is anguished by the cowardly act of her sons that totally broke her pride of having brave sons. She tells Draupadi she should walk with her head held high. It is her sons who should feel the shame. She further tells Draupadi to wipe her tears and tie her hair, as leaving the hair unbraided was practiced only by widows and by those in whose homes death had occurred.

Draupadi continues to lash out at Bhishma and says it was foolish of her to expect justice from him. Bhishma replies lamely that dharma was a complex issue which could be interpreted differently by different people. When he had brought to Hastinapura the Kashi princess Amba, he thought he was acting in accordance with dharma, but his guru Parasurama did not think so. They had a fight but it had to be stopped because both the warriors were equally strong and invincible. When an injustice is meted out to a woman, anybody can stand up and fight for justice so long as she is helpless and single. But Draupadi had five husbands and he had no role to play in protecting her in their presence. Drona simply states that he is bound by the debt to his employer. Kripacharya has no reply when Draupadi reminds him of his duty as the adopted son of King Shantanu. Only Vikarna, the righteous son of Dritarashtra and Gandhari, asks the courtiers to answer Draupadi's question. He raises a cautionary

When Yudhishtra loses the dice game after staking himself, Vidura begs King Dhritarshtra to stop the game and set the Pandavas free. Duryodhana intervenes and says either he should keep quiet like Bhishma, Drona, Kripacharya or get out of the game. Karna suggests that Yudhishtra stake Draupadi in the dice game, and Vidura is enraged and once again pleads with the king. Duryodhana guffaws and says that they were playing the game in accordance with the rules set by Bhishma, and the game could be stopped only by Duryodhana or Yudhishtra. Since Yudhishtra was a mere slave now, only Duryodhana could stop the game and Yudhishtra was bound to play as long as Duryodhana wanted. As the elders watch the proceedings in utter dismay, Yudhishtra stakes Draupadi and loses her too. Duryodhana orders Vidura to bring Draupadi since she would have to live with him in his palace. Vidura yells out predictions of doom for the Kauravas, and Drona intervenes with an exposition of dharma, but Duryodhana que

Yudhishtra wants to quit the game, since he has no property to lose. But Duryodhana taunts and incites him to continue playing. He asks him to wager his own brothers in the game. Bhishma and Vidura object to this, saying he could lay at stake only what he owned. Once again, Duryodhana makes fun of the unity the brothers professed and asks if it was true the brothers would do anything Yudhishtra commanded. Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva grant permission to Yudhishtra to stake them in the game. Yudhishtra loses them one by one and the brothers remove their crown and kneel down in the assembly. Duryodhana jeers at the Pandavas and calls them his slaves. Finally, Yudhishtra loses himself too and declares that he has nothing else to offer. Karna seizes the opportunity to mock Yudhishtra that he could still pledge his haughty wife Draupadi. Bhima protests, but Karna orders him to kneel down. Duryodhana lampoons Yudhishtra by suggesting derisively that by pledging Draupadi, h

(continued from previous episode)Virtuous Vikarna, Dritarashtra's son from a Vaisya woman, has been listening to the conversation between his father and Duryodhana. Dritarashtra throws away in helpless anguish the glass of milk that Duryodhana has brought for him. Vikarna tells Dritarashtra that he has heard Duryodhana's conversations with him and begs him not to permit the playing of the game of dice, as he fears that his brother Duryodhana could use it in vile ways. He requests Dritarashtra to send away the Pandavas soon, else the entire Kuru dynasty may have to suffer the ill consequences. Dritarshtra convenes the game of dice. Yudhishtra seeks the blessings from all the assembled elders. Shakuni asks an unwilling Duryodhana to seek Yudhishtra's blessings, explaining that Yudhishtra's words would never fail, as he is the embodiment of truth. Yudhishtra wishes Duryodhana victory. Shakuni asks Yudhishtra's consent to begin the game. Yudhishtra expresses surprise

(continued from previous episode...)Balarama informs Rukmini and his wife Revati that Krishna has returned safely with gifts from King Satrajit, after acquitting himself of Satrajit's charge of stealing Syamantaka gem. Rukmini rushes out to meet Krishna, but is stunned to see him with Satyabhama, with both appearing garlanded. Krishna wedded to Satyabhama She angrily asks Balarama if the woman with Krishna is the gift from Satrajit that he referred just now. Krishna introduces Satyabhma as Satrajit's daughter who used to worship him everyday and has taken refuge in him. He then asks Bhama to seek his brother's blessings. Rukmini is incensed with Krishna's behavior. Krishna had just married Jambavati because she is his devotee and now he has married Bhama citing the same reason once again. If she did not try to put an end to this, the number of Krishna's wives may grow from three to way beyond thirty. Krishna smiles and says that in this birth he is destined to