Mahabharat 1988 Part IV – Highlighting the Events That Led to the Great War While Delicately Presenting Krishna and Rukmani’s Love Story
Mahabharat 1988 Part IV – Review
One thing I forgot to include in my Part III review of Mahabharat was the enmity that developed between childhood friends, Dronacharya and Drupad. Studying together under the tutelage of Rishi Bhardwaj, Drona and Drupad became the best of friends and Drupad promised his friend half his kingdom the day Drupad ascended the throne. After the death of his father, Drupad ascended the throne and became King; meanwhile, Drona lived a life of poverty and one day, unable to feed his son, Dronacharya approached his friend urging him to remember his childhood promise.
Drupad, now being conscious of the difference of status between them, shunned Drona and refused to help him. He taunted Drona that friendship could only be possible between equals and they were no longer equals, Drupad now being a King and Drona being a lowly Brahman. Though Dronacharya left without cursing the King for breaking his promise, in his heart he vowed revenge.
Once the education of the Kauravas and the Pandavas was completed, Dronacharya asked the Kuru princes to defeat and capture Drupad as part of his gurudakshina. Though the Kaurava princes, along with Karna, tried their best to defeat Drupad, they failed and returned empty handed. The Pandavas then tried their luck and went to battle against Drupad. Thanks to Arjun’s prowess on the battlefield, they successfully defeated Dupad and took him captive.
When Drupad was brought before Dronacharya as a prisoner of war, Drona set him free but retained half of the kingdom that had been promised to him.
Though the important point to observe here is Drupad reneging on his promise and breaking his vow, the more important lesson is to understand that King or Brahman, revenge and retribution is the central theme in Mahabharat.
Humility is the one thing everyone in those times refused to learn.
Mahabharat 1988 Part IV – Episode 25-28 – A Mix of Various Significant Incidents
The episode starts with Dhritarashtra and his usual tantrums (mantrums), crying over his ill-fated luck and berating his maker for making him blind. Meanwhile, Krishna and Balram finish their education at Sandeepani Gurukul and return to Mathura. Returning home, Krishna easily defeats the invading forces of King Jarasandh, the ruler of Magadh; he then advises his grandfather, King Ugrasen, to shift his capital from Mathura to Dwarka.
In the kingdom of Hastinapur, everything is in a state of limbo: the King wants his son, Duryodhan, as the heir to the throne but the kingdom and the throne demand its rightful heir, Yudhisthir, as the heir apparent. Though Duryodhan tries to compel his father to do right by his son, when the court meets to name the Heir Apparent to the throne of Hastinapur Dhritarashtra is compelled to appoint Yudhisthir because of his superior intellect and claim. Though Duryodhan is devastated by this decision, his uncle Shakuni promises him to make things right and ensure the kingdom is handed to his nephew.
In Vidarbha, King Jarasandh of Magadh arrives to meet King Bheeshmak and plots to marry the crown prince Chedi, Shishupal to his daughter Rukmani. But, Rukmani, who had lost her heart to Krishna, writes to him pleading him to kidnap her before she is married to Shishupal. Krishna kidnaps Rukmani as she steps out of a temple and the pair rides off into the sunset. But, his enemies are made aware of the kidnapping and Rukmi, Rukmani’s brother, catches up with Krishna and challenges him to a duel. Krishna, being a great warrior and a God, easily defeats the prince before setting him free. What the TV series fails to mention here is that Krishna, though defeats and subsequently frees Rukmi, he shaves the latter’s head as punishment.
Mahabharat 1988 Part IV – Episode 28-30 – The Different Shades of Duryodhan and the House of Wax Incident
The episode once again starts with Dhritarashtra and the customary mantrums that forever accompany him. The scene soon shifts to Duryodhan riding somewhere in his chariot when a woman stops him to tell him that she has no one in her family to perform ‘kanyadan’ for her daughter’s wedding. Duryodhan placates the poor woman and gives her a bag of gold while promising to perform the kanyadan himself. He also tells her that no one in the kingdom would ever be an orphan as long as he is alive.
This is one important moment in Mahabharat as this presents a generally-spiteful Duryodhan being good and charitable. Though his intentions might have dubious as he wanted to come off as altruistic in the eyes of the citizens of the kingdom of Hastinapur, it is still a commendable act for such an antagonist as this highlights the supposition that even an evil man is always capable of good deeds and vice versa.
Once back home, Duryodhan plots with Shakuni to kill Yudhishtir before he can be crowned king. Shakuni hatches a plan to send Yudhishthir to Varnavat during the festival of Pashupati, where he would be burnt alive in a house of wax. Though Karna is against such deceitful plan as he believes such work to be an act of cowardice, Duryodhan pacifies his friend and makes him join in on the plan.
To ensure that their plan succeeds, Duryodhan approaches his father and threatens to commit suicide if Yudhishthir is not sent to Varnavat. Dhritarashtra, forced into submission because of his son’s intimidation of suicide, agrees to Duryodhan’s wishes. However, the Pandava brothers are suspicious of Duryodhan’s eagerness to send Yudhishthir to Varnavat and agree to accompany their brother to Varnavat, while Kunti also decides to go with them.
Also, Vidur somehow suspects something is amiss and learns that Duryodhan’s minions had been collecting wax, oil and other flammable materials in the recent past. So, he subtly warns Yudhishthir in front of the Kuru princes and Shakuni, in words that are intelligible only to the eldest Pandava. The episode ends with Yudhishthir decoding Vidur’s message to him and plans an escape from the Lakshagraha (The House of Lacquer).
Mahabharat 1988 Part IV – The Idiot Speaks
The episodes in Part IV are generally a bit sluggish while trying to interweave different stories to keep it interesting. What I liked most about Part IV is the altruistic shade that is shown in Duryodhan.
I have always believed that even the vilest of creatures are susceptible to unexpected moments of generosity and munificence. Duryodhan, while being wicked and spiteful for most of his life, was also portrayed as a normal human being: in varying shades of grey instead of being all black.
Part V will focus on the House of Wax incident and how the lives of Pandavas are affected by the same.
If you missed Mahabharat 1988 Part I, read it here.
If you missed Mahabharat 1988 Part II, read it here.
If you missed Mahabharat 1988 Part III. Read it here.
Watch out for Mahabharat 1988 Part V.
What do you think of The Idiot‘s observations? Let us know in the comments!
The Idiot's Corner 