'Hastinapur is eagerly watching the roads..'
'..awaiting queen Kunti, Pandu's sons..'
'..and Kuru bride Draupadi.'
'Every lamp's flame..'
'..keeps stretching to scan the horizon.'
'The roads want to cross their limits and advance..'
'..for their welcome.'
'But the palace is spending sleepless nights.'
'Duryodhan is seething with anger.'
'Gandhar king Shakuni is staying awake to hatch some new plot.'
'Gandhari is awake because Dhritirashtra cannot sleep.'
'However, he won't tell even Gandhari its reason.'
'For the palace, this is a dangerous time.'
'However, these days and nights of awaiting..'
'..weigh more heavily on grandsire Bheeshma.'
'He's like the beam of the balance..'
'..which cannot bend in any direction..'
'..even if he so wishes.'
'Every night, he awaits his mother on the river bank..'
'..but she doesn't appear.'
Mother, even you've forsaken me in this moment of danger.
What shall I do in this time of peril?
Dhritirashtra will make me do yet another injustice.
How can there be two lions in one forest? Two swords in one scabbard?
Mother, there can't be two crown princes in one kingdom, can there?
Both these swords are mine.
Both belong to the Kuru family.
Mother, I cannot see either of the swords break.
Mother, I don't wish to be forced to choose..
..between siding with Yudhishthir or Duryodhan during a war.
Please guide me, mother.
Help me, mother.
Please don't disappoint me again as you've done for the past few days.
Please don't disappoint me again, mother. Don't disappoint me.
Greetings, mother.
Have I erred, mother?
Son, why do you..
..keep running to your mother like a coward in the face of danger?
You swore an oath without asking me.
You gave a promise to your father and Hastinapur..
..without asking me as well.
So then, son, face the consequences of your oath and promise, too.
As you wish, mother
As you wish, mother.
Now onwards, I won't come, mother.
You'll have to come to me.
Greetings, grandsire.
Live long.
Where are you coming from so late at night?
I was going to ask you the same question, Gandhar king.
Where are you coming from so late at night?
I was just explaining to nephew Duryodhan..
..that Yudhishthir is his elder brother.
Don't harbor ill feelings for him.
But you already know, grandsire..
..that at heart, Duryodhan is like a child.
Gandhar king, how will he grow up..
..unless you let him.
Yes.
Duryodhan is like the monsoon.
If a house collapses, that house's weakness is to blame.
For if the monsoon alone was to blame..
..all houses would have collapsed, right, Gandhar king?
Yes.
I'm very worried about Duryodhan.
For he is Hastinapur's present.
And future, grandsire?
Ask that question to God or Time of Doom.
Or ask the sky which holds the future's seed..
..or ask the earth where its bud will sprout.
I'm a mere zero.
By myself, I have no significance.
If I can manage it..
..you'll be alone all your life, Ganga son Bheeshma.
Whatever uncle says, I won't tolerate it, Karna.
By the way, what does your uncle say?
Sire, you?
- Greetings, sire. - Live long.
What was uncle saying?
What does it matter what a warrior staying in his sister's house..
..says or doesn't say?
But what you say is important.
Both the king and Hastinapur will listen.
Both, this Kuru son Duryodhan and that Pandu son will obey you.
This is our family's and household problem.
Anga king Karna, so..
I got it. Please forgive me.
Won't you ask me to sit, child?
Forgive me, sire. Please sit.
Why are you still awake, child?
What else can I do, sire?
I didn't ask father..
..to tell me from childhood..
..that I alone would be Hastinapur king.
Yudhishthir is older.
But even you never told me..
..that Yudhishthir has the right to the throne.
Child, that isn't the Bharat dynasty's tradition.
Being the eldest son doesn't mean anything in itself.
Merit matters.
Had you accepted Yudhishthir as your older brother..
..this problem would never have arisen.
But you made him your rival.
He is a rival, sire.
As a warrior, isn't it my duty..
..to protect my rights?
Of course, you should.
But today, it's the king's duty to protect your rights..
..and as the eldest of this family, it's my duty, too.
Child, today I give you my word..
..that your rights will be protected all my lifetime.
However, it's also your duty to define rights correctly.
So, am I not Hastinapur's crown prince today?
You yourself are witness to my being made crown prince.
Yes.
But I also witnessed Yudhishthir being made crown prince.
Sire, that's why I'm asking you.
Who is the crown prince in the current situation?
King Dhritirashtra's son Duryodhan or Pandu's son Yudhishthir?
I, too, give you my word, sire.
I'll definitely accept whatever decision you make.
Son, this very question has made me sleepless.
It's this impossibility that is the current reality..
..that you are crown prince and so is Yudhishthir.
This quandary must be solved before Yudhishthir returns..
..as to who will be crown prince and who won't be.
But, son, always keep in mind..
..that Hastinapur is more important than both Duryodhan and Yudhishthir.
Hastinapur existed before both of you did..
..and will continue even after the two of you are no more.
I order that the members of the Kuru family..
..along with family sage Kripa and sage Drona..
..welcome at the palace door..
..the younger sons and the family's bride, Draupadi.
And bring them in to my room with due respect.
King, let me take you to your room.
You go ahead, grandsire.
Dushasan.
Where's Duryodhan?
He says he can't come to the court..
..until the crown prince is decided.
Duryodhan shouldn't have done that.
May the Lord protect Hastinapur.
Hail Pandavas. Hail Pandavas.
Hail Queen Kunti. Hail Crown Prince Yudhishthir.
Hail Queen Kunti.
May you be happy.
Draupadi, pay your respects..
..to eldest Kuru, Ganga son grandsire Bheeshma.
My blessings.
Pay respects to family sage Kripa.
My blessings.
Come. Come.
My respects, guru.
You're twice related to Draupadi.
Bless her as your daughter and daughter-in-law as well.
Neither is fate within my control nor good fortune.
I have nothing but weapons.
Whichever weapon you like, please take it.
Guru, let your weapons be.
She isn't here to fight a war.
Greetings, mother.
Blessings. Where's my dear son Duryodhan?
He's busy.
Okay. Welcome your sister-in-law on his behalf.
- Greetings. - Draupadi!
This is Dushasan, your brother-in-law.
Look at me carefully.
Come, Vasudev Krishna.
Don't I have any claim to your blessings, grandsire?
What blessings can I give you, Vasudev?
Sire, you're being miserly.
Can the droplet have the courage to give to the ocean?
Wouldn't it be speaking out-of-turn?
Winning a debate against a Brahmin is no easy task, sage Kripa.
Fine, I'll move on without a blessing.
Come, brother. Let's go.
Since they didn't bless me, they won't bless you either.
Welcome.
Greetings, sage.
- Greetings, family sage. - May you be victorious.
Greetings, grandsire.
- Be victorious. - Greetings, family sage.
Live long.
Greetings, grandsire.
- Greetings. - Live long.
Greetings.
- Greetings, family sage. - Be powerful.
- Greetings, grandsire. - Live long.
Be victorious.
Live long.
Won't you embrace me, son?
My clothes are dirty from the journey, grandsire.
Your white clothes will get dirty.
My white clothes are always eager to get dirtied by you, son.
Grandsire. Grandsire.
"Blessed is Hastinapur."
"Blessed is the palace door where stands the sacred flame."
"All are welcomed."
"The new bride is the Goddess of wealth."
"She enters through the sacred door."
"The Pandavas and Draupadi have been accepted by all."
"Have been accepted by all."
Mother, they are here.
My respects, sister.
Our respects, mother.
Daughter-in-law, welcome queen Kunti and sister-in-law Draupadi.
Sister, why welcome me to my own home?
It is necessary, Kunti.
It is necessary.
After the accident at Varnavat..
..I felt as if entire Hastinapur city was bereft.
But now that you've returned with my dear Pandavas..
..Hastinapur has got a new lease of life from the fortunate return.
Congratulations on this new life, Kunti.
As you wish, sister.
Had you been here for Duryodhan's marriage..
..you'd have looked after everything.
It would have been as if I was doing everything myself.
Kunti..
..this is your son's bride, the princess of Tashi.
May you live long and be happy.
May you have a happy married life.
Sister, meet your son's bride Draupadi, too.
May you be blessed.
May your lap be filled with kids and your forehead with vermilion.
Come, Draupadi. Now pay your respects to your elder father, too.
Come, sister.
Accept your family's bride, Draupadi's respects.
My blessings.
Dear, I regret my blindness even more keenly today.
Had I not been blind, I could have seen you..
..and younger Pandavas as well.
You brought good luck with you by re-uniting me with my younger sons.
So, I am indebted to you as well as grateful.
Where are my dear younger sons?
If I could see I'd have gone..
..and embraced them.
We are at your feet, sire.
My blessings.
You cannot imagine my grief at losing you.
Nor the happiness on your return.
I am ashamed.
But if you can, on Draupadi's blessed arrival, forgive this blind father..
..and blind king.
What are you saying, sire?
Accidents are a part of life.
How can you be held responsible?
Be happy.
Won't you allow me to meet them, lord?
This is the problem with the blind, Gandhari.
Once they get their hands on a person or thing they just won't let go..
..for fear of losing it again.
Those who can see can gauge distances.
But for us the reality is this alone.
What is in hand is what we have.
There is nothing else.
Go to your elder mother, dear.
Kunti, through your eyes, show me my son's bride.
Sister, her complexion is like fire.
Then it's worthy of worship.
She has eyes like a huge lotus.
You've brought the son's bride or a form of ceremonial worship?
May God grant all the sorrows in your lot to me..
..and all the joys of my lot to you.
You didn't spare anything for yourself?
Noble Daughter-in-law.
Who spoke?
My brother Vasudev's son, Krishna.
He came with us to pay you his respects.
You clean forgot me, didn't you, aunty?
Krishna's elder brother Balram also wishes to pay you his respects, king.
The others may forget you, but I can't.
You won't let me forget.
Bring your younger sons to me, Kunti.
Aunty, don't forget that I, too, am a younger son.
Maybe the queen wants all the older sons to go to her.
Okay. All of you come here.
Come, Krishna.
Our respects.
Which one of you is Giridhar?
Giridhar is my younger brother.
Why do you sound so upset, son?
That's because it's time for his lunch, queen.
Even my Bheem enjoys eating.
Saw that. We have returned after so many years..
..but mother hasn't forgotten me at all.
Mother remembers your appetite, brother.
- Bheem! - Yes, mother?
I've made porridge for you.
Brother, no wonder you love Bheem so much.
- Why do you want to leave? - I must go, Arjun.
It's easy to convince mother and father..
..but Subhadra is a problem.
The longer I take, all the more questions she'll ask.
No one has the nerve to ask brother anything..
..so I'm the one who gets caught.
As my younger sister, she has greater rights anyway.
I think you adore Subhadra very much.
Everyone likes her very much.
Brother keeps fighting with me over her every other day.
Look, Krishna, I'm the elder brother.
So, Subhadra is my responsibility.
Hence, my claim on her is greater than yours.
Krishna, at least now go to sleep.
Brother, I was telling Arjun that you once told me..
..that Subhadra is your responsibility more than mine.
When did I say that?
Who's the older brother, I or you?
You're older, Brother but even I amount to something.
When did I say you were nothing?
Arjun, you're a witness to what I say..
..or else this great man will deny it later.
I will take all decisions regarding, Subhadra.
Did you hear that, Arjun? Now who will argue with him?
But, Brother, at least now go to sleep.
Your insomnia is an insult to Kuru hospitality.
There's yet time to decide about Subhadra.
- Go to sleep. - Then why are you awake?
Even when I sleep. I am awake.
Brother, listen carefully.
Even the night is awake today.
The beam of the balance is embedded in Ganga son, Bheeshma's heart.
But you don't worry, Arjun.
If the family is destined to break up, it will break up.
This is the hour for the sea of life's churning.
Nectar must separate from poison.
King Dhritirashtra is on his way.
Come, king.
Come.
Come, king.
My respects, king.
Come. Please sit. Come. Come.
Come, king.
Careful.
Here. Careful.
Come.
I have no right to sit in on a meeting of the Kuru family.
If the king permits, I'll leave.
Kuru hospitality will not allow that, Gandhar king.
Please sit.
- As you wish, grandsire. - Please, sit.
Has everyone come, grandsire?
Yes, king.
I've called all of you..
..because I face a moral dilemma.
I need your help.
What's the moral dilemma, king?
The moral dilemma is that Hastinapur has two crown prince.
It's obvious that no kingdom can have two crown prince.
King, after crown prince Yudhishthir's return it's obvious..
..that crown prince Duryodhan should vacate that position.
King, there can be no other solution to this problem.
My proposal doesn't mean that I'm no longer on Duryodhan's side.
Duryodhan is my very soul.
I've always wanted..
..that he should be crown prince and then king.
But this isn't in Hastinapur's interest.
How can I forget..
..that my sister Gandhari is Hastinapur's reigning queen today.
So, what is in Hastinapur's interest is in the interest of my sister.
The rest is up to you.
Gandhar king, the problem isn't so simple..
..that it can be solved so easily.
Don't you agree, Vidur..
..that prince Yudhishthir alone is the crown prince?
Of course Yudhishthir is the crown prince, sage Drona.
But we mustn't forget that..
..after learning of Pandavas' death..
..we had all decided in this very room..
..that Duryodhan be made crown prince.
Nor had my Duryodhan come to you with a plea proposal.
At least I don't remember.
Right, Vidur?
Royal positions can't be made..
..on the basis of plea proposals either, Gandhar king.
Besides, I wasn't present at that assembly that day.
What would you have done had you been there?
Perhaps, I'd have suggested..
..that there was no hurry to make that decision..
..because it was already established..
..that Duryodhan wasn't worthy of it at all.
Why raise that question now, Vidur?
As we cannot reverse what's already taken place.
Vidur, study this lesson of politics once again..
..that you alone don't have the right to strategic news.
What news was hidden, Vidur?
Not from you, king. From me.
But now there's no point in talking about it.
Even a scholar like Vidur cannot reverse the flow of time.
Let us, therefore, face the present.
We're back to square one.
Which Crown Prince should Hastinapur retain?
What should be done, family sage?
You'll do an injustice to whoever is removed, king.
I don't want to do injustice at all.
Sage Drona?
Yes, king?
What do you suggest?
Why place sage Drona in this moral dilemma, king?
Why not leave the solution..
..to Brihaspati's disciple, eldest Kuru, Ganga son, Bheeshma?
That's right.
No one can accuse grandsire of partiality.
What do you say, Vidur?
Yes, king.
But people may say..
..that what was for the king to decide..
..he left to grandsire.
We are your associates..
..but it's your duty to take the decision.
Not in unusual circumstances.
Besides, Vidur, don't forget..
..that grandsire has the first right to the throne.
Grandsire should guide us through this peril.
King, justice demands that we should be fair to all.
Hence, today with a heavy heart I suggest..
..that Hastinapur be partitioned.
In reality, whenever politics stumbles..
..the nation must bear the penalty.
Divide Hastinapur equally between the two crown prince.
Now, allow me to mourn this ill-fate of Hastinapur in privacy.
Grandsire.
My respects, father.
Be successful.
Come, son.
Sit near me.
I'm caught in a great moral dilemma.
Had I not known that you'd surely help me..
..I'd have committed suicide.
You only have to give the order, elder father.
Youngsters don't help their elders.
They merely follow orders and obey them.
Listen to me carefully.
All you five brothers are heirs of my younger brother Pandu..
..who'd conquered practically the whole earth.
Victory was his.
However, till I asked him to ascend this throne..
..he didn't ascend this throne.
Although even he had a right to this throne.
You may order me even without this background.
Son, this background is essential.
This throne isn't mine.
I am younger Pandu's representative.
Mere representative.
Whatever I decide..
..I do so, on younger Pandu's behalf.
But why do you sound so sad, ellder father?
Don't ask questions, son.
Allow your elder father to speak..
..because I can't tell all this to Duryodhan.
His arrogance stands between us.
Son, my problem is..
..that I cannot leave Hastinapur on the verge of peril.
I wish to depart in a way that I can show my face to my ancestors.
If I crown you, Duryodhan's ego becomes a hurdle.
If I crown Duryodhan, it'll be an injustice to you.
Son, it's a fact of family life..
..that when many people stay together, they're bound to clash.
That's why they must be separated.
That's why it's been decided..
..that the kingdom of Hastinapur should be partitioned.
The nation's partition?
Please give my half, too, to younger Duryodhan..
..but don't divide the nation, elder father.
- Don't divide the nation. - No, son.
I cannot do you an injustice.
I'd have given you Hastinapur..
..and the capital of Yayati to Duryodhan.
I'd have told him that you're younger than Yudhishthir.
Go develop the land of Khandav.
But he would refuse to listen to me.
He would want me to go with him.
I can't leave Hastinapur..
..as I am its shadow.
Hence, I want you develop the land of Khandav.
Son, honor my request.
It will be as you wish, elder father.
"Decency is defeated again."
"Seeing helplessness."
"The heat of the afternoon.."
"..is the lot for Pandavas."
"The love for his son.."
"..had blinded Dhritrashtra."
"With the show of helplessness.."
"..he divided the nation."