The theme of today's episode was about friendship. Shani explains how it is one of the great relationships that is formed by common values and situations, which is why a betrayal of friendship is an unforgivable offense.
A king named Ashwabahu was testing his strength by having 2 sets of horses tug @ him from both sides. In the meantime, soldiers are ransacking a village on the banks of a river, and killing a lot of them. In the meantime, the horses finally give up, and Ashwabahu is triumphant. Some soldiers come to him to tell him that his orders have been carried out. Ashwabahu remarks that Chandrika would be pleased to hear that.
In the palace, a princess, presumably Chandrika, is dancing and entertaining some guests, who are awestruck @ her performance. Suddenly, some arrows fly around her, killing all her guests đĄ It is Ashwabahu. He catches her by the hair & tells her that she was under orders not to entertain anybody but him. Chandrika retorts that as the queen, she has the right to entertain anybody she likes. Ashwabahu tugs on her hair some more, but she tells him that while she could physically force her, she couldn't win over her heart. Ashwabahu lets go of her and she goes and picks up an empty pot, brings it to him, telling him that she had prepared it w/ a wish in her mind that a certain village be emptied, and then drops it in front of him, shattering it. Ashwabahu picks up one of the pieces and squeezes it, making himself bleed đ˛ He tells her that he's shed a lot of blood to satisfy her whims đĄ Just then, a guard arrives and tells Ashwabahu that the dharamsabha has summoned him.
At the dharamsabha, the villagers who had fled are complaining to the head of the dharamsabha that Ashwabahu has been persecuting them. Ashwabahu arrives and they go silent. The head of the sabha asks Ashwabahu why he did what he did, and Ashwabahu tells him that he had ordered them to vacate the village, and only punished those who flouted the order. The head tells him that as king, he's supposed to serve the people, and if he doesn't, the same sabha that made him king could revoke his title. Ashwabahu is about to draw his sword, but stops, and leaves, after telling the head that he would be removed.
At his palace, he is fuming at what the sabha told him, while the head of the sabha, in his private puja room, prays to Shani for help. Shani says that Ashwabahu's sins have caught up w/ him, and now, his time of punishment begins. In the meantime, Ashwabahu is shattering pots that are there in his palace, when Shani arrives in his disguise. He tells him that he knows what is bothering him, and even shows him his future, in a crystal ball, In it, Ashwabahu is being beaten by his subjects. Ashwabahu is frantic, but Shani tells him that the solution to his problem is if he could get a true friend of his to be the new pramukh of the dharamsabha who'd support his every decision.
Ashwabahu gets flashbacks of his gurukul, where his co-student would help him in many ways, like giving him extra food if he was hungry, washing his clothes for him in addition to his own, etc. Accordingly, he visits the home of Kapila, which is that friends name. Kapila is weaving something when Ashwabahu enters, and they embrace. Kapila reminds him that he never gave him the cow he promised him, and Ashwabahu apologizes, but tells him that he has better things in store for him. Shani remarks that he will make Kapila the instrument w/ which to punish Ashwabahu.
Ashwabahu takes Kapila to the dharam sabha and tells the committee that Kapila is his new handpicked pramukh. Shani arrives there in disguise and supports the king's suggestion, suggesting that the pramukh test Kapila to find out whether he is worthy. The pramukh asks Kapila a couple of questions whose answers from Kapila impress him, and he hands over to Kapila the head of the committee.
Back @ his palace, Ashwabahu orders his commanders to kill all dissidents to his rule, get all the beautiful maidens of the kingdom for his service, and loot as much wealth as they can. Kapila & his sabha members are walking on the streets, when they see some citizens being tortured by the soldiers. He asks them what has happened, and Shani appears and tells him that they were being tortured for complaining about the king to his sabha, for resisting expulsion orders and for refusing to let their daughters be taken away for the kings service.
Kapila barges into Ashwabahu's chamber and yells his name. Ashwabahu, who's w/ Chandrika, is shocked, and gets up and asks him whether he's forgotten how to address his king. Kapila confronts him for all the persecution he's doing of his subjects. Ashwabahu reminds him that it's only @ his behest that Kapila is where he is, otherwise he was not even worthy of living in his kingdom. As for friendship, how can there be friendship b/w a king & a beggar?
In his sabha alone, Kapila is furious that Ashwabahu has disgraced their friendship, and takes off his headgear, presumably planning to quit. Shani arrives and tells him that as the head of the dharam sabha, it's his duty to protect dharam in any way, even if it means taking up weapons despite being a brahmin. And as a friend, it's his dury to bring the friend on the path of dharam.
Ashwabahu is @ the city center ready to start killing people, when Kapila suddenly arrives and defies him. Ashwabahu tells him not to interfare, but Kapila throws off his cloak & draws his sword. A battle begins b/w the 2 of them, @ the end of which Ashwabahu falls to the ground and Kapila's sword is in his face. Shani stops them and tells them that Ashwabahu wronged his subjects, so they are the ones who should punish him.
The subjects begin beating him, but Ashwabahu gets up & flees, just like was shown to him by Shani. Finally, after running for a while, he finds Kapila in front of him, and begs him to save him for the sake of their old friendship. Kapila tells him that he won't punish a friend, but he would punish a sinner. Saying this, he plunges his sword into Ashwabahu, and the king falls down and dies.
At his abode, Shani praises Kapila for showing the true value of friendship.
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-urXUaiOdR8[/YOUTUBE]Comments:
I found the theme of this episode a bit strange, given how it seemed to be more about the betrayal of a friendship than a demonstration of one. In the first place, the original friendship seemed pretty one-sided - Kapila washing Ashwabahu's clothes, giving him his food, etc. In that context, it was funny of Ashwabahu to call Kapila a beggar. Also, given how Shani had told him to bring his friend to the path of dharam, I thought Kapila might try to reform him, rather than kill him. Maybe Kapila could have given Karna some pointers about how to behave w/ Duryodhan.
I found Chandrika weird. On one hand, she wants her husband to eviscerate whole villages for her pleasure, but on the other, she insists on entertaining whoever she pleases, in defiance of her husband's wishes. I wish she too had been punished more than simply being widowed.
The ending was a bit abrupt - they could have shown either Kapila or the original pramukh being crowned the king as Ashwabahu's successor, and Chandrika leaving the palace - either widowed, or eloping w/ someone else.
Edited by .Vrish. - 13 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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