In this episode of Mahabharata, the princes are all grown up and present themselves in a specially prepared arena to show off their combat skills.
First, Yudhistir, Duryodhan, Bhim, Arjun, Dushasan, Vikarna, Nakul and Sahadev make grand entrances and announce themselves and their heritage. Then Bhishma blows a conch to start the function.
First, Yudhistir demonstrates his skill with a spear by using it to disarm many princes armed with swords, maces and spears, on foot and on horseback, who surround and attack him. Then Bhim and Duryodhan start sparring with maces, but then sparring intensifies into combat, as the two trade blows. Before the duel can turn deadly, Dronacharya and Ashwathama break it up. Arjun then comes out and puts up an impressive display of archery by first firing arrows at the feet of all elders present, then using arrows to summon wind, fire, lightning, rain and a mountain. Dronacharya stands up and proclaims to everyone that there is no archer better than Arjun.
“There is a better archer, O guru!” Proclaims an unidentified man with a bow and arrow, wearing a distinctive armor on his torso and a distinctive pair of earrings - armor and earrings that Kunti recognizes as belonging to the baby boy she abandoned long ago, before her wedding to Pandu. A shocked Kunti faints. The man, only calling himself Karna, challenges Arjun to a duel to determine the best archer. Arjun is all too willing to oblige by using his arrows to sew this impudent interrupter’s lips shut. But Kripacharya states that this is the Royal Arena and that only a prince or king may challenge Arjun, who is a prince. Duryodhan states that if lack of royal status is what’s impeding Karna’s challenge, then he will solve that problem by appointing Karna as the king of the Anga nation, which is a suzerainty of Hastinapur and which currently has Duryodhan in charge of administering it. Duryodhan demands that Karna be coronated then and there. A grateful Karna pledges Undying Loyalty to Duryodhan upon being crowned. Someone informs Karna’s adoptive father Adhirath of this. Adhirath rushes over to the arena.
Arjun insults Karna that he, who has been gifted a kingdom is unworthy of being considered a warrior. Bhim and Duryodhan exchange insults, then Karna reissues his challenge to Arjun. Kripacharya reminds them that this is an arena, not a battlefield, so there can only be a competition, not a duel to the death. As both princes await the competition to be specified, Adhirath runs over to Karna, who receives him with the respect a son gives his father. Bhim scoffs at this, telling Arjun that as a charioteer’s son, Karna isn’t worth killing. Duryodhan retorts by questioning the Pandavas’ parentage.
And just as it looks like tensions between the cousins are about to boil over, the sun sets. Kripacharya declares that since there can be no combat after sunset, the function must end, Bhishma officially ends the function by blowing his conch. The conflict is averted for now.
Tropes found here are
- Carry a Big Stick: Bhim and Duryodhan have mastered mace warfare.
- Elemental Powers: Arjun displays them with special arrows.
- Loophole Abuse: Duryodhan gets around the ban on warrior princes dueling commoners by appointing Karna as the king of Anga.
- Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: Invoked for the first time by Duryodhan to insult the Pandavas.
- Misery Builds Character: Arjun invokes this trope to insult Karna by proclaiming that he isn’t a true king, since he was gifted the Anga kingdom instead of earning it by fighting and bleeding for it. Remember that this is coming from Arjun, who has just as much (lack of) actual combat experience as Karna.
- Not Worth Killing: When Karna receives the charioteer Adhirath like a son receives his father, Bhim scoffs at him for having challenged Arjun to an archery duel, stating that as a charioteer’s son, Karna isn’t worth killing.
- Parents Know Their Children: Kunti instantly recognizes Karna from his distinctive armor and earrings. And then faints in shock.
- Serious Business: Bhim and Duryodhan’s sparring becomes more intense and violent. Dronacharya breaks it up before someone kills the other.
- Technician Versus Performer: Duryodhan is the more agile, skilled technician with a mace, wielding it with great flexibility. He is therefore a slippery fighter, able to maneuver around opponents and score more hits. Although those hits lack power. Bhim on the other hand is a powerhouse of a performer, able to use brute force to hit hard although not as often.
- Volleying Insults: Bhim and Duryodhan. Arjun and Karna.
- Undying Loyalty: Karna pledges this to Duryodhan upon being crowned King of Anga.
