This episode of Mahabharata begins with Shakuni fretting that Yudhistir’s death alone won’t solve their problem, as his surviving brothers will cry foul play and Bhishma will believe them, making their victory hollow. Shakuni says that all five brothers and preferably even Kunti should be taken out at once.
But then, the Pandavas solve that problem for him by insisting that they all accompany Yudhistir to keep him safe from any assassination attempts from Duryodhan. But then Yudhistir, thinking that his brothers’ concerns are overblown, invites Kunti along too. When he asks Dhritharashtra for permission to take his brothers and mother along, Duryodhan enthusiastically agrees. Dhritharashtra, glad that the cousins are starting to get along, also agrees. Shakuni is ecstatic.
But then Vidhur hears back from one of his spies that the new house Duryodhan had constructed seems to contain a lot of butter, oil, bamboo and wood shavings. Vidhur realizes what’s about to happen and sets out to warn the Pandavas somehow. But Shakuni and Duryodhan stick to him like glue, forcing him to use more underhanded means. When the Pandavas sit down to talk to him but Duryodhan and Shakuni invite themselves into the discussion, Vidhur asks a cryptic question about which animal can survive a forest fire. And Yudhistir answers that only a rat in its burrow can. Vidhur repeats that statement.
Right before the Pandavas depart for the festival, Vidhur makes another cryptic remark about always knowing the location of the exit whenever you visit any house. Later, during the journey, Yudhistir wonders why Vidhur talked specifically about a forest fire and a rat in a burrow. The Pandavas agree that they will sleep in shifts, so one of them keeps watch for arsonists.
After reaching the house built for them, Yudhistir’s suspicions are further heightened when Purochal the architect insists on staying in the front door, and that there is no backdoor exit in this house. And his suspicions are fully confirmed when Duryodhan sends his bodyguards “to guarantee their safety”.
But before they get there, a laborer arrives to pay his respects, carrying a mouse in a cage, and claiming that the mouse is very good at digging holes ... and so is he. You see, he is a miner sent by Vidhur to dig the Pandavas an escape tunnel.
Tropes found here are
- I Know You Know I Know: Vidhur finds out about the wax house plot from a spy. Shakuni’s spy informs him of this, so Shakuni knows that Vidhur knows. But then Vidhur figures out that Shakuni and Duryodhan know that he knows, when they clumsily dog him everywhere. Vidhur subtly warns Yudhistir and then covertly sends them help.
- Lured into a Trap: Yudhistir is seemingly lured into an inflammable trap when Duryodhan has a house built for him where the festival is being held. The trap is sprung when Duryodhan sends his own bodyguards to lock the house down. However, Vidhur warns them, then sends help to get them out.
- Made of Incendium: Vidhur figures out that the House Duryodhan had built for the Pandavas is a flammable trap, when a spy tells him that Purochal the architect used unusually large amounts of oil, butter, wood shavings and bamboo to build that house.
- Out-Gambitted: Vidhur helps the Pandavas outwit Shakuni’s plan.
- Properly Paranoid: Yudhistir becomes this way, because he knows Vidhur well and Vidhur would not have brought up the subject of fire and rat holes without a good reason.
- Tunnel King: Vidhur sends one of these to the wax house before Duryodhan’s men clamp the place down.
