Duryodhan Gives Poison to Bheem

Duryodhan was learning from Shakuni. So both hatched a plot to kill Bheem. One day all boys went to play near the banks of Gangaa River. They played there till evening. By then Bheem felt hungry, so Duryodhan took him to his tent and offered Kheer (an Indian sweets made of rice and milk). That Kheer was mixed with a very dangerous poison. Shakuni said that, that poison was so dangerous that nobody had any antidote of that poison except Naag, So Bheem's death was certain if he ate that Kheer.

Now Duryodhan and Dushaasan offered that Kheer to him. Well, Bheem was very fond of food, and he had a fairly good diet also, so he ate all the Kheer. Then he told that he was feeling sleepy, so he slept there only. Duryodhan and Dushaasan were very happy to see their plan working according to their original plan. After a few moments they confirmed that Bheem was really sleeping, they tied him in a mat and threw in Gangaa River.

Yudhishthir saw Bheem going with Duryodhan so he was worried about him. because since then he didn't see Bheem. Shakuni was very happy with this step of Duryodhan. When Bheem didn't come back in palace with all other children, then Gaandhaaree got worried. She asked immediately - "Where is Bheem?" Many people were sent in search of Bheem but they couldn't find him. Kuntee was also worried about him. She called Duryodhan and asked about Bheem but he told lie that he did go with him, but then he told that he was going to his elder brother and he went away. But it seems that he didn't go there also.

Vidur also reported that Bheem was not found anywhere. Consoling Kuntee he said to her - "Bheem is a blow of wind, must have gone somewhere flowing. He will come back flowing in the same way as he has gone, you should not worry so much about him." Kuntee said - "Vidur, You cannot know the worries of a mother of orphan children." Vidur said immediately - "Being Pitaamaha Bheeshm and Mahaaraaj Dhritraashtra alive, Paandu's sons can never be orphan, be assured of this. Wherever Bheem will be, he will be safe and secured."

Instead of drowning in the River Bheem just went down sinking in the River. Some Naag brought him to the king of Naag, Vaasuki. The king asked his people - "Why have you brought this child here?" They said - "Mahaaraaj, He is not an ordinary child. We found him in unconscious state, and thinking him a spy our Naag bit him, but instead of dying he became alive and he fought with us. He destroyed our border posts also. It seems that somebody gave him poison which lost its effect as our Naag bit him."

Vaasuki asked - "Who are you, Child?" Bheem replied - "I am Kuntee's son Bheem." Raajaa exclaimed "Kuntee's son? Then you have come to your Naanaa's house (mother's mother's house, or maternal grandmother's house). As Bheeshm is your Pitaamaha, in the same way I am your mother's Maataamah. (he was Kuntee's mother's father). She is my daughter's daughter. She must be very much worried after you have disappeared. But when you have come here, have some blessings from me." Then he gave him Sudhaa Ras (juice) in a large bowl saying that it had 1,000 elephants' power in it and he should drink it. Bheem drank it in one gulp. Vaasuki filled his bowl again and said - "Drink more. The more you will drink the more powerful you will be. Each bowl will give you the strength of a 1,000 elephants." He drank eight bowls of Sudhaa Ras and went to sleep.

Bheem slept there for eight days. On the eighth day he got up, ate Divine food offered by Vaasuki Naag and was sent to the surface. He found himself at the same place where they camped for playing. He went to his mother and brothers from there. Kuntee and Yudhishthir were so happy to see Bheem that they could not speak for a few moments. Then Bheem told his strange story to everybody. Vidutr also heard his story and warned him from Duryodhan's hatred.

Seeing Bheem coming back safely, everybody got very happy. But as Dushaasan came to know about this, he went rushing to inform Duryodhan about this. Duryodhan said surprisingly - "What? But Maamaa said that nobody had antidote of that poison except Naag." Dushaasan said - "But he is sitting with Kuntee right now and boasting that Naag Raaj gave him Sudhaa Ras which filled him with extraordinary strength. And now since he is alive, he can open our secret." Duryodhan said - "He cannot harm us, don't worry."

Then Duryodhan came to tell this to Shakuni that whatever poison he gave to him for Bheem, he gave it to Bheem and threw him in Gangaa River, but he has returned with more strength." Shakuni said - "But I didn't say you to throw him in Gangaa River. That way goes directly to Naag Lok. But did he tell Gaandhaaree that you gave this poison to him?" Duryodhan said - "He has not told it yet." Shakuni said - "It means that somebody must have instructed to do so. Now you will have to be very careful. You should give him more opportunities to play with you, and as soon as you get the chance, make enough complaints about him. I am not the person who can be defeated like this."

Duryodhan did the same. But when Gaandhaaree tried to console Bheem, he shut Gaandhaaree's mouth by telling her many other incidents about Duryodhan. Gaandhaaree asked help from Dhritraashtra, but he was not ready to hear anything about Duryodhan.

Bheem was angry with this episode, but Yudhishthir consoled him saying that he should be silent about this incident. All inside stories should be inside, if this news spread outside then the elder father and mother will be very sad. Kuntee also said the same thing to Bheem.

Although Kuntee and Yudhishthir told him not to say a word about it that Duryodhan mixed poison in his Kheer and then threw him in Gangaa River, but where Vidur like readers who could read in-between the lines, are there, how can this be kept inside. Vidur knows this that except him, everybody is tied with some or the other string, that is why he is always vigilant about everything. But to whom he should go now with his problem except Bheeshm? He didn't trust anybody else but he was locked inside his vow's room. But still Vidur went to discuss this story, about the tension between Duryodhan and Bheem, which was now known in Naag Lok too, to Bheeshm.

When Bheeshm heard this, he couldn't believe his ears. Vidur suggested Bheeshm that he should explain the things to Duryodhan, but what will happen after this? Bheeshm said sighing - "A person should be very careful taking any vow, because neither a vow's knot can be broken, nor it can be opened. I am scared of Dhritraashtra's ambitions. I am thinking that when this poisonous tree will grow, what will happen then?" Vidur said - "In that situation, political ethics tells us only one thing that such a tree should be cut down before it grew."

Bheeshm said - "No Vidur, no, because by cutting this plant the throne of Hastinaapur will also be cut, and I have taken vow to protect it. Duryodhan is still a child, he can be taken care of. Dhritraashtra cannot do conspiracy. In fact this poison spreader is Shakuni who thinks even today that we have insulted Gaandhaar family by marrying Gaandhaaree to a blind man.