One day Drona pretends to be caught by a crocodile. Without a second thought, Arjuna kills the crocodile and saves Drona even as the others watch. A delighted Drona gifts him the greatest celestial weapon, the Brahmastra (the weapon of Brahma).
Karna then asks for the Brahmastra but when refused, he angrily leaves the school. He then goes to Parashurama to learn archery from him and to obtain celestial weapons. Since Parashurama teaches only Brahmanas, Karna lies to Parashurama that he is a Brahmana.
Meanwhile, after the completion of training, Drona demands a gurudakshina. He asks the princes to defeat Drupada of Panchala, who humiliated him. Duryodhana tries first but fails. Arjuna and Bheema successfully defeat the Panchala army. Drupada is captured. Drona reminds him of his old promise to give him half his kingdom. He divides Panchala into two halves and sends Drupada away, humiliated and left with half his kingdom.
Drona then organized a demonstration event where all the princes showcase their skills in the use of weapons. There is a fierce duel between Bheema and Duryodhana and the citizens begin to take sides. Drona then wisely stops the duel. Arjuna then shows his archery skills, leaving the citizens of Hastinapura stunned with his prowess.
Then Karna enters the rangasthala (venue of the event). He demands a duel with Arjuna. Kripa mocks at him wanting to know his parentage and if he is an equal to Arjuna.
Kunti is shocked seeing Karna. She is none other than her son! After receiving the boon from Durvasa, she childishly tested it out by summoning the sun god Surya. He then uses his divine power and gives her a son while ensuring she remained chaste. The son born was Karna. He is born with kavacha (armour) and kundalas (ear-rings) that give him great strength.
Kunti then abandoned Karna on the river. He is later found by the charioteer Athiratha who takes him home. Since he and his wife are childless, he adopts him and he is called Radheya (son of Radha).
Because his parent was a Suta (a low caste charioteer), Karna is humiliated. Duryodhana then names him the king of Anga and ensures he becomes a royal. The duel between Karna and Drona never happens because the sun sets, ending the day’s events.
Duryodhana along his uncle Shakuni of Gandhara and Karna conspire to kill the Pandavas. They decide to ask the king to send the Pandavas to the town of Varnavrata. Duryodhana uses his agent named Purochana to construct a palace made of lac. He plans to burn the Pandavas alive in the lac palace.
Vidura is aware of the plot and lets Yudhishtira know in coded words to be careful. He then sends an assistant who digs a tunnel out of the lac palace. Vidura is aware of the day when Duryodhana plans to kill the Pandavas.
On that day, by coincidence, a woman and her five sons are invited to dine at the lac palace. They are intoxicated and lose consciousness. With them is Purochan,a who also is fast asleep. Bheema then sets the lac palace on fire and the Pandavas escape through the tunnel to the forests.
The Kauravas believe the Pandavas are dead and celebrate. Bheeshma mourns the death of his beloved grand nephews and even Dhritarashtra is sad at the turn of the events.
As the Pandavas roam through the forest, Bheema meets a rakshasi named Hidimbi. She tells him that her brother Hidimba eats humans and plans to eat them. She tells Bheema to come with her so they can get married and escape from her brother. Bheema refuses and fights with Hidimba and kills the demon. With Yudhishtira’s permission, he weds Hidimbi and stays with her at night while remaining with the Pandavas at day time.
She gives birth to a son Ghatotkacha in due course of time after which the Pandavas decide to move on. They reach the town of Ekachakra and stay there in a Brahmana’s house disguised as Brahmanas. They collect alms from the town people and get on with their life. When they find out that a rakshasa named Baka was harassing the town people, Bheema kills the demon Baka.
The brahmana tells Bheema and the Pandavas that they must go to the swayamwara of Drupada’s daughter Draupadi. After being advised to do so by Vyasa, the Pandavas depart for Panchala.