Prahlada

Bali, the king of the asuras, asks his grandfather Prahlada a question that has troubled him: which leads to welfare — forgiveness or revenge? Prahlada's answer is not a simple choice. He lays out the faults of both extremes, then gives a nuanced framework for when each is appropriate — a lesson in timing, measure, and discernment.

Arjuna sets out on the divine chariot that Indra once used to vanquish the greatest asuras. The roar of his departure alerts the gods, who assemble and ask what he intends to do. He tells them his mission, receives their blessings, and accepts the conch shell Devadatta — the very one Indra used to conquer the worlds.

Flush with victory, Indrajit returns to battle before performing his daily rites. Lakshmana, recovered and advised by Vibhishana, attacks him and kills him with three arrows — slicing off his bow-arm, his arrow-arm, and his head. When Ravana sees his son's corpse dragged into Lanka, he rushes to kill Vaidehi, but Avindhya calms him with reasoned counsel.

A woman asks Virochana whether brahmanas or asuras are superior, sparking a confrontation. Virochana and the brahmana Sudhanva stake their lives on the answer and go to Prahlada for judgment — where the question of who is superior becomes a question of who will tell the truth.

Dhritarashtra asks for more counsel, unsatisfied with what he has already heard. Vidura responds with an ancient story about Virochana and Sudhanva — a tale of pride, truth, and the cost of falsehood — and then delivers a cascade of ethical warnings about the dangers of favoring Duryodhana over the Pandavas.