In the quiet village of Ekachakra, the Pandavas live as humble Brahmins, but Bhima's appetite is anything but humble. When Kunti discovers their host family weeping because it is their turn to send a member to the cannibal-demon Bakasura, she doesn't hesitate. "My son will go," she says. The host is horrified, but Kunti knows her son. Bhima, meanwhile, is mostly excited about the cartload of rice, buffalo meat, and sweets he gets to escort to the demon's cave.
Upon reaching the clearing, Bhima doesn't call out for the demon. Instead, he sits down and begins to eat the "sacrifice" himself. By the time Bakasura emerges, smelling human flesh but seeing a man calmly finishing his dessert, the demon is livid. He charges, uprooting trees, but Bhima merely wipes his mouth and laughs. What follows is a brutal wrestling match that levels the surrounding forest. Bhima eventually catches the demon, bends him over his knee, and snaps his spine like a dry twig.
The village is saved, but the Pandavas realize their cover is blown. A Brahmin who can kill an ogre with his bare hands isn't exactly "incognito." Just then, a wandering traveler arrives with news that sets their hearts racing: King Drupada of Panchala is holding a Swayamvara (a bride-choosing ceremony) for his daughter, Draupadi, who was born not from a womb, but from the heart of a sacrificial fire.
The Pandavas decide to travel to Panchala, unaware that this fire-born princess is the very reason the stars have aligned for the destruction of the Kuru elders.