Cremation grounds, near a river.

All the Pandavas are seating on precious carpets, in the background

Brhamanas are chanting the mantras of the funeral rites.

Enter Krishna, Kunti, and the three Rishis.

The Pandavas bow before Krishna, Kunti and the Brhamanas.

First Rishi                                Yudhishthira, how come your face is so fallen? The war is over, your many enemies are dead and defeated, the kingdom is yours to reign; why then, such a countenance of sorrow?

Yudhishthira                           True, the earth is mine.

Second Rishi                           You should rejoice, Yudhishthira, the power of your brothers and your allies is invincible.

Yudhishthira                           Look at this flower — what is the price of this simple flower? Very little, yes — you can offer this flower to God; He accepts such simple things as flowers… water… a fruit… think how priceless this flower becomes then. Do you know what a flower is made of? 

Third Rishi                              A flower — simply grows so I believe…

Yudhishthira                           A flower is made of the rays of the Sun with the waters of rain. Sun and rain — Indra and Surya — they make this flower…

First Rishi                                Your talk is curious, dear King. Is something the matter? It seems to be talking such things after the great victory in this war.

Yudhishthira                           Indeed we had a great victory. With the power of Arjuna and Bhima, and the help of Krishna… yet so many good heroes have died. The son of Arjuna and Subadhra, the son of Bhima, Ghatotkacha, and all of the sons of Draupadi… all dead… But there is something I have learned only now, only after this war, which none of you, my dear brothers know.

Bhima                                      What is it, Yudhishthira?

Yudhishthira                           I must ask you about this, great Rishi, I need to understand. This gives me pain more than all the wounds of this war.

                                                Brothers, I have discovered that the great warrior whom we all fought, he who was sensitive about his honor, and whose power was irresistible.

Arjuna                                     Who are you talking about?

Yudhishthira                           Arjuna, Karna, whom you fought and killed, was really our eldest brother. Yes… our mother, Kunti, had him when she was still a young maid from the God Surya. She abandoned the child, left him to float on the water of a river, and he was found by a charioteer and his wife. That is why he was known as a charioteer—son, when he was actually our brother…

                                                This is the fire that bites my limbs, from lust and desire for kingdom; I have brought the destruction of my own brother. You Arjuna, and you, Bhima, and you, Nakula and Sahadeva, and I, we never knew him as our brother — but he did! He knew he was actually our eldest brother, and he made a promise… to our mother… he promised Kunti that she will always have five brothers… That is why he spared me, when he was able to kill me in the battle, and so did he spare you, Nakula, Sahadeva… Bhima… he never intended to kill any of us... he only wished to fight against you, Arjuna. That was his only desire…

Kunti asked him to make peace with us, but he refused, saying he will be considered as a coward… and now, he was killed by Arjuna… All this time, neither He, nor Kunti, ever say a single word about this to anyone… My heart is burning…

First Rishi        Yudhishthira…

Yudhishthira                           I will tell more! When we were playing the game of dice, at the palace of Duryodhana… when they were cheating and taking our possessions, lands, and ourselves by trickery, I was so angry; my blood was boiling with hatred, but then… Karna was standing before me… he was saying harsh words… but my face was lowered, I was looking down, and then I saw… his feet… and all my anger disappeared! I did not understand why it happened then, especially when he was insulting Draupadi in such a terrible way, and yet, I could find in me the anger that was thriving only a moment before. All I could think was — how similar are his feet to those of my mother…

                                                I kept wondering about this mystery for a long time, but I never discovered what it meant… until today…

Yudhishthira closes his eyes and remains silent and without movement.

Bhima                                      Yudhishthira! Do not let this grief possess you so. Yudhishthira!

Kunti                                       Yudhishthira, my son, cast away this sorrow. Let me tell you that I myself have tried to convince Karna to end his hostility toward you. Even his own father, Surya, requested him so. But not the afflictions of his bad luck, or the arguments of reason could move Karna from his set mind. He was resolved on fighting with you. I tried, and when it did not succeed, I gave up all effort. You should not be so aggrieved.

Yudhishthira                           Mother! Because you have kept this secret to yourself for all these years all of this happened! We could have prevented this terrible war, all these deaths if you had but spoken these few, little, important words! Look at all this death! All this terrible death!

                                                From now and on to the end of time, I curse all womanhood — you will never be able to keep a secret to yourselves!

Yudhishthira leaves. Arjuna and Bhima come to console Kunti, who is

Crying.

 First Rishi                               grief, upon grief, upon grief — a mountain of sorrow — that will be the ghosts to haunt Yudhishthira’s days. To try and understand is a painful path. For a man who is not satisfied with nothing less than the truth, Yudhishthira, as us, have a long way to go.

The End