After the Kurukshetra war was over, King Dhritarastra, accompanied by Gandhari and the other wives of the dead warriors, proceeded toward the Kurukshetra battlefield. When they arrived there, they met the Pandavas and Lord Sri Krishna. The Pandavas offered obeisances unto the King, and the King in turn embraced each one of them reluctantly.
Dhritarastra then spoke to Yudhisthira, It is now necessary to see to the last funeral rites of all these dead warriors.
Yudhisthira then took the necessary steps to see that all the warriors on the battlefield, numbering six hundred and forty million, be given a proper funeral. Their bodies, as well as their weapons and chariots, were piled in great mountains with wood and burned.
After this, the Pandavas and the Kauravas went to the banks of the Ganges to offer oblations to the dead relatives. The wives and relatives of the dead warriors were numerous.
When it was time for Karna's relatives to offer water, Kunti stepped forward and offered her oblation. Everyone looked on with curiosity at her actions.
Ashamed and tearful, Kunti gathered her sons together and confessed to them, This great hero, the leader of an akshauhini division, who has been killed by Arjuna and who you took to be Radha's son, who appeared like Surya himself among Duryodhana's forces, who was unretreating in battle, and who knew no fatigue or exhaustion, was actually your elder brother. You must offer oblations to Karna, who was born from the union of the Sun god and myself. That great hero, who was born with natural golden armor and earrings, was undefeatable in battle. Because I was unmarried and still living with my father, I was forced to cast him into the Ganges to save myself from shame. The child was picked up by Adhiratha and Radha and raised by them, but in actuality, he was my son.
Hearing these shocking words from their mother, the Pandavas were speechless. For some time they meditated on the thought that Karna was their brother, and upon doing so, their lamentation increased.
Yudhisthira said, Alas, mother, you have burdened our hearts with yet another sorrow. Why did you neglect to tell us before? The grief I feel now is a hundred times greater than the grief I felt upon the death of Abhimanyu or Draupadi's sons. The thought that Karna was my elder brother is burning my limbs.
Yudhisthira could not speak another word and his brothers were standing next to him with tearful eyes, remembering how Karna had neglected to kill them in battle. They suddenly felt great affection in their hearts, but could say nothing in reply to their mother's confession.
Yudhisthira then called for Karna's wives and other relatives to come forward. He informed them of Karna's relation with Kunti, and together they offered water to the great son of Surya. Yudhisthira then bathed in the Ganges, but after rising from the waters, he could not shake the grief he felt for the mass annihilation of warriors at Kurukshetra.
Dhritarastra then spoke to Yudhisthira, It is now necessary to see to the last funeral rites of all these dead warriors.
Yudhisthira then took the necessary steps to see that all the warriors on the battlefield, numbering six hundred and forty million, be given a proper funeral. Their bodies, as well as their weapons and chariots, were piled in great mountains with wood and burned.
After this, the Pandavas and the Kauravas went to the banks of the Ganges to offer oblations to the dead relatives. The wives and relatives of the dead warriors were numerous.
When it was time for Karna's relatives to offer water, Kunti stepped forward and offered her oblation. Everyone looked on with curiosity at her actions.
Ashamed and tearful, Kunti gathered her sons together and confessed to them, This great hero, the leader of an akshauhini division, who has been killed by Arjuna and who you took to be Radha's son, who appeared like Surya himself among Duryodhana's forces, who was unretreating in battle, and who knew no fatigue or exhaustion, was actually your elder brother. You must offer oblations to Karna, who was born from the union of the Sun god and myself. That great hero, who was born with natural golden armor and earrings, was undefeatable in battle. Because I was unmarried and still living with my father, I was forced to cast him into the Ganges to save myself from shame. The child was picked up by Adhiratha and Radha and raised by them, but in actuality, he was my son.
Hearing these shocking words from their mother, the Pandavas were speechless. For some time they meditated on the thought that Karna was their brother, and upon doing so, their lamentation increased.
Yudhisthira said, Alas, mother, you have burdened our hearts with yet another sorrow. Why did you neglect to tell us before? The grief I feel now is a hundred times greater than the grief I felt upon the death of Abhimanyu or Draupadi's sons. The thought that Karna was my elder brother is burning my limbs.
Yudhisthira could not speak another word and his brothers were standing next to him with tearful eyes, remembering how Karna had neglected to kill them in battle. They suddenly felt great affection in their hearts, but could say nothing in reply to their mother's confession.
Yudhisthira then called for Karna's wives and other relatives to come forward. He informed them of Karna's relation with Kunti, and together they offered water to the great son of Surya. Yudhisthira then bathed in the Ganges, but after rising from the waters, he could not shake the grief he felt for the mass annihilation of warriors at Kurukshetra.