Karna's Secret and Yudhishthira's Sorrow

On the bank of the Ganga everyone was offering tarpan to their loved ones. Then Kunti said through her tears, 'My sons, offer water for Karna too. He was your eldest brother: my first son, born of the Sun god.' The Pandavas were stunned.

Yudhishthira broke down weeping. 'Mother, you kept this hidden? We killed the brother before whom we would have bowed. Now I understand why his voice always reminded me of yours.' He performed Karna's rites himself.

This grief broke Yudhishthira inside. He said, 'I do not want a kingdom won by killing so many of my own. I will go to the forest and become a sannyasi.' The sage Narada told him the story of Karna's life and explained that Karna had been bound by his own deeds and by curses.

His brothers tried to persuade him in different ways. Arjuna said, 'A king's duty is to protect his people, not to run away.' Bhima, Nakula, Sahadeva and Draupadi pleaded too. Vyasa and Krishna said, 'Grieving over what is past will not help your people. Now do your dharma.'

At last Yudhishthira agreed. He was crowned in Hastinapur. He made Bhima the crown prince and Vidura his adviser, and his very first order was that King Dhritarashtra be honoured as before: 'Whoever wishes me well should serve him.'