Dhritarashtra appointed Vidura, Sanjaya and Dhaumya to make all arrangements for the cremation of the great heroes who were lying on the battlefield. It was all over soon, Yudhishthira, accompanied by Dhritarashtra and all the others, turned towards the banks of the river Ganga to offer the funeral oblations to the dead. They were all there, Gandhari, Kunti and Draupadi. Now the men laid aside all their jewels and silks, they were wearing the simplest of clothes, their immense chests were covered by thin upper cloths. The dismal procession wended its way slowly towards the banks of the river Ganga. Kunti's condition was pitiable, three days back Radheya was killed by her Arjuna. There was great celebration in the Pandava camp, she had heard about it from Sanjaya. When Sanjaya was telling Dhritarashtra about the war, about the death of Radheya, she heard it. Her heart was burning with grief, she could not tell anyone about it, she could not talk about the wound in her heart, she had to be silent. Today, on the battlefield, she saw the dead form of her first-born. She would not allow herself to faint, Krishna was watching all the while. She looked at Radheya and she saw his wife weeping over her lord, she saw that too, and still she did not speak. Now, at the end of all this, she was walking with all of them to see the funeral oblations paid on the banks of the sacred river Ganga. It was the same Ganga who took her son away from her years back. Still Ganga flowed as placidly as she did on that memorable day when she set the 1 / 7
wooden box afloat on the bosom of the river. It looked like yesterday. Kunti was watching the men give their final offerings to the departed souls. Radheya had no son to do it for him, they were all dead. He was still an orphan as he was on the day she had abandoned him, her heart was ready to burst with the great sorrow. She burned with self-condemnation for the great injustice she had done to her child. Kunti squared her shoulders, she set her lips in a firm line, she Had to do it. She owed at least this to Radheya. She walked with firm steps to her son Yudhishthira. 2 / 7
Yudhishthira had just finished his offerings to the sons of Draupadi and all the others. Arjuna's tears were still in his eyes, he had just made the offerings for his dear beloved Abhimanyu. Now Kunti would do something which would make all this pale into just nothing. She went to Yudhishthira and placed her hand on his back, he turned round and said: "Yes, mother? What is it? Why did you call me?" Kunti had to swallow hard to prevent a sob from escaping her lips. She said "There is still another person left, you have to make the offerings for him also, my son". Yudhishthira looked at her, her eyes were red with unshed tears. All the people who had assembled there paused and looked at the scene between mother and son. The brothers of Yudhishthira crowded around them and stood with their brows knit to guess who this other person could be. Krishna, the one man who knew, stood and watched Kunti with great compassion in his eyes, she had kept the secret well, she had not announced it during the war. She was silent even after Radheya died, because it would have broken the heart of Yudhishthira. He would have stopped fighting and gone back to the forest. What Kunti was doing now was the right thing. Krishna listened. Yudhishthira said "One person more? I do not understand. I remember the dead only too well, surely I am not such an ingrate as to forget those who died for me! Who is this person to whom an offering by me is due?" Kunti said "It is Radheya. You must make the offerings for him too". Yudhishthira was astounded. He said: "Radheya? But mother, why should I do it for Radheya?, he is a sutaputra. The funeral rites must be performed by his father since his sons are dead, i am a kshatriya, why do you ask me to do it for a suta? For Radheya the sutaputra, our arch-enemy?, why should I do it, mother?, please tell me. Why do you look so unhappy?" A moment passed. Kunti was dumb with the agony in her heart. She took a deep breath and said "Yudhishthira, you must do it because Radheya is a kshatriya and not a sutaputra." "Not a sutaputra! Radheya not a sutaputra!" shouted all of them, all at the same time. The cry was taken up by everyone there. Radheya was a kshatriya! Radheya was not a sutaputra! Everyone was amazed to hear it. Yudhishthira said: "But, mother, you knew not a thing about Radheya!, how do you know that he is a kshatriya? Then you must know who he is. Why should I offer the funeral oblations for Radheya? i am puzzled by your words. Tell me, mother, who was the father of the great Radheya?" Kunti said "Radheya was the son of Surya, Radheya's mother was a young girl. Surya gave her this child, it was born with the Kavacha and the Kundalas. His mother was afraid of the censure of the world, you see, she was a maiden in her father's house, so she had to keep the secret buried in her heart. She placed the child in a wooden box and set 3 / 7
it afloat on this same river, this Ganga. The child was taken up by Atiratha and he gave it to his wife Radha, that is how he got the name Radheya and that was the name he loved, he would not take any other name. His mother was a princess, she did this injustice to her first-born, she has several children but her heart is empty because of this''. Yudhishthira and all the others were listening to this recital, everything else was forgotten in the excitement of listening to the wonderful story. Yudhishthira said: "Mother, who is the mother of Radheya? Who is that woman who was so heartless that she could abandon her child in the great river Ganga the moment it was born? Who is the woman who ruined the life of that great man? You must be knowing her since you are telling us all the details of the crime, who is she mother?" 4 / 7
All eyes were turned on her. Kunti looked at all of them. She looked at Krishna, he was looking at her with infinite pity in his eyes. Kunti looked straight into the eyes of Yudhishthira "That woman is still alive, i am that woman. Radheya was my son, my first-born". She fell down in a dead faint. Vidura hurried to her side even as he did on the day of the tournament when she fainted at the sight of Radheya. Yudhishthira could not think at all, he stood staring at all of them, he kept repeating "Radheya is my elder brother and we have killed him!" He looked at Arjuna, Arjuna rushed to him, he cried out "What have I done, my lord? What have I done? How can I live after this? I have killed my brother! My brother, I have killed him!" Arjuna could not stand up, he sat down on the ground and he was shouting as one bereft of his senses "I have killed my brother and I gloated over my brother's death!" He fell down in a faint. Krishna came to him and Yudhishthira. Yudhishthira's grief was dreadful, he was trembling like a man with an ague, his eyes became blood-shot. Bheema sat down beside Arjuna, he was too stunned to think, he was like a child which had suddenly become old. Bheema thought of the day of the tournament. He remembered the moment when he had just discovered that Radheya was a sutaputra. Bheema had said "Listen. You, a sutaputra, are not fit to be killed by Arjuna. You are not fit to hold a bow in your hand, get thee hence, and take up a whip which will suit you better". Bheema remembered Duryodhana's words. He had said "As for this young man it makes me pity you for your lack of understanding, he is full of the qualities that are found in a kshatriya and only in a kshatriya. Can you not see that a tiger can never be born of a poor meek deer? Can you not feel that he is a kshatriya? I have made him king of the Angas, but I know that he does not deserve this, he deserves to be lord of the entire world. He is born to be great. You are not good enough or great enough to recognize him". Duryodhana's words burned into his mind now. Yes, they were not great enough to recognize the greatness of Radheya. Bheema was sobbing as if his entire frame were shattered, he could not speak a word, there was dumb misery and nothing else. Nakula thought of the duel he fought with Radheya; he remembered the words of Radheya. He had said "Some day you will be proud of this duel you fought with me, some day you will be proud of the fact that Radheya insulted you". Yes, that moment of humiliation would now be the most treasured moment in his life. It was not possible for Sahadeva to forget Radheya and his fight with him. He was remembering the sneer on his lips, and his unruffled manner. The Pandavas were prostrate with grief. 5 / 7
Kunti was revived with water and other things. For the first time in his life, Yudhishthira did not pay any attention to his mother, he could not look at the woman who had done this injustice to Radheya and to the Pandavas. He went and sat with Arjuna and Krishna. Yudhishthira remembered the day when Radheya died. He remembered every moment of that day. He remembered calling Radheya 'sutaputra'. Yudhishthira turned to his mother, he asked her: "Did Radheya know about it? Did he know who he was?" "Yes", said Krishna. Yudhishthira turned his eyes on Krishna. All the Pandavas looked at Krishna. "Did you know about it, Krishna?" asked Yudhishthira. "Yes" was the reply. It was not possible for them to speak a single word after that. Radheya knew that he was not a sutaputra, he knew that he was the son of Surya and Kunti, and yet he allowed his own brothers to taunt him with that name. Yudhishthira beat his head in futile anger. He said "When I heard that Radheya was dead, I ran to the battle-field to see if he was really dead. I was so happy to see him dead, mother, how could you do this to us, loving us as you did?" It was only now that Yudhishthira saw his mother's face, she looked so unhappy. He did not 6 / 7
want to speak a word more, she had suffered enough. Yudhishthira went and stood on the banks of the river Ganga. It looked as though the funeral oblations were being paid with just the tears of Yudhishthira. The death of Abhimanyu and the death of the sons of Draupadi were forgotten in this great calamity which had befallen them. They had killed their brother. That was the only thought that was in their minds as the Pandavas came away from the banks of the river Ganga. The procession wended its way towards the city. Gandhari, Kunti and Draupadi were sharing the same grief. They had lost their sons and they were inconsolable. Krishna walked along with them, he left them all to their grief. Krishna and Satyaki were walking a few steps behind the procession. 7 / 7