Friday, October 19, 2007

The cause of this great sin

"Do not blame yourself, son, for Karna's death," said Kunti. "His father, the Sungod himself, pleaded with him. He begged him to give up the wicked-hearted Duryodhana and join you. I also tried to convince him. But he would not listen. He brought his end unto himself."

Her eldest living son Maharaj Yudhisthira said: "you deceived us, mother. By hiding the secret of his birth from us. You became thus the cause of this great sin. May women never be able to keep a secret henceforth."

This is Vyasa's story of how Yudhisthira cursed all women in his anguish over having killed his elder brother.

Mahabharata-Yudhisthira's anguish.