Kunti, who is the mother of the Pandavas, has kept her secret for many years, fearing the social stigma and the consequences of her premarital affair with Surya. She is also tormented by guilt and regret for abandoning her first-born son. She decides to reveal her identity to Karna and ask him to join the Pandavas, hoping to avoid the bloodshed between her sons.
Kunti meets Karna at the bank of the river Ganga, where he is performing his evening prayers. She tells him that she is his mother and that he is the eldest of the Pandavas. She begs him to switch sides and fight for his brothers, promising him the throne of Hastinapura and the respect of the world. She also reveals that Arjuna, the arch-rival of Karna, is his younger brother.
Karna is shocked and confused by this revelation. He feels a surge of emotion for his long-lost mother, but also a sense of betrayal and resentment for her abandonment and deception. He questions her motives and her timing for disclosing this truth. He refuses to abandon Duryodhana, who has been his friend and benefactor since childhood. He also refuses to accept the throne or the kinship with the Pandavas, saying that he cannot dishonor his foster parents, his oath, and his dharma (duty). He asks Kunti to leave him alone and let him die as a sutaputra.
Kunti is heartbroken and helpless. She realizes that she has lost her son forever. She asks him for one last favor: to spare the lives of her other sons in the battle. Karna agrees to this request, except for Arjuna, whom he has vowed to kill or die trying. He tells Kunti that either he or Arjuna will survive the war, but not both. He asks her to mourn for him if he dies, as he has no one else to grieve for him. He then leaves her in tears, as they part for the last time.
Analysis
Karna Kunti Sangbad is a powerful and poignant play that depicts the human drama of the Mahabharata in a concise and compelling way. Tagore uses the dialogue form to convey the emotions and conflicts of the characters, as well as their moral dilemmas and choices. The play highlights the tragic irony of Karna's life, who is a noble hero but a victim of fate. He is born with divine qualities but denied his rightful place in society. He is loyal to his friend but opposed to his brothers. He is generous to strangers but cruel to his kin. He is loved by his mother but rejected by her.
The play also portrays the complex character of Kunti, who is a loving mother but a flawed human being. She suffers from her past mistakes and tries to rectify them, but only ends up making them worse. She loves all her sons but cannot save them from killing each other. She reveals her secret to Karna but cannot win his trust or affection. She asks him to join her side but cannot offer him anything in return.
The play raises important questions about identity, loyalty, duty, and justice in the context of the Mahabharata, which is a timeless and universal epic. It shows how the characters are bound by their karma (actions) and their dharma (duty), which often conflict with each other. It also shows how the characters are influenced by their emotions, such as love, hate, pride, envy, and compassion, which often cloud their judgment and lead them to tragedy.
References
[Rabindranath Tagore - Plays - কহন - কর্ণ-কুন্ত-সবদ (karna kunti songbad)]
[Download PDF - Karna Kunti Sambad [8x4e11yjp9l3] - Documents and E-books]
[कर्ण कुंत संवद Karna Kunti Samvad Mahabharat]
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