KARNA- The True Warrior

This photo is thankfully downloaded from http://sharmaarunk.blogspot.in/

Now a days I am having nice time sharing Mahabharata stories with my son Orian. He loves to listen them. So every night I have to share 2 stories with him. And when you have to share a story, Mahabharata the largest epic book in universe is best as it has many stories. So one of the story I shared with him was about "Karna" the illegitimate son of Kunti, born from Sun, brought up and named by a charioteer, known as Radhav- on her mother's name- Radha, disciple of Great Saint and Brahmin warrior Guru Parshu Ram famous for taking revenge 21 times from Kings and their united army. Karna has  every thing except a good fate and that’s brought him to his destiny by becoming friend to Prince Duryodhana. One should remember that one shall not take gift from a bad person as it might be trap for him for whole life. So story begins now.....

Once a princess "Kunti"who was beautiful and intelligent as well went to river for bathing and having some good time. There by the grace of god she was blessed with 'vardana' that she could have great sons from the persons she likes. It was a big thing for her so after having blessed with these words she immediately tried this and request SUN to bless her with a son like him. On that she immediately got conceived and gave birth to a sun. The child was shining like Sun and had gold jacket with gold ears rings (Kundala) in his ears. Now Kunti was confused because she could not take him to his palace and who would believe this story. Her reputation would be destroyed and who would marry her as  well. So she kept that child in a basket and free flowed him in the river so that he would be found by someone and taken care of. From there his destiny changed and he reached to a charioteer who found him and brought him to his house and handed over to his wife -Radha.  Radha on seeing him and adopted him as his son and called him Radhav.  Karna was very brave and wanted to become a warrior so he went for learning sword, bow and other weapons but was turned down by all. Finding no other way, he went to Guru Parshu Ram and become his disciple by lied him that he was a Brahmin  as Guru was totally against teaching other communities. He learned really well and become one of favourite of guru. Once Guru was tired and kept his head on the thigh of his disciple-Karna and slept away. Karna took care and did not move his thigh even he was bitten by a small but lethal insect. The bleeding started and by its smell the guru woke up and found that his disciple had been bitten by an insect. He doubted his identity and got angry. On clarification, Karna revealed his true identity. On knowing this   the guru cursed he that whatever he had learned from him would be forgotten at that time when he needed it most. Karna went back to his house and on knowing that the Pandavas (sons of Pandu and Kunti) have returned after completing their education with guru Drona and demonstrating it at a venue. He reached there and challenged Arjuna but on identity it was found that he is not the king's son so his challenge was turn down by Bhishama. Kunti, his real mother was also present and recognised him but could not reveal his true identity. At that time the prince Duryodhana recognised his true strength and made him king of Anga state. Karna took this honour as great asset of his life and this gift had made him slave of Duryodhana. Throughout the life Karna never betrayed him and become part and parcel of all deeds of Duryodhana. So when Dropadi humiliated Duryodhana by calling him the blind son of blind father besides Duryodhana he also took that personally and insulted Dropadi along with Duryodhana. This has created a drift between him and Arjuna. Throughout the life he lived on with one wish to defeat Arjuna in man-to-man war. That made him to wait till Mahabharat war begun. The friendship with Duryodhana made him to stand as a participant in the death of Abhimanyu-son of Arjuna. As Krishna was aware about his skills and knows that he could give Pandavas a close fight so he went to him and told him about his true identity and offered him to abandon the Kurus and to participate from Pandavas'side and as he is eldest in all hence he would become the king after the war. Karna turned down the offer and remained loyal towards Duryodhana. Even his mother Kunti went to him and asked mercy for his sons, he promised that he would not kill anyone except Arjuna so that her five sons would remain as they were. As he was known as a true donor so even Sun's advice and alerting him about visit of Indra in disguise of  Sadhu, he removed his birth gold jacket, ear rings and gold tooth and donated to sage who become so emotional that he blessed him and gifted him "SHAKTI" weapon. During the war he showed braveness and killed Ghatochkaksha-son of Bhima. While in war when the wheel of his chariot stricken in hollow land and despite horses ‘strength the same was not pulled back, he went down to make it moved and while getting down left his bow in the chariot and was killed at that time by Arjuna who was reminded by Krishna about the death of Abhimanyu and role of Karna in it and that angered him and become the reason for the death of Karna.

Throughout the life Karna was never remained negative but the price of living with bad company was paid by him.

That is why I have said that one shall not accept the  gift form bad people, one never knows that what could be the price of that????

Pandavas never came to knew about the true identity of Karna, for them he was always a son of charioteer who was below than their status.