by Kotru, Umesh
As promised, he was woken from his sleep early next morning by his father and asked to prepare himself for the meeting with Guru Dronacharya. Meanwhile Adhiratha prepared breakfast for the two of them, which they ate quietly as both were absorbed in their own thoughts. Adhiratha was particularly tense, as he recalled how Dronacharya had initially refused to do anything with a Suta Putra (charioteer’s son), and how he had to seek intervention of King Dhritarashtra himself. Even after the royal intercession, Guru Dronacharya had only agreed to impart basic education and training in arms to his son. Karna observed that his father was tense and said, “Baba, What are you thinking? Are you worried about me and my welfare?” “No, my son,” replied Adhiratha, “It has nothing to do with you. It concerns my work here and I will attend to it after our meeting with Guru Dronacharya. You finish eating so that we can be on our way.” In due course both father and son entered the hut of Guru Dronacharya and touched his feet with due reverence. After introductions were over, he offered them a seat but both of them continued to remain standing. Guruji fixed his gaze on Karna for a long time which made him nervous. Inwardly he was very much impressed by his personality and his special features, although his armour was hidden under his clothes. He could not believe that this boy in front of him could be a Suta Putra. However he said nothing to them and instead called one of his assistants and asked him to lodge Karna in the section of the Gurukula reserved for ordinary pupils and away from the section reserved for princes and other high caste students. After touching Guruji’s feet for the second time, he accompanied the assistant to his new lodgings. Adhiratha also left after thanking Guru Dronacharya for accepting his son as his pupil.
After a few days when Adhiratha visited his son in his lodgings, he found him tense and somewhat angry as well. Before entering the room he had met Karna’s teacher who had assured him that his son was very bright and a quick learner. But on entering the room he found him in a different frame of mind which made him apprehensive. On being asked, Karna bombarded his father with all sorts of questions. He asked, “Baba, Is it a crime to be a Suta Putra? Why do scriptures sanction this class-based discrimination? Why should the princes and other so called upper class students be given better food, better lodgings and better education as compared to students like me, who seem to have an inborn stigma attached to their names? Where does my fault lie in all this?” Adhiratha was rendered speechless on listening to the sound logic put forth by his son. He replied, “My dear son, during your education you will surely study scriptures and find out for yourself that they don’t sanction any kind of discrimination. These divisions are all manmade and tools used by those people who wield power to subjugate those who are weak and less fortunate. Let me assure you, my son, being a Suta is not a crime. We earn our living by fair means and struggle hard to make both ends meet. Rest assured, there is no dishonour involved in all this. But you and I are not in a position to change the system. My advice to you is that you can earn recognition by hard work and dedication and outshine everyone by your superior capabilities. For that you have to work very hard and convert your anger into the will to overcome the handicap of discrimination. I am sure one day you would achieve such heights as are aspired for only by the best of men.” “Thank you Baba, I will remember your advice and devote all my energy towards my studies and training. Let me tell you that yesterday while roaming around the Gurukula, I saw the princes at training and found out that there was nothing in what they were doing which I could not have done better. Now since you are going home tonight, please convey my Pranams to mother and unbounded love to the younger ones. Tell them that Radheya misses them all very much,” said Karna. Adhiratha replied, “I have no doubt that my Radheya is going to outshine everyone in this Gurukula very soon. God bless you. Now I am getting late. The entire family will be waiting for news about you. I will not keep them waiting any longer.” So saying, he hugged his dear son tightly and left with tears in his eyes. On reaching home he saw his wife in an unusually happy frame of mind, despite being away from her favourite son. After the customary greetings he took Radha aside and enquired about the reason for her exuberance. She said, “Swami, I have already shortlisted a worthy homely girl named Vrishali for my dear Vasu from the Suta community in our village. She is beautiful and, in all respects fit for our dear son. In the absence of my son she will be a good companion for me in the household.” Adhiratha was very happy to hear this and promised to marry Vasu as soon as his basic education was over.
In due course of time the basic training of Karna was over and he had already become known for his allround ability among his teachers and fellow students, which included the princes on the other side of the class divide. In fact, during the course of his training he actually met a few of them, including Prince Duryodhana, with whom he struck an instant rapport. Their relationship soon turned into some kind of loose friendship. Once in a while Duryodhana would secretly call him to his lodging. He also introduced him to his younger brother Duhshasana and the other Kauravas. Sometimes he would also share his food with Karna. Soon Karna’s basic training was over and he had to vacate his lodging and shift to his father’s humble dwelling. The princes and other privileged students had to undergo advanced training, which included perfecting the use of divine weapons for some of them.
After the termination of his training, Karna became almost a recluse. He rarely left his dwelling and lay on his cot for hours, thinking nothing in particular except about his bad luck. This sense of frustration on his part was not unjustified in view of the fact that he was the brightest student of his group, both as far as his knowledge of scriptures as well as his mastery over use of various kinds of weapons were concerned. Particularly in his skill with the bow and arrow he considered himself second to none, even Arjuna, who was otherwise the brightest and the most favourite student of Guru Dronacharya. In fact the seeds of his contentious rivalry with Arjuna were sown in his mind during this period of initial apprenticeship and continued throughout his life. In fact, he blamed every piece of bad luck which came his way on Arjuna who, in his view, was the beneficiary of an inequitable social system. His innate sense of fair play failed to understand why society should deny a talented person the access to higher education merely on the basis of his station of birth. He had also started to believe that Guru Dronacharya did not allow him to proceed further on account of his bias towards Arjuna. Remaining idle at home only aggravated his depression further. In this period of crisis he blamed the whole world for his troubles. Adhiratha would rush home daily after his work to remain by the side of his dear son; but Karna was so withdrawn that he hardly noticed. For Adhiratha the graduation of his son was like a dream fulfilled but he could not dare visit his village to share the good news with his family for fear of leaving Karna alone. On several occasions he caught Karna talking in his sleep, which greatly distressed him. Then one night something inside Karna snapped. He went to the roof of their house and like a mad man, threw his arms skywards and cried out at the top of his voice. His words gave vent to the agony of a tortured soul: “O Lord Mahadeva, what have I done to deserve this treatment at every step of my life. Haven’t I followed dharma as taught to me to the letter? Today I am convinced that you don’t exist. If you did, you exist only for evil-doers. From now onwards I won’t look towards you for any inspiration.” Having let off steam, his legs gave way and he sat down. In the meantime his cries woke Adhiratha from deep sleep. He rushed upstairs and after calming Karna down guided him back to his room. He pestered Adhiratha with questions. He asked in a choking voice, “Baba, why do these things happen to me time and again? Is there something wrong with the dharma I follow?” “No my dearest son,” replied his Baba. “What you need is to be a little more mindful of your own self-interests, without getting unduly bogged down by subtle considerations of whether you are following dharma or adharma. Otherwise you are sure to get left out in the race for recognition and achievements. I am convinced that you are made for much higher things. Don’
t lose heart and don’t bring dharma or adharma into reckoning vis-a-vis every action of yours. Let things take their own course.” His Baba’s worldly advice had a tremendous effect on Karna. Colour returned to his face and he said, “Baba, you have not visited home for many days. I am alright now. You can leave tomorrow morning without any worry about my welfare. I will manage here.”
It was Adhiratha’s first visit to his home after the conclusion of training of his son with flying colours. He wanted to personally convey this good news to Radha and the rest of his family. It was great news not only for Radha and her family but for the whole village. On his return to Hastinapura, he rushed to his dwelling carrying all the gifts given by his family members for Karna, including his favourite dish specially prepared by Radha for her favourite son. In his joy he could not foresee what was awaiting him in Hastinapura. Because in his absence Karna had remained in a depressed state of mind and had begun to lose weight. It was in this state of severe debility that his father discovered him on opening the door of his humble dwelling. Upon seeing his favourite son thus reduced to a pale shadow of his former robust self, with sunken eyes and thin body, he concluded that he was utterly homesick and having rushed to Karna’s side with tears flowing freely from his eyes, he hugged him tightly. It seemed that Karna was not mentally in that room at all, as he forgot even to get up and touch the feet of his revered father. It made Adhiratha all the more apprehensive about his son; and in his hurry to be at the side of his son the bundle of gifts sent by the family including the specially prepared dish by his mother fell from his hands, spilling some of the contents on the floor. The sound of the falling bundle brought Karna back to the present. He got up and, after customary touching of the feet of his father, hugged him tightly. In his father’s arms the dam of pent up emotions burst to let loose uncontrollable sobs, which puzzled Adhiratha all the more. He said, “Radheya, what is wrong with you? Are you sick or something? It seems you have starved yourself in my absence. Should I bring some medicine from the Vaidyaji?” “Not so many questions at one time, Baba,” replied Karna. “Don’t worry, I am all right. I am only trying to figure out the purpose of my life. I don’t know what I am supposed to do after completing my training, which included the use of some of the divine weapons as well. In any case, we will discuss this after we have something to eat and, I am sure, Maa must have sent something for me. I will wait till you wash your face and feet as they look dusty after your long trip.” The moment Adhiratha went outside, Karna snatched the bundle from the floor and unpacked its contents. He was overjoyed to behold his most favourite dish which his dear Maa had not forgotten to send, although some of it had spilt into the wrapping cloth when the bundle fell from his father’s hand. He did not remember since when he felt so light-hearted and as a consequence a broad smile appeared on his otherwise godlike face. Adhiratha, on his return, did not fail to notice this change in the countenance of his son and blessed him for this revival of his spirit. During dinner Karna kept asking his father regarding the whole family, particularly his mother and the juniors. Adhiratha was studying the face of his son throughout the dinner but could not figure out any valid cause for this sudden change in his son’s behaviour. He decided to think the matter over and confront Karna in the morning. After many a night’s wakefulness, Karna slept soundly that night.
Next morning Adhiratha called Karna to his side and after affectionately placing his hand on his shoulder told him, “Radheya, I have a piece of good news for you which I did not think proper to disclose to you yesterday night.” Karna replied, “What is that news Baba? I am dying to hear it.” Adhiratha with a mysterious smile on his face replied: “Radheya, It concerns you. Your mother has fixed your wedding next week in our village. According to her, the girl is a perfect match for you in all respects. After finishing my work here tomorrow we shall be leaving for the village. I am sorry for having failed to observe earlier that you must be feeling lonely here.”
Karna became instantly alert as he realised that his simple-souled father could not think of anything else as the root cause of his mental agony. He replied, “Baba, getting married is not the solution to my problems. My problem is that despite being more capable than others, my training has been terminated midway. Is it a crime to be the son of a Suta?” “No, my darling son.” replied Adhiratha. “Please see the positive side of the picture. How many sons of Sutas are in a position in which you are? You and I cannot change the society. But change is bound to come in due course. Why do you forget that you are an accomplished warrior in your own right, with knowledge of even some of the divine weapons which will make you invincible after you fine-tune their use with more training and practice? If you want I can talk to Prince Duryodhana and get you a good job in the Kaurava army. Only a few days back Prince Duryodhana was speaking highly about your prowess in wielding weapons.”
“Baba, I don’t want to join the Kaurava army as a foot soldier,” said Karna. “If you want to help me, then please request Guru Dronacharya to make me a disciple and train me further in the use of all divine weapons.” Adhiratha replied, “Radheya, I am sorry I cannot approach Guru Dronacharya as requested by you for fear of losing my livelihood; besides that, I know he will never agree to anything which might make Arjuna second to anyone.”
To revive his son’s flagging spirit, Adhiratha then recounted to him the story of Ekalavya. “My boy, listen to this narrative of Ekalavya, the Nishada boy, which should help you to overcome your melancholy and guide you in future. As you know, in our social order, the aboriginal Nishadas belong to a class even lower than us Sutas. Now, this boy Ekalavya wanted to learn archery from Guru Dronacharya. One day he went to his cottage and requested the guru to train him in that art. Guru Dronacharya refused and got him thrown out of his Ashram. But he did not lose hope. He went into the forest and constructed a clay statue of Dronacharya and started practicing archery in front of the statue, as surrogate for the guru. In due course he became an accomplished archer.
One day, Arjuna and other princes along with Guru Dronacharya were training in the forest at a place which was near to where Ekalavya was also practicing his art. Suddenly a dog with his mouth full of arrows appeared in their midst. Somebody had expertly fired five arrows in its mouth without harming him but ensuring he didn’t bark. Everyone, including Arjuna and Dronacharya himself, were shocked at this display of sheer talent. Arjuna, who considered himself the greatest archer in the world, felt particularly let down and expressed his disappointment to his guru. All of them went in search of the person who had done this to the dog and presently came upon Ekalavya, busy in his solitary practice session at a secluded place in front of the image of Guru Dronacharya. On being asked by Guru Dronacharya regarding the person who had taught this art to him, he pointed towards the image of the guru himself. Everyone including the guru was highly impressed at this extreme dedication and devotion.
However, Dronacharya became thoughtful and after a long pause demanded Guru Dakshina from Ekalavya. The boy was elated at this acceptance by the guru and promised to offer him anything he wanted from him. Dronacharya then demanded the thumb of Ekalavya’s right hand. Without a moment’s hesitation, the righteous Nishada cut his right thumb and gave it to his guru, shocking him as well as Arjuna who, a moment ago, was feeling envious of this potential challenger to his position as the best archer in the land.”
Having concluded his story, Adhiratha told Karna: “My boy, this is why I tell you that Guru Dronacharya will never accept you as his disciple. What I will suggest instead is, like Ekalavya, seek some other worthy guru’s guidance and fine-tune your capabilities.”
Having imparted this parental advice, Adhiratha lapsed into silence, with anxiety for his son’s future writ large on his face. During the night Karna had also given some thought to his problem and decided not to succumb to his depression and instead, make a fresh start in life. In the morning on seeing his father’s sad face he said, “Baba, if I cannot change the society; I will change mysel
f. You don’t worry on my account. I will manage on my own. If I need any help from you, I will let you know.” After the departure of his father to attend to his work, Karna decided to meet Guru Dronacharya one last time. But after the acharya had welcomed him at first as a former pupil, the meeting turned into a disaster, as the guru rebuffed him by pointing to his lineage and did not allow him to join the Gurukula for advanced training with the other princes. This meeting with Guru Dronacharya convinced Karna that he had to carve out an identity for himself on the basis of his own efforts on the lines of Ekalavya as referred to by his father. This strengthened his resolve and he decided to erect a bust of God Surya at a secluded spot on the banks of Ganga and start practicing in right earnest.
For the first time after a long time, he experienced peace with himself. Before he could give concrete shape to his resolve, his father appeared as promised and both of them left Hastinapura for their native village for solemnising Karna’s wedding to Vrishali. After his return, he plunged headlong into his new project where he lost count of time. He made tremendous strides forward in this new endeavour. During one of his occasional visits to his village, he was told that his second marriage to Supriya had been fixed. The same was subsequently solemnised. She turned out to be a very loving, sociable and intelligent character. Karna fell madly in love with her and she became his confidant throughout his life. Barring these brief interruptions on account of weddings followed by birth of children, Karna did not allow anything to come in the way of his self-imposed regime of hard training. In fact, these few years were the most peaceful time in his otherwise eventful life. As it happens in all such cases, where a person works with utmost dedication to attain his cherished goal despite rejection from society, Karna became an outstanding warrior, raring to have a go at all those who sought to thwart his quest for self-actualisation. Apart from his own determination, the only other force that sustained him in this great effort was the blessings of Surya, his divine pater.
