Karna The Unsung Hero of the Mahabharata

by Kotru, Umesh

  In due course his ambition of getting the advanced divine weapons including Brahma Astra was also realised. He was so excited that he could not sleep for a few nights. Under the circumstances, telling a lie was a small price to pay for fulfillment of his most cherished dream. But Karna’s destiny, which had been haunting him throughout, had other ideas. One day due to extreme heat, Parashurama felt weary and sleepy in the afternoon. He placed his head on the lap of Karna and slept soundly. At that very moment, a deadly worm crawling on the leg of Karna stung his thigh, producing extreme pain and profuse bleeding; but Karna, for fear of waking up his guru, withstood the intense pain, even while a steady stream of blood formed a pool on the ground.

  Presently the guru woke up and saw what had happened. With rising anger he confronted Karna and said, “Tell me who you actually are. Otherwise I will behead you here and now. Your action today of bearing so much pain and loss of blood cannot be the action of a Brahmin. Only a Kshatriya can do this.” “You are right Guruji,” replied Karna, “I am not a Brahmin; but desperately wanted the knowledge of Brahma Astra along with other divine weapons. Please forgive me.” With these words he fell at the feet of Parashurama and begged forgiveness. But the guru’s consternation at having been cheated was so great that he was hardly paying any attention to Karna’s entreaties at his feet.

  In an extremely angry tone he said, “Karna, you have obtained the knowledge of Brahma Astra by underhand means. I curse you that when you will need this divine Astra most in future you will forget all about its use. Now you can leave this Ashram as there is no place for Kshatriyas in my Ashram.” “But Guruji,” said Karna, “I am not a Kshatriya, but a Suta. Please allow me to continue here for the rest of the training.” On hearing these words the guru said nothing, but instead, asked one of his disciples to bring some herbal medicine as Karna’s leg was still bleeding from the wound. He applied the medicine himself as he realised how painful the wound must be. After finishing the medication he asked Karna in an affectionate voice to go and take rest in his room. As a matter of fact Parashurama, in his heart of hearts liked Karna for his all-round qualities. While applying bandages to Karna’s wound the guru’s eyes fell on the fearsome worm responsible for Karna’s distress. The moment that happened, the worm got transformed into an Asura by the name of Dansha and fell at the feet of Parashurama. In response to his query he said that in the past, he had kidnapped the wife of one of his ancestors Maharishi Bhrigu, inviting the curse of being condemned as a deadly worm. On his fervent entreaties, Maharishi Bhrigu had prescribed that when the eyes of his descendant, Parashurama, will fall on him he will then assume his original form. Ever since that day he was waiting for the promised redemption. After waiting for generations, he had finally located Parashurama’s Ashram and stationed himself outside it, waiting for an opportune moment. By stinging Karna he finally had secured his liberation. So saying, and after grateful salutations to Parashurama, he left for his abode.

  Meanwhile Karna, after reaching his room burst into sobs and cried for a long time. The past events of denials and frustrations started flashing before his eyes. With these thoughts he went to sleep, as loss of blood had made him very weak. The guru called him to his room first thing in the morning. He rushed there with apprehension writ large on his face, but found his guru in an entirely different frame of mind. He was even offered a seat, which he politely declined and remained standing.

  Parashurama said, “Karna, I have decided that you will stay here and continue the rest of your training. You have been an excellent disciple and have served me well. But the inevitability of my curse cannot be reversed. Since you are not a Kshatriya, I will gift you my personal bow and also give you the knowledge about some more divine weapons. Now get your wound dressed and resume your daily activities.” Karna left the guru’s presence with a smile on his face. After regaining his lost strength, he went back to his training in right earnest and served his guru very well. On his part the guru also kept his promise and gave him all the remaining weapons along with his personal bow, the ‘Vijaya’.

  Karna often used to wander into the surrounding forest to fine-tune his shooting abilities, which was a normal practice with other pupils as well. During one such trip into the forest, he shot an arrow which killed the calf of a Brahmin’s cow. On hearing the commotion he rushed in that direction and was horrified at what he had accidently done. He fell at the feet of the old Brahmin and begged him for forgiveness and offered to give him thousands of cows or any other thing which he would demand, but failed to convince him. The Brahmin said, “You have robbed my Homadenu cow of her calf for pleasure and plunged me into despondency, for which you cannot escape punishment. Your allurements of compensating me cannot bring the dead calf back to life. So I curse you that in the midst of the most important battle of your life, the wheel of your chariot will sink into the earth and despite your best efforts you will not be able to extricate it. That day you shall receive punishment for your reckless behavior.” A crestfallen Karna made his way back to his lodgings very slowly.

  In due course of time Karna’s sojourn in Parashurama’s Ashram ended and he returned to Hastinapura.

  Chapter-7

  The Outpouring of Inner Conflict

  On his return Karna did not appear to be a man who had achieved his life’s goal but continued to be thoughtful and withdrawn. On the other hand, for his family it was a joyous occasion which called for celebration. It was as if everybody except Karna himself was enjoying his return home. His behavior did not escape the observation of his wife Supriya’s keen eyes. After some time Supriya approached Vrishali and said, “Didi, have you observed that Swami is not happy even after having achieved his dream of being a disciple of Parashurama?” Vrishali, even though agreeing with this assessment, yet did not exhibit any undue concern and busied herself with their children. But for Supriya to see her loving husband in apparent distress was almost unbearable.

  Although Karna was physically present in his household, yet mentally, his thoughts were still confined to the precincts of Parashurama’s Ashram. He wished the two events in Parashurama’s hermitage had not happened but when he saw his situation in a broader perspective, he found that they were just fresh landmarks in his overall career of denial and suffering. As he entered his bedroom that night, his wife Supriya approached him with concern in her eyes and said, “Swami, Can I ask something?” Karna replied, “Since when you require my permission to talk? Have you forgotten that you are my wife, whom I love dearly and whom I can deny nothing? Supriya replied, “Swami, you have to promise me that you will dispel my apprehensions regarding you tonight.”

  Initially he refused to be drawn into any form of discussion, but before her persistence he had to give in and make the necessary promise. Otherwise, his only wish was to get into his bed and enter his inner world where, at least, some pleasant memories of his childhood were waiting for him. Supriya was greatly anguished at watching her dear husband’s inner suffering and decided to persist in her attempt to confront him with her questions. She said, “Swami, I am your wife and the mother of your children. Besides I love you more than anything else in this world. I simply cannot see you suffering silently.” Karna replied, “Darling, who says I am suffering? I am a lucky person to have been endowed with a lovely wife like you, have good friends and a kingdom to rule. There is no reason for me to be unhappy.”

  “That is precisely the reason why I am apprehensive about you, my dear. Despite having everything a normal human being can aspire for, you still seem to be unhappy and not satisfied. Sometimes I feel that I know only a part of you. The other part seems totally blank to me, despite both of us living under the same roof.” Karna replied in a voice which clearly lacked conviction, “Darling, I assure you that I am very happy and contented. You stop worrying about me and go to bed as it is getting very late.” But Supriya had noticed a chink in his emotional armour and decided to press home her advantage. She said, “Swami, when will you stop treating me as
a small kid? During my occasional interaction with Bhanumati (Duryodhana’s wife), I have come to know some interesting things, some not so interesting and some outright abhorrent aspects about your friend Duryodhana. When she asks me some questions as part of our womanly talk, I have nothing to share other than the things she already knows about you.”

  Karna laughed and said, “I never knew you were part of the gossip circle of Puru ladies. Does Duryodhana know that his wife shares gossip regarding him with her friends?” Supriya was getting impatient at his dodging the real issue. She said, “Darling, let us bring some purpose to our discussion tonight. Let me tell you frankly that it hurts me greatly on seeing you lost to this world night after night. I am a helpless spectator and am hardly able to sleep. I tried to discuss the situation with Vrishali, but she apparently doesn’t find anything unusual and brushes the issue aside. This forces me to keep my own counsel which has already affected my health. I can’t sleep properly. Today when I went to see my friends they were also enquiring about my health.” On hearing his wife’s words, Karna became concerned and hugged her to reassure her about his welfare. He said, “My dear, you know that Vrishali is a homely wife and cannot understand all the intricacies which life poses before the path of an ambitious person to find his due place under the sun. But I am rather surprised at your keen power of observation. I feel I did not know you well till tonight and I love you all the more for it. Now tell me what you want me to do to reassure you that I am alright and raring to go.”

  As he released his grip he found his wife shedding silent tears, which only served to increase his empathy. Hugging her again, he said in a reassuring voice, “My sweet darling, you know that I love you more than anything else in this world. I have already told you that I can do anything for you. You are the only person with whom I share my inner thoughts and experiences.” But tonight Supriya had decided not to get sidetracked by his charm and reassuring words. She replied, “Swami, if you care for me then fill the one gaping void inside me by making me privy to your life’s experiences till date. A real friend is a person with whom you share everything good or bad, including your worst nightmares. A real friend will not only share your grief or turmoil but lessen its impact. My ardent request to you is to remove my one regret that I hardly know my husband.”

  Karna seemed to have resigned to his fate and asked for some water before he could begin. But even after arousing her expectations, he kept quiet and was back in his thoughtful mood which Supriya knew so well. Before he could become unreachable again, she quickly reminded him about his promise. He said, “I am not breaking my promise but wondering where to start from.” Supriya insisted on listening to his story from the very beginning. After another pause, Karna commenced recounting his life’s story with all its special experiences, both good as well as bad.

  He said, “Darling, most of my early childhood was spent in the company of my Maa with father being mostly away in Hastinapura. Despite living in abject poverty she was a wonderful lady who, besides loving me dearly, infused morality and good samskaras in me. She loved me dearly but when it came to matters of discipline she made no compromises. Seeds of whatever good deeds I have done were sown in my head by Maa in my early childhood. She used to tell me beautiful morality stories while putting me to sleep every night. Under the affectionate care of Maa I was blossoming into a well-groomed boy with the basic knowledge of discriminating between right and wrong – dharma and adharma. You know darling that in every person’s life there are two worlds. One is the cozy world within the confines of his home and the other, the great world outside which is anything but cozy. I was no exception. So far as I remember, my early childhood was the best part of my life, which I spent in the company of my dear mother. Being curious by nature, I used to pester Maa with all sorts of questions, particularly concerning the stories she told me. Quite often she had no answer to my barrage of questions; but still she could observe how intelligent her son was, which made her bosom swell with pride. Under the care of Maa, I grew rapidly and was soon bigger and stouter than other boys of my age. One day I told her, “Maa, I want to play with other boys in the village. Shall I go?” She replied, “Son, when you are a little bigger, I will allow you to go.”

  “But Maa”, I replied, “Some of the children playing outside are younger than me.” Her continued resistance made me sad and I started crying. When Baba returned home that evening, he found me sulking in a corner. Worried, he enquired about the reason behind my sadness from Maa. On being told the reason, he affectionately picked me up in his arms and said, “Radheya, don’t worry, from tomorrow you will go outside the house and play with your friends. Now, favour me with a hug and that beautiful smile of yours.”

  Karna felt a little shy in narrating such intimate personal details of his childhood. He said, “Darling, can we continue tomorrow? You must be feeling sleepy.” An alarmed Supriya replied, “No, I am not feeling sleepy. I am prepared to listen to this very interesting story from start to finish, even if takes the whole night. Please continue.” In view of the pledge already given by him, he had no alternative but to continue.

  “Permission by Baba to go outside the house heralded a new phase in my early childhood. I enjoyed this freedom to the full and made new friends. My samskaras of being a person always ready to offer something to the needy were soon tested when I saw a hungry kid begging for food. I lost no time in giving my food to him, even at the cost of remaining hungry myself. But gradually I began to experience the contrast between the two worlds when I saw a friend stealing my most prized possession, a toy which my Baba had gifted me on my sixth birthday. This brazen theft so shocked me that I did not react and thus let the friend get away. But for many days I waited and watched, expecting Lord Mahadeva to punish my friend for stealing as, according to Maa, thieves were severely punished by Mahadeva. When nothing happened, I was thoroughly confused. My child’s brain could not comprehend this apparent contradiction between what Maa used to say and what was actually happening on the ground. Although this incident left a deep impression on my psyche, yet, as it happens with children, I bounced back to normalcy in no time. As an after effect, I became more practical in my day to day behavior. But the query lingered in one or the other form in my impressionable mind. With the passage of time as I grew older, I discovered that so called adharmis (wrong-doers) as per the moral code set for me by Maa, outnumbered others. To my astonishment I saw that such people actually prospered vis-à-vis the righteous ones. I was confused and decided to confront Baba with some pointed questions. I asked, “Baba, What is destiny? Why do certain people get everything so easily while others struggle for the same things? Why doesn’t everyone follow the moral code taught to me by Maa?”

  He replied, “My dear Radheya, your questions are beyond my comprehension. I am a simple charioteer who tries to earn his livelihood by fair means and leave the rest to destiny. I have been taught that nobody gets anything beyond one’s destiny. Right now I can assure you that you will get answers as you grow older and experience the various facets of destiny yourself.” With these words he gave me a tight long hug. My inquisitive mind was not satisfied with Baba’s replies. One day, long after this inconclusive conversation with Baba, I discovered Maa to be in a particularly good mood and lost no time in putting the same questions to her. Her initial reaction was of complete surprise, as she could make nothing of my queries. After regaining her composure, she repeated what she had been teaching me right through my childhood. The only addition to her earlier arguments was when she said, by way of illustrating her concept of dharma: “My dearest son, the reward for our following dharma was when God gifted us a son like you, who has no parallel in this world. As regards your other questions, they are beyond my understanding. I pray that one day you get the answers to your questions. God bless you with strong resolve to always follow dharma irrespective of what the difficulties are.” I was amused at Maa’s simplistic answer of linking my birth with the supposed causality of her for followi
ng dharma.” I said, “Maa, does it mean that I would not have been born had you been an adharmi? She replied, “No, I didn’t mean that. What I meant was that I would not have been blessed with such a lovely and intelligent baby like you. You are certainly a gift from God for our actions and you are destined to have a very bright future.” On hearing these lovely words from Maa, I somehow felt reassured and the matter ended there.

  It was around this time that I discovered two things. Firstly I had to find answers to my own problems. Nobody else could solve my problems for me. The second thing was to discover my inner crisis of existence which, I am afraid, continues even now. I am still not able to distinguish between what is and what should have been” He stopped with a sigh and looked at his wife, who was deeply absorbed in his narrative. With a smile she signaled him to continue which he did, though somewhat hesitatingly.

  “With the passage of time the confusion in my mind did not abate. In fact it grew as I grew older, as a result of varied daily experiences. In the process, I discovered that the world had no place for my principles. In short, people were indifferent to what I did or what I thought. I discovered the two cardinal principles of ‘might is right’ and ‘survival of the fittest’ in quite the hard way. These childhood impressions are my constant companions even now. I think they are stuck with me for the rest of my life.”