Essay on Karna - Introduction- Karna is one of the most fascinating and complex characters in the Hindu epic, Mahabharata. He is widely adm...
Essay on Karna -
Introduction- Karna is one of the most fascinating and complex characters in the Hindu epic, Mahabharata. He is widely admired for his valor, generosity, and loyalty, but his life is also marked by tragedy and misfortune. In this essay, we will explore the life and legacy of Karna, including his birth, upbringing, education, and accomplishments as a warrior, king, donor, friend, and husband, as well as his final moments and his enduring impact on Indian culture.
Birth -Karna was born to Kunti, the wife of Pandu, who was unable to bear children due to a curse. Kunti had been given a boon by the sage Durvasa, which allowed her to invoke any god she desired to father her child. One day, she decided to test the boon and called upon the sun god, Surya. Surya granted her wish and Karna was born, with divine armor and earrings that made him invincible. However, as Kunti was unmarried at the time, she abandoned the child in a basket and left him in the sacred river the Ganga to be raised by a charioteer named Adhiratha and his wife Radha, who raised him as their own son, therefore he is also known as Radheya even though by birth he was Kauntey, that he was the biological son of Kunti, not Radha.
His divine armor and earrings - As a son of the sun god, he was born with golden armor and earrings on his body as a protective mask, and it was believed that no weapon could penetrate through his golden armor meaning nobody could kill Karna. His golden armor and earrings always shone like rays of sunlight and were as bright as the sun, after all, he was the son of the sun god.
Education -Despite his low birth, Karna showed great promise as a warrior from a young age. When he decided to learn archery, he approached Guru Dronacharya, who was the Guru, teacher of Pandavas and Kauravas, but denied Karna to teach because of his low cast, that is the son of a charioteer Adhirath and replied to Karna that he teaches to only princes and Karna was not the prince. Karna was very disappointed but he was determined to learn all the skills and techniques that needed to be a warrior. So, he approached Parshuram, who was the Guru of Dronacharya, but his condition was to teach that the disciple must be of a Brahmin cast and Karna was not a Brahmin. So, unwillingly but forcefully he had to lie to Parshuram that he was a Brahmin because he was determined to become a warrior. So, he learned everything from Parshuram including Brahamastra which was supposed to be the most destructive weapon of that era of Mahabharat.
The curse from Parshuram - After completing his learning from Parshuram, he was coming home but his Guru, Parshuram accompanied him. After a long walk in the forest, Parshuram got tired and asked Karna to keep his lap on the ground so that on Karna's lap, he could rest for a while. Karna did as he was asked. But because of the cunning tactics of Lord Indra, he sent an insect to enter the thigh of Karna, the insect entered the thigh of Karna, and hot blood started flowing from Karna's thigh, he was suffering unbearable pain, but he kept his lap unmoved because it was the order of Parshuram, that his rest must not be get disturbed, so even in great pain, he remained unmoved. But when his hot blood touched Parshuram, he woke up. First, he praised Karna for his bravery, pain pain-bearing capacity to follow Guru's order and take care of his rest. But suddenly Parshuram realized that no Brahmin disciple has that bearing capacity as Karna showed. So he asked Karna, you can not be a Brahmin, you must be Kshatriya or a Warrior, meaning he lied to Parshuram to learn from him.
So, in great anger, (Parshuram was known for his anger) he gave a curse to Karna that whatever the techniques of warfare and archery You have learned from me by cheating or lying, by birth you are a warrior but not the Brahmin, So I curse you that when you will need my teachings the most, you would forget everything that has learned from me, and in the most important battle of his life, and that was the battle of Kurukshetra, he was fighting against Arjun, who was his younger brother too, because Arjuna was also Kaunteya, the son of Kunti and the God Indra, he was not able to reproduce whatever he had learned from his guru, Parshuram, because of the curse, he lost the battle, and killed by his own brother Arjuna, his own younger brother, even though he was no less than Arjuna, in the warfare techniques and skills, but only because of curse from Parshuram and the old brahmin, he lost the battle.
Another curse from a Brahmin - Once when Karna went into the forest for hunting, he was behind a deer and he followed the deer for a long time. Suddenly, the deer hid himself in the dense forest, and Karna was not able to see it. But Karna could shoot an arrow just by listening to the sound, and that technique was known as Shabdawedh, which is the art of shooting an arrow from the bow ideally at the target just by hearing the sound of a target. But in place of the deer, a Brahmin's cow was grazing on the grass which was the only source of his livelihood. So in anger, he cursed Karna, that in the most important battle of your life, the wheel of your chariot will get stuck in the soil and you will not be able to take it out.
Friendship of Duryodhana - Duryodhana always considered Pandavas as his rivals because he thought that they would snatch his crown as a king of Hastinapur, and at the same time he also realized that Kauravas were nowhere equal to Pandavas. When he saw Karna and his bravery he thought to be friends with him and he offered Karna as a king of Angadesh so that he would become a king and could participate in any battle. Because of this courtesy of Duryodhana to him, Karna always remained loyal to Duryodhana and participated in every battle of Kauravas as a right hand and true friend of Duryodhana, even though he knew that Kauravas were doing injustice to Pandavas. Karna always considered the friendship of Duryodhana as a big asset of his life, because earlier he was always mocked as a" Sutputra", that is the son of a charioteer and had no right to fight in any battle as a warrior. So, Karna always remained a loyal friend, particularly to Duryodhana, who had shown him kindness and respect when others had not. He stood by Duryodhana's side even when it meant going against his own brothers, the Pandavas, whom he had only discovered later were his true family. He even fought against his own brothers in the Kurukshetra war, despite knowing that they were on the side of dharma, or righteousness.
However, Karna was always treated as an outsider and was mocked by the other princes for his humble origins. This led him to seek the patronage of the Kaurava prince, Duryodhana, who recognized his talent and offered him a place in his court.
As a warrior- Karna was unmatched in his skill and bravery. He fought in numerous battles on behalf of Duryodhana, including the Kurukshetra War, which was the climactic battle of the Mahabharata. Karna was renowned for his use of the celestial weapon, the Brahmastra, which he had acquired from his guru, Parashurama. He also had a formidable chariot, which was gifted to him by the sun god and was pulled by horses as fast as the wind.
As a Daanveer -Karna's courage and loyalty were matched only by his generosity and compassion. He was known as a daanveer, or a donor, because of his willingness to give away his wealth and possessions to those in need. He once gave away his golden armor, which was his only protection, to a poor Brahmin who had come to his door seeking alms. Actually, Brahmin was Indra, and Arjuna was his son, and Indra knew that Arjuna could not defeat Karna with his golden armor. He also promised to give anything that anyone asked of him during a battle, which led to his downfall when he granted a boon to his enemy, Arjuna, who defeated Karna in the final battle of Kurukshetra.
Karna was so committed to helping needy people that no one should go back empty-handed from his door, and he always maintained his charity throughout life. When he was arrowed by Arjuna in the final battle of Mahabharat, and he was lying on his death bed, one poor soldier was crying for help because he did not have any alms to make arrangements for the funeral ceremony of his son who got killed in the battle. In Karna's mouth, there was one golden tooth, so he took his sword and took out that golden tooth to the poor father, and apologized to him that he could not donate it cleanly because that tooth was surrounded by little blood.
As a husband- Karna was devoted to his wife, Vrishali, whom he had married in a swayamvara or a ceremony where the bride chose her husband. Vrishali was devoted to Karna despite his low birth and stood by him through thick and thin. Karna had also fathered several children, but they were not as prominent in the Mahabharata as his other accomplishments.
In his final moments, Karna showed his true character. He had been mortally wounded in battle by Arjuna, who had used a divine weapon against him. As he lay dying, Karna revealed his true identity to his mother, Kunti, and asked for her forgiveness for not recognizing her earlier. He also revealed that he had always known about his true heritage but had kept it hidden to avoid dishonoring his adoptive family. Even on the crucial battlefield of Kurukshetra, he had promised his mother Kunti that, in the battlefield, I would not kill any of your sons except Arjuna, and in that case also your five sons will be alive, that is Pandavas, meaning five.
His final wish -Karna also had one final wish - to have his generosity and kindness remembered long after his death. He wanted people to remember him not as a great warrior, but as a kind and compassionate person who had always tried to help others. His legacy as a daanveer has lived on through the ages, inspiring countless people to follow in his footsteps and to give generously to those in need.
Karna's life and legacy continue to have a profound impact on Indian culture and society. He is often seen as a symbol of courage, loyalty, and generosity, as well as a reminder of the importance of accepting and respecting people from all walks of life. His story has been told and retold in countless forms, including plays, films, and television shows. It has inspired generations of Indians to strive for excellence and to live by the highest moral principles.
Conclusion - In conclusion, Karna was a complex and multi-faceted character, whose life was marked by both tragedy and triumph. He was a great warrior, a generous donor, a loyal friend, a devoted husband, and a man of deep faith and conviction. His story is a testament to the power of human resilience and the enduring legacy of kindness and compassion. Even today, centuries after his death, Karna remains a beloved and revered figure in Indian culture and a source of inspiration for people around the world."
Lastly, I can only say that I am nobody to write something on such a great character of Mahabharat, Karna- The great warrior and the most generous personality of India's most touching epic, but just I tried my best to write, and if chance, there is any mistake, please forgive me, but I did my best, and life of Karna is such complex having many faces, it is impossible to portray him completely in such small article, and if you like it, please kindly comment me, so that I would try to portray other characters of Mahabharat in front of you. I truly hope that you will appreciate my little efforts to bring out some facts about Karna. Thanking You !!!
No comments