DAANVIR KARAN

**A story about a boy whose life was nothing but full of struggles and obstacles. This was Kunti's eldest son, 'KARAN,' and so the Pandavas' half-brother.** **Karna is one of the main protagonists in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Although he was crowned as the king of Anga by Duryodhana of the Kaurava clan, his significance in the mythology greatly outweighs that of a king. He fought for the Kauravas in the great battle at Kurukshetra.**

Kunti abandoning Karna on the Ganges. source: newindianexpress.com

While the revered sage Durvasa was a guest at her father's castle, princess Kunti looked after him for a year. The sage was happy with her service and offered her a boon, allowing her to invoke any god she chose and have a son. Kunti out of curiosity, still unmarried and unsure whether the boon would work, decided to put it to the test and summoned Surya, the sun god.

Surya dev embraced Kunti and enveloped her in his radiance. Soon Kunti discovered a child in her arm as the radiance faded and Surya left. The child was born with defensive armor on his chest and kavacha and kundalas in his ears.

Karna had the very same radiance as his father, but Kunti didn't want a child because she was unmarried. Unwilling to face society as an unwed mother, with a heavy-heart Kunti did what no mother should ever have to do.

She put her son in a basket and carried it to the river's edge, where she set him afloat with an agonizing cry. The newborn was taken up by King Dhritarashtra's charioteer, Adhiratha, a Shudra. Karna was raised as their son and given the name Vasusenna. They never hid from him that he wasn't their biological son.

He contacted Dronacharya, who had founded a school and was instructing the Kuru princes at the time. Drona refused to instruct him because he was a 'sutaputra,' or charioteer's son.

Brought up by a family of chariot drivers, he felt the heat of the society whenever he attempted to desire beyond his social limitations. Despite his talent and effort, he was unable to obtain archery instruction from the prominent guru of the period and was publicly humiliated.

Karna aspired to be a warrior as he was matured.

Karna knew that his caste would continue to be a stumbling block in his pursuit of knowledge. He eventually decided to contact Parashurama, who was known for only teaching Brahmins. Karna presented himself to Parashurama as a Brahmin who sought to learn the art of war from him and use them to keep the peace, as Parashurama had done, and was accepted as a student. Karna has been described as a dedicated student. He was well-trained by Parashurama.

Karna had been trained by Parashurama to the point where he had exceeded him in the art of fighting, according to Parashurama. One day, Karna offered him his lap to sleep on.

While Parashurama was sleeping, a scorpion flew by and bit Karna in the thigh. Despite his agony, Karna did not move since he did not want to wake his Guru. The scorpion pierced Karna's leg too deeply, causing blood to flow out and rousing up Parashurama with its warmth and sensation. Karna had to be a Kshatriya, he reasoned, because only a warrior could stand such anguish without flinching. Unfortunately, he discovered the truth about Karna's origins that afternoon.

He cursed Karna, claiming that he wouldn’t be able to obtain an Astra just when he needed one the most.

Because of his social backwardness, the Pandavas, the Yuga's most famous, upright men, insulted him. As a result, to demonstrate his ability and battle discrimination, he went against the prevalent sectional division of the time and gained knowledge with extreme dedication, ensuring that he is regarded by society as the best archer to ever walk the globe.

Arjuna, a well-known warrior of the time, was his main rival in this goal. Karna tried to face and fight Arjuna at every opportunity to prove himself the best, and his desire to embrace the knowledge of archery was progressively being overshadowed by his sick ambition to defeat Arjuna and prove to the world about his powers.

It's difficult to think that someone so generous, who even donated his Godly armor, who maintained his word not to murder the four Pandavas except Arjuna, and who toiled tirelessly despite all the hardships could be punished by trickery.

How could he possibly be described as evil?

His devotion to Duryodhana originated from the latter's acceptance of him despite his lower social status. How could he abandon Duryodhana's side during the conflict and join with the Pandavas? abandoning a friend at such a crucial time- wouldn't this be Adharma in itself? He was known as one of the loyal friends of Duryodhana. He fought until his last breath for his friend.

Karna is a perfect example of what we see now, namely, separation and injustice based on birth rather than ability. For this reason, his dedication and the abilities he developed as a result of it are admired and frequently quoted as samples of what a person can achieve by simple determination. His journey exemplifies how effort and determination pave the road for the best abilities to shine.

Yes, Karna's life was full of difficulty and repeated insults, but he deserves all credit for what he accomplished, though he was arrogant and ignorant at times, he refused to leave the side of the evil Kauravas despite numerous pleadings from Lord Krishna and his mother Kunti. His death is a tragic event in the Mahabharata epic, but it also teaches us something we've all heard before: 'With great power comes great responsibility.'

Karna's chariot wheel was trapped in the mud. Image Source: lokmat.com