UDYOG -PARVA- The Son of Surya

[veluthukaran 0]

KARNA!!!The greatest,most honorable, most beautiful warrior in all of Bharat!

 

 

Before departing for Upalavya Krishna took Karna and Satyaki in his chariot. They drove away out of the city and reached a place where no human beings could be seen. Krishna left Satyaki in the chariot and took Karna’s hand in his hands and walked away to some distance. Krishna asked Karna, "You are good person. You know the most subtle shades of dharma. Why are you siding with this sinful Duryodhana? Your knowledge of the Vedas and its branches is profound and deep. Your understanding of Shastras is perfect. You are an embodiment of dharma. There is nothing about dharma, which you do not now. But still you are siding with the unrighteous? I do not understand.

 

Karna smiled and said, "My lord you are right. A person who follows the path of dharma should not side with the unrighteous. But the case of Duryodhana is different. I love him too much. He is my friend. Everyone in the world had doubts about my bravery. This is because I am a lowborn Sutaputra. Duryodhana is the only one who never thought of it. Many years ago, once I came to Hastinapura in search of job to earn a living. It coincided with a tournament which was being held there to celebrate the completion of the eduacation of the Kuru princes as the ashram of their teacher Dronacharya. They were displaying the skills learnt from their guru. Drona had refused to accept me as a pupil as I was a Sutaputra. I had to go to lord Parashuram to learn the art of the warfare. But even he cursed me for my birth as a Sutaputra. When I reached the venue of the tournament, I could not bear the pride shown by Arjuna about his skills in archery. I threw a challenge at him, but my this audacity was made a cause of my humiliation and insult as I was not a Kshatriya, I was a Sutaputra When I was insulted by the Pandavas. Duryodhana sided with me. He made me the king of Anga country. Full of gratitude, when I asked him what could I do for him in return of this gesture, just he took my hand in his and said, "I want only your friendship. Nothing else."

 

My lord many years passed but still I am a friend of Duryodhana and an under the debt of his gratitude. I never bear to bring any ill thought about him in my mind. In this world only my mother Radha and Duryodhana, these too have given their love and affection to me. I am also living to do whatever I can do for their happiness. I have no craving for my life. I live only for these two."

 

Krishna said that the debt of gratitude is the most difficult to repay. Do you know about your birth? Who are your mother and father? Karna said, "I do not know this my lord." I get a dream sometime. It comes repeatedly, I guess that I am born to serve royal princess. Ganga flows before her palace. Possibly she abandoned me as I was born before her marriage. My rearing took place at the hands of Atiratha and his wife Radha. Atiratha had found me floating in a basket on the waves of mother Ganga. He gave me to his wife Radha. Since they had been my mother and father. They spared no efforts to lavish me with all the love and affection in the world. I too have all my love and affection for them. I do not wish to know about my mother who gave me birth. She might have forgotten me. She might have had more sons. Earlier I used to see the dream more often but subsequently it became less and less frequent. As she might have got some more sons, she might have forgotten me completely, remembering me very rarely. I do not grieve. Radha is my mother and Atiratha is my father.

 

Krishna eyes were full of tears. He looked at Karna with infinite compassion and said, "Karna you are right. Your mother was a princess. She had to abandon you for the reason you have correctly guessed. She has many sons now but she can never forget her first born beautiful son who was born wearing divine Kavacha and Kundala. She could never fill the emptiness in her heart caused by you, though she has other children. Her heart is still empty.

 

Karna was filled with surprise hearing all this. He exclaimed, "That means I am not a Sutaputra. I am a Kshatriya. Is it true? You talk as if you know my mother who is she? Is she living? Can I see her? Kindly tell me, my lord." Krishna took Karna’s hand in his hand and said, "The truth is your mother has five sons who are the best warriors in the world."

 

Karna’s breath was taken away by this revelation. He asked Krishna that was he suggesting that Kunti was his mother and the Pandavas his brother? Who else could be five warriors with no match to them in the world. Is it true O Krishna? Krishna said that it was true Karna was the eldest Pandavas and the first born of Kunti. He was born before marriage of Kunti with Pandu took place.

 

Karna asked, then my lord, you may know who is my father? Kindly tell me who is he? Krishna said, your istadeva Surya is your father." Karna remained in a trance for sometime. Then he opened his eyes and said, really I am the most unfortunate among human beings. Lord Sun is my father, Kunti is my mother, Five Pandavas the most righteous and the noblest Yudhisthira, the most powerful among men Bhima, the greatest archer Arjuna, the most handsome Nakula and the most learned Sahdeva are my younger brothers. And I am known as a Sutputra in the world. Lord Parashurama must have known this secret through his inner eyes. That is why he cursed me in this manner. A stream of hot tears flowed from the eyes of Karna.

 

After sometime he wiped his tears. He said, "My lord you knew this secret all the time. Why did not you tell me earlier? Why have you chosen to reveal this to me at this time I was so eager to know about my mother and father all these years. You are telling me now?

 

Krishna was full of compassion for Karna, he said," because I want to save you from certain death. I want you to live. Accordingly to dharma, you are the eldest Pandavas, sons born to a maiden, become the sons of the man she marries. This is the rule of dharma. Now you know that you are the eldest among the Pandavas, on your mother’s side you are my cousin. You shall be announced a king and all the Pandavas shall be there to serve you and obey your commands. Draupadi will also be your wife. You are like Yudhisthira in righteousness, You are compassionate like Bhima, You are equal to Arjuna in archery and warfare, you are handsome like Nakula and you are wise and learned like Sahdeva. You shall enjoy the kingdom of the earth. Come, join with me, I shall give you the kingdom of the world. You will also gain five brothers and mother.

 

Karna looked at Krishna and said, My lord, you have told me about my mother and brothers, out of infinite compassion you have for me. Undoubtedly, I am a Pandava by dharma. But my mother Kunti had forsaken me. She does not need me, I was brought up by Radha. I regard her as my mother and I am Radheya. Atiratha is my father in the same way. These two have given me all love and affection due to a son. The entire world and its unstinted rule mean nothing to me in face of their love. The splendor of the entire world cannot lure me to abandon the path of the truth. Duryodhana is my friend and I am grateful and indebted to him. I have pledged my support for him in the war. I cannot go back from my promise. The kingdom of the entire world, good family name eternal fame, five god like brothers and a mother like Kunti and her love and affection hold immense attraction and charm, but the truth is dearer still to me, my lord. You want me to come under your shelter to save me from death. The Pandavas are under your protection. Thus they are invincible. No one can defeat them.

 

I have to side with Duryodhana. I am the only hope he has. I shall die with him in the battlefield and would attain my release from this bondage of life. I have always been chosen as a target by the fate. I have been living to fight with Arjuna in the war. By revealing that he is my younger brother now you have killed my enthusiasm. Now I do not wish to fight with him, though it has been my long cherished desire to meet him in a final duel. Since you have disclosed the secret of my birth at such a critical juncture I want to be very angry with you, but it is just not possible for anyone to be angry with you, my lord. You are my ultimate redeemer and you want only my well being. But I want to ask you something.

 

Hearing this Krishna immediately agreed to grant Karna whatever he desired. Karna took Krishna’s hand in his hands and said, "My lord you know the secret of my birth, but I request you not to disclose this to the Pandavas till I live. If the noble Pandavas come to know my identity they will not be able to fight me. Yudhisthira is the embodiment of dharma. I wish he becomes the emperor. He is fully competent to become the greatest emperor in the world under your guidance. I know that the Pandavas shall win and we will lose.

 

Through out my life I endeavored to save my reputation. I never allowed anything to sully my fair renown. I am desirous of short but glorious life. I shall get fame even in my defeat and even in my death. It is very cherished desired. Krishna smiled and asked, "How come you are so sure of the victory of the Pandavas?" Karna said, "This war of Kurukshetra is a sacrifice. You are the presiding deity. Arjuna is the chief priest. All other Pandavas are acting only on your directions. The sons of Dhritarastra, Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, all other soldiers and warriors and me are the offerings in this sacrifice. All will attain the heaven by laying down their lives in this battlefield. I too, will see you in the heaven, I hope my lord, I now beg your leave to go.

 

Krishna embraced Karna, he took his hands in his own, his eyes were filled with tears, he looked at Karna with deep love and compassion and they both walked towards the chariot.

 

http://www.urday.com/mkarna.htm

[Guest guest]

This story shows the pitfalls of acting according to your conscience.One should act according to vedas and dharma than his conscience.

 

When ordinary dharma and special dharma conflict,special dharma gets prominance.For example when temple car procession moves on, can the priest stop it and go to do sandhya vandana?No.

 

Vibeeshana and kumbakarna faced same predicament.Kumbakarna acted to his conscience.Veebeshna surrendered to Lord ram.Kumbakarna got just veera swarga.But see what veebeshna got?Ram accepted him as a brother and hugged him.How many will get such a fortune?

 

Krishna offered such a chance to karna.He was a fool.He thought conscience is better than lord's words.

 

Yudishtra too made the same mistake.When krishna asked him to say "aswathama hatha" he refused, thinking that will make him a liar. But even though he told the truth "aswathama hatha kunjara" his chariot came down and touched the earth.

 

What is truth?Is it telling things as you observe?No.That is the definition of truth in english.That is translated as "rutham" in sanskrit.It means "telling things exactly you observe".That isnt called as sathyam.

 

what is sathyam then?Vedas define sathyam as "Sathyam boothahitham priyam" (Satyam is words that cause good to living beings).If you are familiar with thirukural it echoes the same views

 

(vaimai enapaduvathu yathenin yathondrum theemai ilatha solal)

 

(That which doesnt cause harm is called as truth)

 

So according to yudishtra he would not have lied, had he said "aswathama hadha",since the war was for killing adharma.But his words "kunjara..." harmed dharma.Krishna played his coonch and drowned the word.But since yudishtra said "asathya", his chariot came down.

 

"Mathru devo bhava" said vedas.But had bharat accepted his mothers words, what would have happened?He threw away that dharma and surrendered to lord.See what happened?

 

Karna was a sentimental fool.Had he accepted krishna's words he would have got the place of veebeshna and bharatha.But he joined the list of kumbakarna and yudishtra.

[veluthukaran 0]

 

Karna was a sentimental fool.Had he accepted krishna's words he would have got the place of veebeshna and bharatha.But he joined the list of kumbakarna and yudishtra.

 

 

fool? karna knew very well what he did, he understood the choice and consequences, that is what makes him so honorable to me. he is not a sentimental fool. why yudhisthira respeceted as Dharmaraja when Yudhisthira dressed as Brahmin and acted like Brahmin along with Pandavas?

[Guest guest]

karna knew very well what he did, he understood the choice and consequences, that is what makes him so honorable to me

 

Thats what makes him a fool to me.He knew perfectly well that krishna was the lord.He knew perfectly well that dharma was on pandavas side.He knew perfectly well that saving dharma is the foremost duty of a man.He knew perfectly well that friendship is secondary to dharma.Dharma has no friendship,no bias nothing.

 

Inspite of all this if he chose adahrma on the basis of friendship, he is a fool.Not only a fool,one who follows adarhma.When one falls through adarhma,not even lord's words will be respected by him.Hes a living proof for that.Making him a hero is like making usama bin laden and veerappan a hero.Hes a negative hero,thats all.

 

You misunderstand truth here.What is the definition of truth in hinduism?Unfortunately many hindus think "truth" in english and "sathyam" in sanskrit mean the same thing.They dont.

 

Truth is describing things as you see it perfectly.

For that equilant sanskrit word is "Rutham". It isnt satyam.

 

What is the definition of satyam?Vedas describe it beautifully.

 

"Sathyam bootahitham priyam"--words that bring benefit to the all living beings are called as sathyam.

 

Yudishtra never broke sathya until kurushethra war.had he told "aswathama hatha", his charriot would not have touched the ground.Since that was needed to save dharma.But he said "kunjara" which was against dharma.He did an act which was in opposite to his side,which had dharma.So his charriot touched the ground.