by Kotru, Umesh
Like the Pandavas, his enormous goodwill with public did not escape the notice of his friends as well. One day before the arrival of Duryodhana and Karna, Duhshasana while talking to Shakuni said, “Mamaji, our friend has acquired a lot of goodwill with the population of Hastinapura. What are your comments on this? Is it in the interest of my brother Duryodhana?” “Don’t worry son,” replied Shakuni. So long your Mama is alive no harm will ever touch Duryodhana. These very qualities of Karna which you fear are going to act as a shield against any harm coming this way. Karna’s sincerity and honesty will never allow him to break the vow he took in the arena at the time of his crowning as king of Anga Desha.” Before Shakuni could finish his words, Duryodhana accompanied by Karna entered the room.
To change the subject, Duhshasana said sarcastically, “Karna, your reputation is touching dizzying heights. Maybe you will not even recognise me or Mamaji after a year or so.” On hearing this sarcasm, Karna blushed and looked towards Duryodhana for support which he promptly gave by rebuking Duhshasana. The matter ended there and their normal routine started.
Chapter-13
The Great Sacrifice
This was the time when events were taking place in Hastinapura at a feverish pace. A quick recapitulation of some of those events might be in place here. The Pandavas’ escape from sure death at Varanavata was followed by their wedding to Draupadi and return to Hastinapura. In terms of a royal family agreement, Yudhishthira became king of Indraprastha, while the Kauravas remained entrenched in Hastinapura. Even this arrangement did not last long as the Pandavas ended up in exile, through Shakuni’s chicanery in a game of dice organised by Duryodhana. At this stage, a great battle for succession between the estranged cousins appeared a distinct possibility. Hence it became important that Arjuna possessed celestial weapons to counter the galaxy of heroes in the Kaurava camp. In the quest for divine weapons Arjuna had to spend five years in heaven.
Even after Arjuna succeeded in accomplishing the mission of obtaining divine weapons from the various Devatas, including the all-powerful Paashupata-Astra, which Lord Shiva uses at the time of destroying creation, Indra did not feel completely assured about his protégé Arjuna’s victory. He was worried for his son mainly on account of the special inborn features possessed by Karna. Immediately on his return to his abode after seeing Arjuna off at the Gandhamadana hill, Indra started thinking on ways to overcome this hurdle. The fact of Karna’s invincibility on account of the protection provided by his natural armour and earrings troubled Indra a lot. He desperately wanted to deprive Karna of this protection. In the mean time, the Pandavas were completing their twelve years of exile and were preparing for the last one year during which they had to remain incognito. This was a very difficult period, as spies of Duryodhana were always at their heels and recognition would have meant commencement of another long cycle of exile. It was around this time that Indra decided to act in the matter and devised a plan to deprive Karna of his natural armour and earrings.
But Gods have the gift of omniscience. So, what Indra was up to was soon anticipated by Surya. The Sun-god, in his turn, became worried for the safety of his son Karna. He knew that being deprived of the impregnable divine protections would put Karna in a vulnerable position against his enemies, particularly Arjuna. Among various Devatas it was well known how Indra used subterfuge in getting his things done. From this past experience, coupled with Karna’s own reputation of not denying anything to Brahmins, it was not difficult for Surya to figure out Indra’s next move. He decided to act in the matter for the sake of Karna.
One night when Karna was enjoying a peaceful sleep on the soft-cushioned and comfortable bed in his palace, Surya appeared in his dream in the guise of a Brahmin. The Brahmin, addressing Karna said, “O mighty Karna, I am here to tell you something which is of extreme importance to you. Please give a patient hearing to what I say. It is now beyond any doubt that a great war is going to break out between the Kauravas and Pandavas in about a year from now. You are bound by your pledge of loyalty to take part in that war on the Kaurava side and the mighty Arjuna will be your main adversary. The Pandavas are aware of this and that is the reason Arjuna has worked hard to prepare for this encounter. In addition, he is now armed with very potent celestial weapons and the most potent Paashupata-Astra given to him personally by lord Shiva. But for all that it would be impossible for him to overcome you in battle, as long as you enjoy the protection of your natural armour and earrings.”
He continued, “This fact has been worrying Indra, who is working constantly to ensure the safety of Pandavas. As you are aware, Indra has helped Arjuna in obtaining powerful celestial weapons which he intends to use against you in the war. Indra is therefore going to do something to make you vulnerable for the sake of Arjuna and the Pandavas. He is planning to approach you in the guise of a Brahmin and ask for your armour and the earrings. He is well aware about your reputation of being a Daanaveera and intends to take advantage of that quality of yours. Unless you are careful, your habit of never turning away anyone who approaches you is going to put you in trouble in this case. I have, therefore, come over to warn you against doing so when Indra approaches you. His motive is purely selfish and will put you in grave danger. Consider yourself a dead man without the protection of your armour and the earrings. Nothing is more important to an individual than his own dear life.” Having said so, the Brahmin fell silent.
Karna in a respectful manner replied, “O revered Brahmin, there is no doubt in my mind that you are my well wisher which is why you are giving me this information in advance. May I ask you to kindly reveal your real identity? But do so only if you want to.” The Brahmin replied, “Karna, I am Surya. I am pleased with your devotion towards me and also your good conduct. I have, therefore, come to give you this warning which is for your own good. You should do as I say”.
Karna, bowing his head with full reverence replied, “My Lord, it is my great fortune that you have blessed me with your darshan. I am sure that with a benefactor like you on my side, no harm can come to me. As for your warning, I pray that you provide me strength to remain unmoved from the path of truth. Nothing should deter me from my principles. Please bless me that I never deviate from my dharma of generosity, howsoever difficult the desire of a supplicant may be for me to meet. This is my humble appeal to you.”
Karna further added, “Surya Deva, you are well aware about my reputation. I do not want to fall from grace in the eyes of others even at the cost of my life. This is the one honour which I would like to carry with me when I die. Anything else to me is of secondary importance. As such it is immaterial whether Indra comes to me in disguise or in his real form; I will definitely give away my armour and earrings to him. I will not hesitate even for a moment, despite knowing the purpose behind the demand as revealed by you. I cannot send away any seeker of alms without fulfilling his wishes. My Lord, this body is mortal, but the reputation a man leaves behind after death is immortal and lasts forever. I do not want to lose my good reputation which is my only real treasure. I do not want to earn a bad name as a result of one selfish act. On the other hand, if I do what Indra desires, my reputation will only enhance. It may sound strange to you when I say that my reputation is my only source of delight and everything else is unmitigated misery. My Lord, as you are well aware, I have been treated very badly by this world. I have learnt from scriptures and from my elders that good reputation is earned by good deeds, such as: giving alms to Brahmins and the needy; engaging in acts of valour; overcoming an enemy in righteous battle; or achieving martyrdom in a war. My conduct will always be guided by these principles and I will remain focussed on them for the sake of my good reputation. I am committed to protecting anyone, even my enemy in case he seeks my protection or mercy. I will also never harm a weak person, a woman, an elder or a child. These are my cherished principles, which I don’t think I will ever compromise.”
Surya responded by saying, “What you said is righteous and correct. However, ever
ything in this world is not all black or all white as you think. There are shades of grey, which call for more nuanced ways to deal with. The ways of this samsara are therefore much more complex. Think about your family, your children. Don’t you think you have an obligation towards your family? Your seeking of martyrdom can also be deemed as a suicidal impulse, which is condemned by the very scriptures you cite. Karna, you are my devotee; and it is my duty to protect my devotees. Let me tell you that there is a deep rooted conspiracy in this act of Indra. You are also not aware about a significant secret that lies buried in your own past – a secret that will be revealed to you at an appropriate time. I urge you not to do anything rash in your blind adherence to principles till that revelation. Therefore please heed my advice and try to convince Indra to accept something else in place of your armour and earrings. If you desire victory in battle, do not sacrifice those safeguards at any cost.”
Karna replied, “My Lord, I fully understand your concern for me and realise the danger involved in not following as you advice. I bow my head at your feet with deep respect; please forgive me for not obeying your command. My Lord, I am not afraid of death, but I certainly fear the ignominy of slippage from principles. I have suffered throughout my life on account of the tag of Suta Putra which has got attached to me from my birth. I cannot bear another burden of being called a selfish and untruthful person. Please do not worry too much about my vulnerability against Arjuna on account of losing my armour and earrings. Even though Arjuna has acquired divine weapons, I also carry the knowledge of divine weapons which I have obtained from Guru Parashurama and Guru Dronacharya. I therefore believe I am capable of defeating Arjuna even after being deprived of the protection offered by my armour and earrings. I therefore request you to provide me with the strength to give them away happily without any hesitation.”
Surya, despite his best efforts could not persuade Karna to behave in a manner which was not conforming to his strongly held beliefs. Finally he gave up on the argument and said, “Karna, I am highly impressed and pleased with your unselfish conduct. May your glory grow manifold and your fame as a heroic giver remain for all time to come. Before I leave however, at least take one last advice from me. After parting with your armour and earrings, do not let Indra get away without you also asking for a boon in return. I suggest that you should ask him to give you his potent weapon, the Shakti. That one-shot missile never misses its mark and so, it will be an infallible weapon for destroying your enemy. It will prove very useful to you in the forthcoming war. At least you should do this much.”
Karna replied, “My Lord, thank you for letting me continue on the path I have chosen. As for your suggestion, please understand that I do not like to indulge in give and take while giving away something to whosoever approaches me. My munificence is unconditional and will ever remain so. However, in case Indra himself offers me something in return, I will remember your suggestion and ask for the Shakti.”
The Brahmin blessed Karna and their conversation in the dream ended on that note.
Next morning when Karna woke up, the conversation he had with Surya in his dream was still echoing in his mind. After completing his daily ablutions as he looked towards the sun, he wondered whether his dream was going to turn into reality. Then, all of a sudden, Surya appeared in front of him in full glory. After blessing Karna, Surya confirmed the authenticity of his message in the dream and warned Karna that Indra was indeed going to approach him in a few days.
Many people including Brahmins used to wait for Karna to finish his daily morning ablutions, after which Karna would engage in his fabulous charity. A large crowd would gather outside the gates of his palace as well for the same purpose. He did not turn away anyone empty handed. One day Karna was surprised to see that there was no one waiting for him when he arrived at the bank of the river for his daily rituals. When he turned back after completing his ablutions, he saw a lone Brahmin standing some distance away. “Bhiksham dehi”, said the Brahmin in a loud voice, as soon as he saw Karna returning from the river.
With folded hands Karna walked towards the Brahmin and said, “Respected Brahmin, I welcome you. Please let me know what you desire to have from me. I am ready to fulfill your every wish, whether it is to have wealth or any other comforts of life.” The Brahmin replied, “I do not need any of those things; they are useless to me. I have come here after hearing about your reputation of being a Daanaveera. Don’t be impatient. First hear about my demand and then decide. My demand is not only unusual but difficult to fulfill.” The Brahmin paused for a moment to gauge Karna’s response, who said, “O Good Brahmin, I assure you that I will fulfill your wish if it is within the realm of possibility of a human being.” The Brahmin replied in an irritated voice, “Karna, why do I have a feeling that you are trying to evade the real issue? As I have already told you that my wish is difficult but not impossible for you to fulfill considering your unparalleled reputation of being a bountiful donor.” Karna sought to allay the Brahmin’s misgivings and said, “I am sorry to have angered you. Please let me know what you want? I promise to fulfill your every desire. Please do not hesitate to ask for anything you desire.” He remained standing with folded hands.
The Brahmin replied, “I want you to give me the divine armour and the earrings which are part of your body from your birth.” As soon as the Brahmin put this demand before Karna, he immediately realised that the Brahmin was none other than Indra himself. As he had already told Surya, Karna was fully prepared for giving away those unique assets of his. He however thought about trying to dissuade Indra for some time. Karna, with a smile on his face therefore replied, “O Brahmin, the armour and the earrings that you have asked for are part of my body since birth. They provide me protection against any danger. Without them I will become vulnerable. You are asking for my life in a way. I, therefore, request you to please ask for something else. Whatever I am capable of giving as a human being shall be yours for the taking. Kindly reconsider your demand.”
The Brahmin retorted, “Karna, I already told you I do not desire your wealth. I also do not want to rule any kingdom. If you cannot fulfill my desire, you may simply refuse to do so. Let the entire world know that the reputation of Karna is not what it is made out to be. I do not want anything else from you.” Hearing this response from the Brahmin, Karna smiled once again and said, “Deveshwar, I know that you are none other than Indra himself. Surya had informed me in advance about your visit. I will not let you go empty handed.” The Brahmin replied, “Karna you are right. Surya must have learnt about my plan and communicated the same to you.” Karna continued, “Indra Deva, I have one request before I fulfill your desire. Since the armour and the earrings are a natural part of my body, I want that no scar should be left on my body after I tear them away.” Indra replied, “So be it, your body will not lose its beauty in any manner. You will remain as glorious and handsome as before.”
Karna took a sword in his hand, cut off his earrings and tore away the armour from his body. It was very painful and blood started flowing from his body. He handed the blood soaked armour and the earrings to Indra, who took them with great pleasure. This selfless act of Karna was witnessed by all the Devatas and Apsaras who had gathered in the sky at that time. All of them showered flowers on Karna and started singing his praise. Indra also could not remain unmoved. He appeared in his divine form in front of Karna and said, “Karna, I am very pleased with you. I want you to ask for a boon or anything that you want from me.”
Karna with folded hands replied, “Devaraj, I am blessed after getting your darshan, I do not need anything from you in return.” Indra added, “Karna, there is no need for you to feel inhibited that I am offering you anything in return for what you have given me. You are entitled to a boon on account of having my darshan. I cannot return to my abode without giving you something. You may, therefore, ask for anything other than my Vajra Astra.”
Karna recollected his conversation with Surya about Shakti. He replied, “Indra Deva,
if you cannot leave from here without giving me something, then please give me your powerful weapon, the Amogha Shakti.” Indra paused of a moment and after some thought said, “I will give you my Shakti which never fails in destroying the enemy and returns to its owner after that. But the temporary transfer is subject to the condition that you can use it against only one formidable opponent of yours. After killing your opponent, it will return to me. You should not use it as long as you have other weapons with you, or if your opponent is weak. If you do so, this weapon will destroy you instead of your opponent. In short you should use Shakti only as a last resort.”
Karna replied, “My Lord, I will abide by these conditions. Moreover, I want to use this weapon only against the most formidable enemy of mine.” Indra understood whom Karna was referring to and said, “Karna, the enemy whom you are implying enjoys the protection of the supreme lord Shri Krishna himself. No harm can come to him as long as he is blessed with Shri Krishna’s grace.” After saying so, Indra invoked a mantra which made the Shakti appear in his outstretched hands. Indra passed on the Shakti to Karna and after blessing him, returned to his heavenly Loka.
The news about Karna giving away his armour and earrings soon spread around. While the Pandavas rejoiced on hearing the news, Duryodhana became distraught. He felt as if his own life was taken away. He confronted Karna at his palace as he could not wait till evening. He said, “Karna, you have let me down once again. We were banking on your special features of invincibility as an insurance against Pandavas. Don’t you realise that you are no longer as strong a force as you were? Can’t you be selfish even for saving your own life? How long will you go on making sacrifices like this?” Karna kept standing without any reaction; when Duryodhana had finished his remonstrations he replied, “The last sacrifice of giving my life for the sake of friendship is yet to be made. The world will witness that sacrifice in the battlefield of Kurukshetra.” With these emotional words the two friends fell into each other’s arms in an embrace of deep affection.