Karna The Unsung Hero of the Mahabharata

by Kotru, Umesh

  Shri Krishna then said, “Karna, it seems neither the reasons adduced by me, nor the prospects of attaining your rightful position as ruler of the world, have been enough to sway your mind. But please note my words as to the possible consequences of your action. In the terrible war that now casts its looming shadow on all of us, the Pandavas represent the just cause. Being the righteous side, they are bound to achieve victory in this coming battle between good and evil. The Pandavas will surely succeed in taking their revenge and Bhima will fulfill his dreaded vows. Duryodhana along with his brothers, associates and friends will meet their doom in this fratricidal conflict. You are being unduly influenced by the deep sense of gratitude which you bear towards Duryodhana, which is the reason why you are not able to heed the call of dharma on this decisive occasion. I only want you to take the side of the right and forsake the wrong cause.”

  Karna responded by saying, “Keshava, I think you are trying to weave a web of maayaa around my mind and make me confused about what to do. I am well aware of my duties at this hour of trial, but tell me how will the world look at me if I were to defect towards the Pandava side? Will it do any good to my reputation? How will it reflect on Arjuna also, who is by now my bitterest opponent? The entire Kshatriya race of the world has assembled on either side to take part in this sacrificial Yajna of an apocalyptic war, which is not possible for anyone to stop now. The lives of countless Kshatriyas are going to be consumed as offering in this great sacrifice, which actually is the cherished desire of every true Kshatriya. As for the outcome, let me tell you I have a prescience of what it is going to be. Mark my words; the conclusion of this war is already ordained by destiny. Duryodhana and his associates on one hand and Yudhishthira with his allies on the other are only going to play their predestined parts as the cast of characters in the great reality drama which is going to unfold. I have been witness to several inauspicious omens during a dream recently, which clearly point towards the impending defeat which is guaranteed for the Kauravas in this war. I, therefore, consider them as dead already. I have seen Yudhishthira along with his brothers dressed in white ascending the throne in a huge palace in my dream, indicating their certain victory. I saw only three members of the Kaurava camp – Ashvatthama, Kripacharya and Kritaverma – dressed in white, which indicate that only the three of them will survive the war. Rest everybody among the Kauravas is dressed in red and bathed in blood, pointing to a gory end for them.”

  “If that be what is laid down by Providence” said Karna, “then I would prefer to die at the hands of Savyasachi on the Battlefield as the son of Radha, a Suta Putra, rather than following the course you suggest and inviting the ignominy of being called a traitor and thereby waste the efforts of my life in earning the reputation that I currently have for myself.”

  Hearing these words, a solemn Shri Krishna said, “Karna, it is amply clear now that the Kshatriyas of Bharatavarsha are headed for complete destruction which nobody can stop. That is why you are not able to discern the good sense in my advice. This is what exactly happens when bad times are looming around.” With these words, Shri Krishna started to make preparations to leave.

  However, before the conversation ended, Karna again addressed Shri Krishna saying, “Keshava, I want to extract a promise from you before we part ways. Please promise me that you will keep this discussion that has just taken place between the two of us a secret. The Pandavas should never know from you that I am their elder brother. Otherwise Yudhishthira will never agree to become king as long as I am alive. Nor will Arjuna face me in battle as a Kshatriya hero should face his sworn antagonist. To be frank with you, I also want that the men who have the good fortune of being righteously guided by you should rule the world. Now, I will see you in the battlefield in Kurukshetra.” Both of them got emotional in their own ways as the moment of parting came. Finally, after a long hug, Karna dismounted from Krishna’s chariot and proceeded towards his own chariot waiting for him at a distance to return to Hastinapura. Shri Krishna too called his charioteer and instructed him to take him swiftly back to Upaplavya. Satyaki followed him in his separate chariot.

  Chapter-16

  A Mother Reveals Her Secret

  After seeing off Shri Krishna with blessings for her entire family and the Pandava army, Kunti spent a restless night on account of the approaching war. Sleep deserted her completely. Like Yudhishthira she did not fear the Kaurava elders, but feared Karna for being a sworn enemy of her sons, particularly of Arjuna. But in her case the problem was unique in that the war between Karna and Arjuna, which now seemed inevitable, would be a war between two of her sons, and the very thought greatly distressed her. After sobbing for a long time, when everything from Karna’s birth to his abandonment and his grand entry in the tournament flashed before her eyes, she managed to compose herself and revert to reality. She recalled Karna’s role in the subsequent events, including the role he played at the time of the attempt to disrobe Draupadi in the Kaurava Sabha. The mere thought of that incident filled her heart with disgust. But still, the fact that two of her sons were going to fight to the finish in the coming war continued to haunt her.

  However hard she tried to brush her anxiety under the carpet, she could not suppress her motherly instincts. She cursed herself for abandoning the divine gift of her firstborn, who got spoiled by the company he was keeping. As a mother she wished him to rule the country as the eldest Pandava with all his brothers under his command. Tormented by these thoughts, she realised the need to face the reality of her situation through her personal intervention. The fact was that the war was days away and she had to do something in the interest of her sons. So she decided to meet Karna personally and see if the course of history could be changed.

  Karna continued to maintain the daily routine of performing ablutions and paying obeisance to Surya Devata at sunrise and sunset on the banks of the nearby river. After the failure of Shri Krishna’s latest mission to avoid war, it was obvious that the great battle of Mahabharata was round the corner and evidently, tension was in the air as frantic preparations for war were going on in both camps. During one of those days, as he was performing his daily rituals at sunset, he heard a rustling sound from behind him. Since he was in the midst of his sacred rite, he did not pay any heed to the sound. By the time he was finished, the sun had already set, giving way to the twilight. Just when he was about to leave, he discovered the source of the sound he had heard sometime back. It was a veiled woman standing some distance away, waiting to talk to him. As the two figures came closer in the twilight Karna greeted her with the customary courtesy with which he addressed all unknown women and asked about the purpose of her visit at that unusual hour and place.

  “Namaste Devi,” he said, “May I know why you have chosen to see me at this place, when the whole world knows that Karna’s doors are always open for anybody twenty four hours a day?” In reply she removed her veil and Karna instantly recognised her as Kunti, mother of his sworn enemies, the Pandavas. He immediately bent down and touched her feet, to which she reacted by blessing him with long life. For a long time both of them did not speak even a word, barring looking at each other. The awkward silence was finally broken by Karna: “Your highness, May I know the purpose of your surprise visit? You should have sent a word through some messenger and it would have been my privilege to be at your service irrespective of the fact that you are the respected mother of my enemies with whom we are going to war in a few days time.”

  In response Kunti burst into tears and said, “Am I not your mother as well?” “Yes, you are, your highness,” he replied. “On the same lines as I consider Gandhariji, the respected mother of Duryodhana, as my mother. But the fact remains that I am Radheya, son of Radha and Adhiratha, the charioteer of King Dhritarashtra.” Kunti was only half attentive, as she was captivated by his sweet voice and features, having only now encountered him so close for the first time since his birth. She was not mindful about the continuous stream of tears flowing from her eyes and wetti
ng her scarf. She made no attempt to wipe her face. His touching her feet had transported her back in time to that room in King Kuntibhoja’s palace, where he was born and she had clutched his tiny figure to her bosom. She was not even aware of her whole body trembling from head to toe with grief-laden nostalgia.

  Karna saw her pitiable condition and, before she could fall down, he clutched her hand and led her away to a nearby place where she could sit down. He remained standing before her and did not betray any reaction, despite an emotional turmoil inside him. Kunti was slowly regaining her composure but continued to stare at him with a face drenched with tears, which made even the brave Karna feel slightly nervous. To counter this nervousness he remembered all the wrongs done to him by society, starting with his own mother. The fact of the matter was that despite his genuine grudges, he felt weak-kneed, standing as he was in front of his biological mother. When he felt that Kunti had sufficiently recovered he said, “Your Highness, please permit me to repeat my earlier question as to what brought the mother of the mighty Pandavas to this place at this hour? Surely it can’t be a mission for seeking mercy or suing for peace. If so, then I am afraid you are knocking at the wrong door.” “My son,” said Kunti, “How can you be so cruel to speak like this to your mother? Do I look like having come here on a mission of peace or mercy or anything like that? I have come here on my own to invite you to fight on the side of your real brothers in your capacity as the eldest Pandava and not side with people who are driven by adharma to fight your own siblings. My sons do not even know that I am here. Further, you can call me by any name but don’t address me as ‘Your Highness’ which I am not, at least not to you.”

  Karna could hardly control his emotions which was a mixture of sadness and anger. “First of all, let me clarify that I know of only one mother and her name is Radha and that is why people call me Radheya. Of course she is not a member of some royal family; but she loves me more than anything else in this world and that is enough for me. She will never desert me under any circumstances. Obviously the position of mother is not vacant in my life and I don’t want another mother at this stage of my life”. Having said these words Karna fell silent with a look of great agitation on his face. He remained standing there only as a matter of courtesy.

  “If you are finished with your soul-piercing words,” said Kunti, “let me share one secret with you tonight”. Before she could proceed further, Karna interjected in an angry voice, “Devi, if you have come here to tell me the secret of my birth then you are a bit late, as the same has been revealed to me by Keshava himself the other day. I reacted in the same way to his words as I am doing now. Appellations like Radheya, Suta Putra etc. have become part of my identity.”

  By now he was feeling extremely upset and prepared to leave; but his glance fell on the crestfallen face of Kunti in the semi darkness. He stopped as his anger gave way to concern that he was leaving a distressed woman alone on the bank of the river, irrespective of the fact whether she was his mother or any other ordinary woman. He apologised for his behaviour and offered to escort her back to her palace. Kunti could not but love him all the more for this gesture. She was experiencing firsthand what she had heard about the character of her son. His gesture was enough to trigger a bout of sobs from her.

  “God bless you, my son”, replied Kunti, “I have heard people discussing about your exceptional qualities but used to have reservations, because of your association with Duryodhana and company. It gives me immense pleasure to realise today that I was wrong.”

  “Can we go now as I have to prepare myself for the coming war?” said Karna.

  On hearing these words Kunti was seized by an attack of panic and for a moment did not know how to react. At last she found the words and said, “My son, will it be possible for you to forgive your mother?” “By mother if you mean Radha,” said Karna, “she does not need my forgiveness as she only knows how to give selfless love and ask nothing in return. For me she is the best mother anybody can dream of in this world.” A sobbing Kunti then said, “But I am your biological mother, who has nurtured you in her womb and God knows how I managed to keep everything secret for so long.”

  Karna cut her short by saying, “After what you say you did for me you lost no time in abandoning me to my fate – on the waves of a mighty river. Why didn’t you throttle me there and then and throw my body into the river to serve as food for the fish? That would have saved me the ignominy of being humiliated at every step in my life. Do you know why I love being called ‘Suta Putra’? It is because I have heard it being used in my context countless times. In principle there is nothing wrong with being born poor or in a low caste, as all these divisions are man-made and irrelevant. For example, what was the fault of Ekalavya? Guru Dronacharya refused to teach him because of his caste. In spite of that he became the best archer in this world. What business did Guru Dronacharya have in asking for his thumb as guru dakshina when he had refused to be his guru in the first place? It was simply to protect Arjuna. It was for the same reason I was disqualified from the competition in your presence. You didn’t utter a word then; and now you come here to give me a discourse on dharma. Where was your dharma when you abandoned me? You protected your reputation and honour. What about me – an innocent infant born due to a whim of yours? What adharma had I committed to deserve such treatment at the hands of my own mother? I have been snubbed at every stage in life and the only person who gave me recognition is faulted for upholding adharma. Tell me mother? Why are you silent?”

  Kunti could not believe that Karna had for the first time addressed her as mother. Amidst sobs she replied, “What adharma can a new born baby commit? When I recall your lovely face with beautiful eyes at birth, I feel like just jumping into this river and ending my agony forever. You were the most beautiful baby I have ever seen in my life, which includes your brothers as well. Barring a few aberrations here and there you, my dearest son, are an embodiment of dharma. How could you have sinned at your birth? It is I who has sinned, for which you have suffered all through your life. I can blame destiny for my plight but what about you? You had done nothing to deserve all this. With folded hands, my darling, I seek your forgiveness, which I hope you will not deny me before I die. In the garb of your mother, I am a great sinner waiting for you to decide my fate.”

  Had there been an impartial observer standing nearby, he would have seen Karna’s resolve getting weakened a bit but his spirit of having been wronged at every step suppressed every emotion about Kunti rising in his heart. “Deviji,” said Karna, “Why didn’t you raise me as your own son? Why did you care more for what others thought than caring for me at that time? At least then I would not have been looked down upon as a Suta Putra at every step.”

  “Firstly, please revert back to addressing me as ‘mother’, as you did a while back”, said Kunti. “Now I shall try to answer your query. Keshava, from whom you learnt about the secret of your birth, does not know the whole truth; I mean the truth particularly from the mother’s perspective. The question you have asked just now has been haunting me ever since I saw you enter the arena to participate in the tournament. Then, having instantly recognised you, I fainted on the shoulder of Gandhariji. I had to lie about the real reason for my condition. Although the distance between the ladies stand and the place you were standing in the company of Duryodhana was great, yet you were very conspicuous by your special features of armour and earrings, which were shining in bright sunlight. I came to know later about all the reasons for your disqualification from participating in the activities of the tournament. Believe me, my son, when I say that my private reaction on seeing you was a mixture of relief and grief. The relief was on account of finding you alive and the grief was for knowing your fate for which I was directly responsible.”

  Before Kunti could proceed further, Karna said, “It would have been much better for me to have met a watery grave instead of surviving to suffer all my life. That would also have spared you the threat to your honour and reput
ation, as the secret would then have perished with me.” By now Kunti’s face was again getting saturated with tears as she said, “Please, my son, spare me these barbs and listen to the rest of my and your story. Moreover, I have yet to answer your original question. According to Maharishi Durvasa, I was an entity which he called as ‘history in making’. Through his yogic powers he foresaw that I and my progeny were destined to shape the history of this country. Initially I even refused to accept his mantra – but his persistence and fear of being cursed by him made me receive his mantra by which I could invoke any Devata and have a son by him. The first sin which I committed was to doubt the genuineness of Maharishi Durvasa’s mantra, which led one day to my putting the same to test. The result is standing just before me in the shape of my reproachful son. It was a childish action on my part for which I am suffering the consequences ever since. My second sin was to abandon you to your fate. How could any woman desert an angelic baby gifted by divinity and be not afflicted by sin? I have been asking this question to myself all my life but have yet to find any convincing answer to the same. Anyway, the first night after your birth, when Dhatri, my chief Dasi, had gone to see off the midwife, the two of us spent what I remember as the best night of my life. Throughout the night I was enjoying your presence both during your sleep as well as when you were awake and giving me that captivating smile of yours. The thought of living without you did not cross my mind even once. It was only on Dhatri’s return that the reality of our situation dawned on me, making me panicky and miserable. After discussing your fate for most of that day and fighting over it many times with Dhatri, only two options emerged. One was to abandon you to your fate and the second was to own you up before the world and suffer the consequences. The second option had its own pitfalls. Let me tell you, my son, that this world judges anything that is at variance with social norms very harshly. Had I followed that option, the stigma of being the son of an unwed mother would have attached to you like an accursed shadow all your life. You will appreciate that it was not only the question of protecting the honour and reputation of me and my family, but also one of saving you from the consequences of that stigma. In abandoning you, there was at least one comforting thought about the promise made by Surya regarding your bright future which, by implication, meant that he would ensure your safety during your journey in that small boat. Surya also endowed you with his personal armour and earrings, which would protect you from any danger. In view of this your accusation, my darling, is partly true. In both cases it was you who was at the receiving end for no fault of yours; for that I seek your forgiveness once again with folded hands and with the hope that it answers your question.”