Surya-putra Karna - A Great Warrior

Surya-Putra Karna  - A Great Warrior 

Whenever I thought about Surya-Putra Karna, I always amazed and excited to read his story. Karna is one of my favorite characters in Mahabharata. He was such an inspirational personality of Mahabharata. 

Surya-Putra Karna - A Great Warrior

If I say that Surya-Putra Karna's throughout life journey was a complete disaster then it won't be wrong because of a son of a princess, Elder brother of  5 undefeated warriors, A person for whom Krishna said that you are better then Yudhisthir when it is about Dharma and honesty, better then Arjuna in Dhanur-vidya (Archery), physically as strong as Bheema and smart and handsome as Nakul and Sahadev that person didn't get the respect he deserved. But still he proved himself even in the absence of resources and support as the other Pandavas got. 

Surya-Putra Karna's Birth story

It was the time when Kunti was in her adolescent age, Once sage Durvasa was happy with Kunti's service so he gave her a mantra and said she can have a child with the quality of any god she wishes it for.

One day while watching the sun in the morning she remembers Sage Durvasa's words and thinks let's try whether this mantra actually works or not and she whispered it and by the blessings of the sun god, Karna was born with golden earring and armor.   

Surya-Putra Karna's birth story

Kunti was an unmarried teenage girl so she was afraid of it and un-willingly put Karna in a basket with some jewelry and left it in the Ganga river. A few miles away, King Dhritarashtra's charioteer Adhirath and his wife Radha were washing clothes along the river. At the same time, he saw a basket flowing and brought it out of the river. Where they saw a little boy crying, the couple was overjoyed and they decided to adopt him. Due to which he was named Vasusena.

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How Karna mastered in martial arts

Surya-Putra Karna was a master of martial arts since his teens. Unlike his father, he was more interested in martial arts than in chariots. One day his father Adhirath took him to Guru Dronacharya, one of the best valiant warriors of the time. Guru Drona used to teach only to the princes of the Kuru dynasty. Due to this, he refused to teach charioteer's son Karna, because Karna was the son of a charioteer, and Drona used to teach Kshatriya's only. 

He then met Parasurama, who only taught Brahmins, to learn martial arts. Knowing this, Karna called himself a Brahmin and got an education. Due to which he became proficient in warfare and archery. Although he was cursed by his mentor for telling a lie that he is a Brahman.

First encounter when Karna confront Arjuna and Duryodhan friendship

Karna and Arjuna had a great rivalry from the very beginning As per the epic Arjuna were the most jealous with Karna as many of the occasions Lord Krishna praised Karna for his Ethics and martial art skills.

According to the Puranas, After completion of Shastra vidya (martial arts) when Guru Drona organized a war-fighting competition in Hastinapur, Arjuna was honored as a special archer in that competition. 

At the same time Karna comes there and he takes the battle skills done by Arjuna well and challenges Arjuna. That is when Kripacharya present in the meeting cancels Karna's intervention and asked him about dynasty and empire - because according to Dvandyudh, a king can only challenge a prince. 

At the same time Duryodhana in the Kauravas knew that  Karna is a warrior. One who can beat Arjuna. Hence, Duryodhana declares Karna as the king of Angadesh (which is a part of Bengal and modern central Bihar state in north-eastern India) so that Karna becomes eligible for Dvandayudha. 

After that Karna asked Duryodhana what you want instead, Duryodhana replied, I want your friendship. Due to which the two became close friends of each other. 

Surya-Putra Karna marriage: two girls were made life partner

Surya-Putra Karna got married to two girls, one is a charioteer,s daughter Vrushali and second was the Bhanumati,s friend Padmawati. Karna received nine sons from these two wives. The names of Karna sons were Vrishsen, Vrishketu, Chitrasen, Satyasen, Sushen, Shatrunjaya, Dwipat, Prasen, and Bansen. 

All of them took part in the Mahabharata war on behalf of the Kauravas. In which 8 got killed in Mahabharata battle. Prasen died at the hands of Satyaki, Shatrunjaya, Vrishsen, and Dwipat were killed by Arjuna, Bansen's Bhima, Chitrasen, Satyasen, and Sushen by Nakula. Vrishketu was the only son who survived. 

Surya Putra Karna's Death

After the death of Guru Drona, Karna was appointed the commander of the Kaurava army. Finally, after conducting the war for 3 days, Arjuna killed him under special circumstances. During the battle, when one wheel of Karna's chariot gets stuck in the earth (due to curse of Mother Earth) and at the same time he forgot how t to use his divine weapons (due to curse of his mentor Parshurama). At that moment Karna comes down to take off the wheel of his chariot and urges Arjuna to stop Shooting the arrow for a while, following the rules of war. 

Then Krishna told Arjuna that “Karna has no right to talk about war rules and religion because, at the time of the slaughter of Abhimanyu, Karna also did not follow any war rules and religion. Where did Karna's religion go when he called the divine-born (Draupadi was born from Havanakund) Draupadi as Vaishya before the entire Kuru Rajya Sabha. " Hearing this, Arjuna said that Karna is still helpless (according to the curse of the Brahmin), so he will not shoot the arrow. 

Then Shri Krishna said to Arjuna that if Karna is not killed at this critical point, then Pandavas will probably never be able to kill him and this war will never be won. Then, Arjuna beheaded Karna using a divine weapon. After Karna's body fell to the ground, a flame emerged from Karna's body and was absorbed into the sun.

Karna's biggest sin which he confesses in front of Krishna

As we all know there was no other person in Mahabharata who was as charitable as Karna, also he was very noble and down to earth.

But Still he was a human being.

One evening when Pandavas came for setting up the rules of battle, after this conference Krishna met Karna and again advised him to sake hands with Pandavas as they are all his younger brothers but Karna refused to do so by saying that Duryodhana supported him when everyone was standing against him. So this life belongs to him.

Karna and Krishna Meeting after rules set up for Battle

Along with this commitment he said to Krishna that if this wouldn't be the reason even then I couldn't go to Pandavas camp as I couldn't face that divine lady  Draupadi whom I insulted by saying her a whore in front of everybody. I would not forgive my self for this sin. To this Lord Krishna said that self-realization is the best healer and would purify all sins.

Lessons from Surya-Putra Karna 

Surya-Putra Karna's life is not a chapter but a complete book from which we all can learn a lot of things and can develop good habits within us and our coming generations as well.

1.  The very first thing Karna taught us is that no matter where you belong, it's your passion, self-motivation, and winning attitude which makes converts you from an ordinary to an extraordinary person.

2.    At the time of Birth we all are sutputra, it's our karma because of which people remember our afterlife.

3.    Charity is not to give something that you have but charity is when you already suffering and still have the desire to help others like Karna did. That's why he is called Daanveer Karna.

4.     Self-realization or accepting your faults is the best remedy. the more you try to hide your guilt the more you found yourself in the darker side.

5.      Last but not the least, A friend must be one on which you can blindly trust like Karna because even after knowing that he would die if he fights for Duryodhana also if he chose Pandavas he would get everything (whole kuru dynasty could have belonged to Karna) but he simply denies.

There was a lot more about Karna like his married life, how many fights he won, why he was known as Daanveer Karna, Karna guru Bhakti all those topics I will cover separately as they all required extra attention. Every incident of this man's life is a great lesson for human being irrespective of his religion.