Welcome to my next blog about Karna in this series of "The Curious case of epics". First thing first, let me acknowledge my audacity for inadvertently commenting and judging such mighty characters. For, they are the heroes we still adore and I am a mere mortal....an armchair analyst!
As I had mentioned in my previous blog (https://bit.ly/2Uq25aj) too, Karna has been favourite among readers rejoicing tragic heroes. Irawati Karve beautifully puts it in her book “Yuganta” that though Mahabharat tested each of its characters, but no one seems to be as defeated by life as much as Karna. To each their own, this may be treated either as a comment or a compliment.
Let's discuss what makes a hero like Karna a tragic one.
In the rangbhoomi where all Kuru princes were showcasing their skills after completion of their education, Karna too appears seeking an opportunity for himself. Karna’s candidature in the arena was debated him being considered a low born. With whatever intent, Duryodhana offered Karna kingship (and a supposed friendship) to make him able to stand at par with all Kuru princes. Overwhelmed, Karna obliged to Duryodhana for life.
So much happened in no time, which reportedly changed everything that followed. Thinking about it, let’s suppose a common man like you and me are in similar despondent situation - traumas dwelling over, unfulfilled dreams, ability starving for opportunities and so on...All of a sudden, the state offers you the much needed chance -
Would one not think twice before blindly accepting the opportunity which came so sudden and came from where it was least expected?
Would one accept such obligation in a flash of a second no matter whoever is offering it?
Would one not weigh the possible repercussions of getting so deeply involved with the state?
Did Karna as praja never hear any rumors about the tussle going inside the royal palace for throne? For instance like the one wherein Duryodhana tried to poison Bhima in childhood itself.
And afterall, was it really so essential? Was it really the last resort for a disciple of Lord Parashuram himself to get a chance to face the likes of Arjuna? Impusively, Karna rated this act of Duryodhana so high that he closed all doors of coming back for himself.
The decision looks rash on part of Karna. More so, as he recently had a dose of setback after getting his guru Lord Parashuram’s curse. A formidable warrior like Karna who could easily have won many kingdoms with his sheer prowess seems to have unnecessarily accepted a favor in the heat of the moment. This not only sounded a tad shabby on his part but it also inadvertently undermined his charitable nature. All the wealth he donated was neither ancestral nor earned by merit!. At least it all started from nothing but a favor.
Here afterwards, Karna’s life seemed like a tussle between his two sides
1) A side of his, which had its own understanding of righteousness.
2) A side of him which was compelled to follow Duryodhana unquestioned.
As we all know, the 2nd side largely dominated. But upon keen observation, there appears to be a third side as well which shaped Karna’s life.
3) A blind vehemence which is seeking vengeance for all the wrongdoings which he faced and all insults which were heaped upon him. He couldn't dispose off his pain constructively. Deep down, it was all piling up. He seemed to be desperately driven by a personal goal - Vengeance
He reportedly maintained that he was indebted to Duryodahan....but who decides the extent of debt? Was even a digvijay yatra across Indian subcontinent not enough to repay the debt of one Anga Kingdom? (May be (or may not be), Karna subconsciously made Duryodhana’s debt a goad to battle Arjuna. Vengeance to defeat Arjuna in answer to questions which were raised on his ability, was at play)
Another case which highlights the dominance of this vengeful force seems to be the episode of Draupadi’s vastra haran. The deplorable comments Karna passed on Draupadi is perfect example (albeit a sad one) of a well known hindi proverb - begaani shaadi mein abdulla diwana. Nature of comments he passed also subtly brings forth his mindset about women. In the dice game, Karna at max was a revered guest. By no means, a stakeholder. He jumped into the scheme of things unwarranted,uninvited and only for the worst. While he was a genuine victim in many tragedies, this was all self invited trouble which maligned his image permanently. Vengeance (this time, that of Draupadi's swayamvar) got the better of his righteousness again.
Above instances are definitive cases of inappropriate timings - Fighting for a chance in rangbhoomi where he could have remained quiet and then in vastra haran, remaining mute when there was a much coveted chance in disguise. Another baffling decision Karna took was of not killing any Pandava other than Arjun in the Mahabharat battle. Quite paradoxical to his pledge of aiding Duryodhana. If the opportunity presented itself, why not kill or capture Yudhishtira and end the war there itself ? (Seems like 3rd force again silently calling the shots)
The way Karna anyways dominated Arjuna in the final battle and was killed unarmed, it makes giving away of his armour a tad less relevant. Not using Indra’s shakti on Arjuna while protecting Jaydrath is another puzzle. Also, how did Karna know (and hence made promise to Kunti) that her 5 sons will anyhow remain alive after the war? How did he assume that even if Pandavas win, they will win with Yudhishtira surviving with all the rest 4?
This kind of complicated decision making raises questions on his warriorship too. A troubled mind like his sounds highly likely to get carried away. The hard time Abhimanyu and Ghatotkach gave Karna in the final war, the episode of Gandharvas capturing Duryodhana who was eventually rescued by Arjuna, Arjuna dominating whole Kaurava army in Virat war single handedly, are some already known instances where Karna as a warrior was on backfoot.
By and large, Karna's life exudes frustration and a craziness to avenge it which often resulted in an undue belligerence. This frustration drove him to take messy decisions, only to add more frustration. For his entire life he longed like anything to battle Arjuna. At the end, he died at Arjuna's very hands who was nothing but his own younger brother. Maybe that's what happens upon desiring something so dreadfully.
Summing it up, the hero's life is a great example when one is tested to extreme but unfortunately topples on the wrong side. His life turned out to be a classic battleground between the three sides I mentioned. Sadly, the first one - his own understanding of righteousness, got simply lost in the dust of the battleground. It apparently looks that the 2nd one dominated but there is a glimpse of the 3rd side making its mark time and again.
In all this chaos, one question which Karna tried to fight remains unanswered as his fate twisted and he himself turned out to be a Kshatriya - Does only high born such as Brahmins and Kshatriya possess power of wielding weapons (or doing other highly regarded things)? Was it right for not allowing other castes to pick weapons? Amidst all this, Karna deserves all the credit for bearing the many things operating at the same time. It must have felt numerous times to be torn apart alive. Even after getting involved with the statesmen, Karna never forgot his fellow people, the sutas.
Karna’s eventful life vividly describes the myriad shades of human nature. It’s an epic saga at its best, of one's various encounters with life and the respective lessons. How perilous it could be, to be unable to sideline your frustration(s), and rather being driven by them !! Karna is magnificent personification of the famous saying - "you can love me or hate me but you can't ignore me".
Please like/share/comment if you found the content intriguing and do leave your thoughts behind. Stay tuned for this blog post series of "The Curious case of epics".....
Extending my gratitude to the almighty!
Read the blog in Hindi here - (https://bit.ly/2kzZ0a2)
(Views are personal and based on popular narrative widely known. No blasphemy whatsoever is intended)
As I had mentioned in my previous blog (https://bit.ly/2Uq25aj) too, Karna has been favourite among readers rejoicing tragic heroes. Irawati Karve beautifully puts it in her book “Yuganta” that though Mahabharat tested each of its characters, but no one seems to be as defeated by life as much as Karna. To each their own, this may be treated either as a comment or a compliment.
Let's discuss what makes a hero like Karna a tragic one.
In the rangbhoomi where all Kuru princes were showcasing their skills after completion of their education, Karna too appears seeking an opportunity for himself. Karna’s candidature in the arena was debated him being considered a low born. With whatever intent, Duryodhana offered Karna kingship (and a supposed friendship) to make him able to stand at par with all Kuru princes. Overwhelmed, Karna obliged to Duryodhana for life.
So much happened in no time, which reportedly changed everything that followed. Thinking about it, let’s suppose a common man like you and me are in similar despondent situation - traumas dwelling over, unfulfilled dreams, ability starving for opportunities and so on...All of a sudden, the state offers you the much needed chance -
Would one not think twice before blindly accepting the opportunity which came so sudden and came from where it was least expected?
Would one accept such obligation in a flash of a second no matter whoever is offering it?
Would one not weigh the possible repercussions of getting so deeply involved with the state?
Did Karna as praja never hear any rumors about the tussle going inside the royal palace for throne? For instance like the one wherein Duryodhana tried to poison Bhima in childhood itself.
And afterall, was it really so essential? Was it really the last resort for a disciple of Lord Parashuram himself to get a chance to face the likes of Arjuna? Impusively, Karna rated this act of Duryodhana so high that he closed all doors of coming back for himself.
The decision looks rash on part of Karna. More so, as he recently had a dose of setback after getting his guru Lord Parashuram’s curse. A formidable warrior like Karna who could easily have won many kingdoms with his sheer prowess seems to have unnecessarily accepted a favor in the heat of the moment. This not only sounded a tad shabby on his part but it also inadvertently undermined his charitable nature. All the wealth he donated was neither ancestral nor earned by merit!. At least it all started from nothing but a favor.
Here afterwards, Karna’s life seemed like a tussle between his two sides
1) A side of his, which had its own understanding of righteousness.
2) A side of him which was compelled to follow Duryodhana unquestioned.
As we all know, the 2nd side largely dominated. But upon keen observation, there appears to be a third side as well which shaped Karna’s life.
3) A blind vehemence which is seeking vengeance for all the wrongdoings which he faced and all insults which were heaped upon him. He couldn't dispose off his pain constructively. Deep down, it was all piling up. He seemed to be desperately driven by a personal goal - Vengeance
He reportedly maintained that he was indebted to Duryodahan....but who decides the extent of debt? Was even a digvijay yatra across Indian subcontinent not enough to repay the debt of one Anga Kingdom? (May be (or may not be), Karna subconsciously made Duryodhana’s debt a goad to battle Arjuna. Vengeance to defeat Arjuna in answer to questions which were raised on his ability, was at play)
Another case which highlights the dominance of this vengeful force seems to be the episode of Draupadi’s vastra haran. The deplorable comments Karna passed on Draupadi is perfect example (albeit a sad one) of a well known hindi proverb - begaani shaadi mein abdulla diwana. Nature of comments he passed also subtly brings forth his mindset about women. In the dice game, Karna at max was a revered guest. By no means, a stakeholder. He jumped into the scheme of things unwarranted,uninvited and only for the worst. While he was a genuine victim in many tragedies, this was all self invited trouble which maligned his image permanently. Vengeance (this time, that of Draupadi's swayamvar) got the better of his righteousness again.
Above instances are definitive cases of inappropriate timings - Fighting for a chance in rangbhoomi where he could have remained quiet and then in vastra haran, remaining mute when there was a much coveted chance in disguise. Another baffling decision Karna took was of not killing any Pandava other than Arjun in the Mahabharat battle. Quite paradoxical to his pledge of aiding Duryodhana. If the opportunity presented itself, why not kill or capture Yudhishtira and end the war there itself ? (Seems like 3rd force again silently calling the shots)
The way Karna anyways dominated Arjuna in the final battle and was killed unarmed, it makes giving away of his armour a tad less relevant. Not using Indra’s shakti on Arjuna while protecting Jaydrath is another puzzle. Also, how did Karna know (and hence made promise to Kunti) that her 5 sons will anyhow remain alive after the war? How did he assume that even if Pandavas win, they will win with Yudhishtira surviving with all the rest 4?
This kind of complicated decision making raises questions on his warriorship too. A troubled mind like his sounds highly likely to get carried away. The hard time Abhimanyu and Ghatotkach gave Karna in the final war, the episode of Gandharvas capturing Duryodhana who was eventually rescued by Arjuna, Arjuna dominating whole Kaurava army in Virat war single handedly, are some already known instances where Karna as a warrior was on backfoot.
By and large, Karna's life exudes frustration and a craziness to avenge it which often resulted in an undue belligerence. This frustration drove him to take messy decisions, only to add more frustration. For his entire life he longed like anything to battle Arjuna. At the end, he died at Arjuna's very hands who was nothing but his own younger brother. Maybe that's what happens upon desiring something so dreadfully.
Summing it up, the hero's life is a great example when one is tested to extreme but unfortunately topples on the wrong side. His life turned out to be a classic battleground between the three sides I mentioned. Sadly, the first one - his own understanding of righteousness, got simply lost in the dust of the battleground. It apparently looks that the 2nd one dominated but there is a glimpse of the 3rd side making its mark time and again.
In all this chaos, one question which Karna tried to fight remains unanswered as his fate twisted and he himself turned out to be a Kshatriya - Does only high born such as Brahmins and Kshatriya possess power of wielding weapons (or doing other highly regarded things)? Was it right for not allowing other castes to pick weapons? Amidst all this, Karna deserves all the credit for bearing the many things operating at the same time. It must have felt numerous times to be torn apart alive. Even after getting involved with the statesmen, Karna never forgot his fellow people, the sutas.
Karna’s eventful life vividly describes the myriad shades of human nature. It’s an epic saga at its best, of one's various encounters with life and the respective lessons. How perilous it could be, to be unable to sideline your frustration(s), and rather being driven by them !! Karna is magnificent personification of the famous saying - "you can love me or hate me but you can't ignore me".
Please like/share/comment if you found the content intriguing and do leave your thoughts behind. Stay tuned for this blog post series of "The Curious case of epics".....
Extending my gratitude to the almighty!
Read the blog in Hindi here - (https://bit.ly/2kzZ0a2)
(Views are personal and based on popular narrative widely known. No blasphemy whatsoever is intended)
Interesting questions. If one is not given dignity and respect, one will jump at the instance when it becomes available. It's a very basic human need that karma was denied. So his decision doesn't seem rash at all to me. Only very natural.
ReplyDeleteYes Karna was denied respect. But the instance of rangbhoomi I mention, by the time Karna has obtained the most desirous of all things - knowledge. Knowledge of highest level from none other than Parashurama. As long as knowledge is not there, all kinds of fears arise and any rash decisoin is highly likely. But it is the knowledge which can enlighten any kind of darkness provided knowledge is given its time. With all precious knowledge in hand, blatantly accepting favor from strangers and that too when they are from state sounded rash to me.
DeleteNice article Pankaj :)
ReplyDelete"Karna’s eventful life vividly describes the myriad shades of human nature" - indeed!
Thank You! Please do share the blog if you liked the overall perspective.
DeleteNice article. But here are few things that I know from stories / reading of the epics.
ReplyDeleteIt was karna who disrespected Droupadi in the game of dice and said, if you already have 5 husbands, what is the proof of your satitwa.
Droupadi did not disrespect him in his swayamvar and his entry was already disqualified by the pretext of him being a suta putra and the swayamvar being open to only kings and princes.
No doubt he was the best daani and this being rewarded with amogh sakti from indra but so was duryodhan, (he offered his body to Krishna who was masquerading as an ailing brahmin to continue his journey of the 4 dhamas)
There are two types of friendships depicted in the Mahabharat, once between Krishna and Arjuna, where a friend guides another to salvation away from all temptations. Another one is between Karna and Duryodhan, where one friend lays down his life for another even though he knows what he does is not right. He argues that his friendship is his dharma towards his friend but ignores the broader perspective of dharma towards his mother, his brothers, his subjects (who would have suffered because of the war).
I believe what the epic teaches us that, there is no black and white in the definition of dharma, there is the question of intent, what you do doesn't matter much before what your intent was. You can earn bad karma while meeting out justice to others and you have to endure the repercussions of the same (Gandhari's curse to Krishna and the ultimate decimation of his rule and death, you cannot escape the consequences of your karma even if you are the creator)
Finally, Mahabharat is a story of epic proportions and needs interpretation as such, I have several questions in mind even after reading so much. Was it not Duryodhan's birthright to the throne, he being the son of the presiding king ? Pandu had already left his throne to a life of sanyasi, then how come his sons have the right to the throne ?
Is it true that Krishna made gandhari hold Duryodhan in her womb for 12 months rather than 9 just so that he becomes younger to Yudhistir ?
When Krishna asked Arjuna to kill karna while he was fixing his chariot just because the former would not be able to defeat the latter in a duel.
Why did Bhima hit duryodhan below the belt the war of maces ?
The answer to all this is in Gita "Even if you do something that appears unethical to uphold dharma, then it is not adharma, but you have to pay the price for that unethical action" This statement I cannot wrap my head around.
Thank you for commenting Lucky. Indeed a pleasure to answer your questions. Here is my attempt
ReplyDeleteDraupadi Swayamvar - As per KM Ganguli's translation it was Indeed Draupadi who stoop up and denied Karna his chance by citing him a suta
About best daani, I put my point that him taking Kingdom from Duryodhana arguably subdues his daani wala part. About donating shakti to Indra, that anyways looked not very relevant in the end war as Karna was anyways killed not by overpowering but by other means.
Two types of friendships - In general applies to all relationships. As you rightly pointed out, Karna ignored the larger aspect of dharma. About it I mention a remote possibility that Karna might have remained with Duryodhana for his personal vehemence.
Epic's teaching about Karma and Gandhari's curse - Agree 100%.
But to me, its more about that Epic doesn't spare anyone when its about trials and tribulations of life. No mater you are full divine or semi divine. Epic doesn't discount any one.
Gandhari's pregnency - can't comment as it was completely unusual.
Right to Throne - King Bharat, ancestor of all Kurus never believed in anything like elder one should be the by default king. He always proposed merit. With the passage of time this notion came into being.
Killing of Karna - I pointed in my previous blog (https://bit.ly/2Uq25aj) that it sounded like Glofrification of Karna. In KM Ganguli's translation, Arjuna dominated Karna not one but many times prior to the last war.
Killing of Duryodhana - Need to study about Gita's message which you mention as right now not well versed with that. But overall, it was not just Duryodhana who was killed unethically but each of Bhishma, Drona and Karna as well. It can be argued that if they find their Dharma in remaining silent in Draupadi's vastra-haran Krishna finds his Dharma in getting them killed unethically.
Thought provoking read and very well put and analysed. Kudos....
ReplyDeleteI feel as a learning, whenever one gets a life changing opportunity from someone in the form of favor, one should put condition before accepting it. Like Karna could have put any condition before accepting favor from Duryodhan that hypothetically, he will be obliged till he returns the favor by multiplying the wealth or doing ABC to repay the debt, or he will not get involved in anything which his soul doesn't agree to etc. He didn't even do that in Rangbhoomi and himself wrote a fate of piling guilt and deeds against his wishes throughout his life.
Let's take an example in this generation, if someone offers me/anybody a favor expecting nothing in return or something in return which may make us move away from our principles, is that opportunity worth it???????? Shattering of self in the clouds of ambiguity of right or wrong, self sabotaging has anyway destroyed the person, whom to blame for here?
BOTTOMLINE acc. to me, 1) Do everything and anything in life unless it doesn't come on shaking your own belief system which defines you and your happiness. 2) Be smart in understanding situations and analysing, otherwise it's just knowledge acquired but not the wisdom
Perfect ! couldn't agree more
Delete