Word

Karna

Sanskrit

कर्ण

IAST

karṇa

In General

Karna was a mighty fighter from M.B. He is son of Surya and was born with divine kavacha and kundala (body shield and ear rings). He was a good man but unfortunately the company of bad people because of circumstances spoiled him.

Kunti had a divine boon to have child from any of her chosen god. The maiden lady tested this boon and had the son from Sun. As she was not married that time she abandoned the infant Karna and the childless Athiratha and Radha got the divine child by luck. Karna was also called as Radheya, son of Radha.

Although Karna was the eldest son of Kunti the fact was not known to them until his death. After the Great War when Kunti told her sons to perform last rites for Karna, they felt very sad and confused; Bhima even abused his mother Kunti

Karna was a gifted fighter but because of his low profile birth as son of a Sutaputra he had the inferiority complex and a professional jealousy against Arjuna. Durodhana always stood by his side, anointed him as the king of Angarajya and nurtured his pride. This made Karna always indebted to Durodhana.

Karna was counted in Genealogy of Anga Kings: Yayati –Turvasu – Vahni – Bharga – Bhanu –Tribhanu – Karandhama - Marutta - (Marutta had no son and he adopted Dusyanta) - Dusyanta - Varutha - Gandira – Gandhara – Kola – Druhyu - Babhrusetu - Purovasu - Gharma – Ghrta – Vidusa – Pracetas – Sabhanara - Kalanara - Srnjaya – Puranjaya – Janamejaya –Mahasala – Mahamanas - Usinara - Titiksu- Rusadratha – Paila – Sutapas – Bali - Anga - (The Anga dynasty begins) - Dadhivahana - Draviratha – Dharmaratha – Citraratha - Satyaratha - Lomapada – Caturanga – Prthulaksa – Carnpa – Haryanga – Bhadraratha – Brhatkarma – Brhadbhanu – Brhadatma – Jayadratha – Brhadratha - Visvajit - Karna.

Purana

Birth of Karna: Kunti was an adopted child of Kuntibhoja. Once the sage Durvasas stayed as a guest of Kuntibhoja and Kunti served the sage. Pleased by the girl’s good conduct and devotion, the sage Durvasa taught her a divine mantra. If she meditates upon any god repeating that mantra, that god would manifest himself to her and bless her with a son equal to him in glory. The young naughty girl and wanted to test the power of the mantra. So she recited the mantra meditating on the Sun. Instantly she felt she saw a divine person coming to her from the sun. She was perplexed. But the divine form embraced her and consoled her saying that she would never lose her virginity even if she bore a son from him. In due course Kunti delivered a male child and with the help of her confident servant she put that child in a box and floated it on the river. Drifting slowly the box reached Campapuri. Adhiratha born of the Sutavamsa and his wife Radha who were childless was greatly pleased to see a babe inside the box and they adopted him and brought him up to best of their abilities. The boy was named Vasusena. It was this baby that became the celebrated Karna afterwards.

Karna grew up in the house of Adhiratha bearing the names Vasusena. Kunti knew this through spies. Kama, a bright student from one of the servants of the kingdom also got chance to study martial arts with royal princes like Pandavas and Kauravas. Karna was not a favorite student of Drona and he was not taught with the techniques of Brahmastra. When their education was complete a day was fixed to exhibit the skill of the students. The public also was invited to see the skill of the princes. Everybody showed his best and Arjuna displayed super-human skill so that the vast assemblage was lost in wonder and admiration. Then strode Karna to the scene and not only did he duplicate with ease Arjuna's feats but he did show something more. The assemblage was dumbfounded. Arjuna turned pale. At this moment Kripa stood up and questioned the right of Karna to compete with those with royal blood in them. Then rose Duryodhana and said : "If the combat is not in order simply because Karna is not a prince it is easily remedied. I crown Karna as the King of Anga". Karna thus became a king of a subordinate kingdom under Kuru.

Karna then went to Mahendragiri and bowed before Parasurama and represented himself as a member of the Bhrgu family(Brahmin). He said he had come to him to be his disciple and learn the secret of the Brahma missile ( Brahmanstra ) from him. Parasurama believed Karna and accepting him as his disciple taught him many new techniques in archery. One day Parasurama slept resting his head on the lap of Karna. Then a beetle attacked Karna and started sucking blood from his thigh. Blood was oozing from his thigh and still Karna did not stir from his position lest it should disturb his guru in his nap. When Parasurama awoke he found Karna bleeding. The master realized the warrior in Karna and told, “ You are not a Brahmin , no Brahmin can bear this much pain”. And then Parasurama cursed him saying "You will forget the secret of the Brahma missile at the time when you want to use it against your enemy."

Karna was born with a Kavacha and Kundala. Surya had ordained that as long as Karna wore the Kavacha and Kundala (armour and ear-rings) he would be unconquerable. Indra knew this and wanted to get Karna rid of these so that Arjuna, his son, might gain a victory over Karna. Karna was reputed for his charity and Indra under the garb of a brahmin went to Karna and begged of him his ear-rings and armour. The Sun god had already warned him in a dream that Indra would thus try to deceive him. Still Kama could not bring himself to refuse any gift that was asked of him and so he cut off the ear-rings and armour with which he was born and gave them to the Brahmana. Indra being pleased, asked Karna for any boon he wanted. Karna requested Indra the best of the weapons he possessed. Indra thus gave him his weapon, the Vaijayanti Sakti. Karna reserved the weapon Vaijayanti Sakti for Arjuna but by fate he had to use it to kill the great Ghatolkaca, son of Bhima in the Mahabharata battle.

Karna was present at the Svayamvara of Draupadi but did not compete as Draupati told to him that she don’t prefer a Sutaputra as husband.

After the death of Dronacharya, Karna commanded the Kaurava army. Arjuna slew Kama at the advice of Sri Krishna when the Karna’s Chariot was struck in mud.

Just before the great war, Kunti went alone to the shores of Gariga and met Karna. She then confessed to him that she was his mother and that the Pandavas were his brothers. She advised Karna to join sides with the Pandavas and the Sun god approved of it. But Karna refused to do so. He said he would never forsake Duryodhana who had brought him up from his childhood at a time when he was in peril. But he promised his mother that he may kill Arjuna but would never kill any of her other four sons and she can be assured of five sons after the war.

Karna had three sons named Citrasena, Satyasena and Susena. All the three were killed at Kuruksetra by Nakula.