The Son of the Sun: The Life and Trials of Karn
There is a magnificent ball of fire in the sky, which lights up the day. Its light nourishes plants through photosynthesis; the plants nourish the herbivores; the herbivores nourish the carnivores. No life on Earth would exist if it weren't for this fireball. Take a moment and bow to the Sun.
About the Character
Karn is the most complex character in the Mahabharat epic. He is Kunti's firstborn; therefore, he is a Pandav by birth. But Kunti abandons him at birth, so he is raised by foster parents Adhirath and Radha. The Pandavas don't know Karn is their elder brother and shun him. But he is embraced by Duryodhan and the other Kauravas. Before the war, Kunti and Lord Krishna tell him the truth about his birth; however, he still refuses to betray Duryodhan's friendship. He goes on to fight the Mahabharat war on the Kaurav side and, ultimately, is slain by Arjun.
The Birth of Karn
Kunti immediately wanted to give Rishi Durvasa's mantra a try. She tried summoning the Sun god; the latter instantly appeared before her! She wanted to reverse the mantra as she was unmarried, but the Sun god handed her a beautiful baby boy. The boy was radiant like his celestial father and was adorned with golden earrings and armor. Kunti did not wish to live a stigma-laden life and surrendered the boy. The floating basket slowly found its way to the charioteer Adhirath and his wife Radha, who were childless. It contained a baby boy wearing golden earrings and armor, whom the couple adopted and named Karn.
The Brahmin's Curse
When he was young, Karn accidentally killed a Brahmin's cow. The Brahmin cursed Karn that he would be killed on the battlefield when he was helpless like a cow.
The Curse of Parashuram
Karn trained under the Brahmin Warrior Parashuram, whose name means 'Ram with an axe'. The guru hated the warrior caste with a vengeance as they killed his father, Jamadagni. Karn, a Warrior, disguised himself as a Brahmin to become Parashuram's student. He eventually learned all the mantras from the revered and feared teacher. One day, when Parashuram was asleep resting on Karn's lap, Indra, the king of the gods, transformed into a bee and stung Karn's thigh. Karn began to bleed but didn't move a muscle because he didn't want to wake his teacher up. But when Parashuram's clothes became soaked with blood, he awoke with a start. Since there was no way a Brahmin could withstand the pain of being stung by a bee, Parashuram realized that Karn was a Warrior in disguise. The son of Jamadagni cursed Karn to forget the mantras he learned by deceit when he would need them the most.
The Grand Parade and the Emergence of Karn
After the Kuru princes' training, the Pandavas' and Kauravas' guru, Dronacharya, organized a grand parade that included chariot-riding, horse-riding, and mace-fighting. The mock mace fight between Bheem and Duryodhan quickly escalated into an actual battle. The two had to be separated by Ashwatthama. It was then Arjun's turn to display his prowess in archery. After he did this, a warrior wearing golden earrings and armor replicated Arjun's feats and even challenged Arjun to an archery competition! It was Karn. Kripacharya introduced Arjun by stating his royal lineage and invited Karn to do the same, as Arjun would compete only against an equal. It was then that Duryodhan crowned Karn "The King of Anga". Kunti was happy that Karn finally obtained recognition, something she could never give him.
Draupadi's Swayamvar
The occasion is Draupadi's swayamvar.
Wedding preparations are afoot.
The bride is wearing a ravishing saree.
The guests wonder who will win
the hand of the dusky Panchali.
The archer who fires an arrow and pierces the eye of a rotating golden fish dangling above wins Draupadi! Sounds easy enough. But he has to do it by looking at its reflection in a pool of water. Several archers attempted the test but failed and returned to their seats empty-handed. It was then Karn's turn; his earrings and armor emitted a golden glow. But just as he aimed, a prince wondered aloud how a charioteer's son could partake in a competition meant for princes. Draupadi then told her brother there was no way she'd marry a charioteer's son. Karn returned to his seat, shamefaced. Arjun eventually won the contest and married Draupadi.
Karn's Sacrifice: The Gift of the Shakti Missile
One morning, just after Karn finished his Sun worship ritual, he met a beggar. When he regretted that he had no alms to give, the beggar asked for his earrings and armor instead. The Sun god had warned Karn that Indra, the king of the gods, would try to trick him into relinquishing these items. But Karn, renowned for his generosity, donated his divine earrings and armor to the beggar anyway. The beggar then transformed into Indra, who was pleased with Karn's generosity. So, he bestowed upon Karn a deadly missile called the Shakti, stipulating that he could use it only once in battle. Karn hoped to use this weapon to kill Arjun.
The Onset of the Mahabharat: The Fall of Bheeshma and Dronacharya
The war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, also known as the Mahabharat, began. The first two commanders-in-chief of the Kaurav army—Bheeshma and Dronacharya—were defeated treacherously.
Karn's Dilemma: A Nighttime Revelation from Krishna
After Duryodhan appointed Karn as the third commander-in-chief of the Kaurav army, Krishna arrived at Karn's quarters in the dead of night. Karn welcomed Krishna, they chatted, and then the latter revealed the truth about Karn's birth. Krishna told Karn to join his Pandav brothers and that once the war ended, he would rule Hastinapur as the eldest Pandav. Karn was speechless for a few minutes. He then realized that if Yudhishthir also learned the truth, he would immediately surrender the throne of Hastinapur to his elder brother Karn. But Karn, out of friendship with Duryodhan, would then offer the throne to the eldest Kaurav. So, he begged Krishna not to tell Yudhishthir about this. Krishna agreed not to tell Yudhishthir and left the Kaurav camp with a sigh.
Karn's Vow: Loyalty to Duryodhan and a Mother's Plea
A few days later, Kunti met Karn and told him he was her biological son. She then told him to join the rest of his Pandav brothers and fight the war as a Pandav. Karn refused, saying his loyalty to Duryodhan was more important. Karn reminded Kunti that she had always lived as if she had only five sons. So, he promised her not to slay any Pandava other than Arjun. Thus, regardless of who won the battle between Karn and Arjun, she would still have five sons.
Choosing Friendship Over Vengeance
Bheem's half-demon son, Ghatothkach, started wreaking havoc over the Kaurav army, and Duryodhan's life was at risk. Karn was forced to make the difficult decision of choosing between Duryodhan's friendship and his rivalry against Arjun. He finally chose the former and used Indra's Shakti to kill Ghatothkach; he could no longer use it to kill Arjun.
The Fateful Duel: Karn's Defeat by Arjun
On day seventeen of the Mahabharat war, Karn faced off against Arjun and his champion charioteer Krishna. The battle stayed even for a long time. When Karn fired a snake arrow at Arjun, Krishna pushed the front wheels of the chariot into the ground so that the snake could only topple Arjun's crown. Karn fired the Vaishnavastra at his younger brother, but Krishna stood up just before this all-powerful missile hit Arjun. The weapon immediately became a flower garland wrapped around Krishna's neck.
As the battle against Arjun continued to rage on, the Brahmin's curse came to fruition, and one of Karn's chariot wheels got stuck in the mud. Karn was forced to step out of the chariot to attempt to pull the wheel out. Although Karn was now defenseless, Krishna advised Arjun to kill him. He reminded Arjun that Karn had never been a protector of Dharma and could not expect Dharma to protect him now. Parashuram's curse also took effect, and Karn forgot the mantras he had learned from his teacher. Arjun obeyed Krishna and shot an arrow that severed Karn's head.
The Heartbreaking Truth: The Pandavas Mourn Karn
Although the Pandavas eventually won the Mahabharat war, both sides suffered heavy losses. Kunti and the Pandavas performed the last rites of Abhimanyu, Ghatothkach, and their other relatives who had perished in the war. Kunti then asked Yudhishtir to perform the last rites of Karn also. Yudhishtir refused, saying Karn was not their relative but one of their worst enemies. Kunti then reminded the Pandavas that Karn had spared four of their lives when he could easily have killed them. She said that he did so because he was her firstborn. When the omniscient Lord Krishna corroborated her statement, the Pandavas were heartbroken at having killed their own brother. They then performed Karn's last rites as he was, after all, the eldest Pandav.