HIS LIFE STORY...

A maiden was given a boon that by chanting a Mantra, she can summon any God, and that God will bless her with a child. She summoned the God of the Sun and was blessed with a child- born with divine Kavach and Kundals. But since she was unmarried, she feared that the society shall ostracize her for having a son before marriage. She had drowned him in a basket and later the child was rescued by a charioteer Adhirath and his wife Radha. Being childless, they felt that they were finally blessed with a child and named him Karna. Karna was thereafter raised by them.

From a very young age, Karna dreamt of becoming a formidable archer but the reverent Gurus, including Guru Dhronacharya refused to teach him since he was the Son of a Suta. Finally, Guru Parashuram agreed to train him when he went in the guise of a Brahmin. On that day of Graduation for the Kauravas and Pandavas, Karna wanted to show his valor but was denied an opportunity because of his caste. Duryodhana, the eldest Kaurava made him the King of Anga so that he is competent to compete against Arjuna.

From them, Duryodhana and Karna become strong allies. Much against his will and due to sheer loyalty towards Duryodhana Karna had to be a part of the Varnavarta conspiracy and then, in that treacherous dice game, where Draupadi was publicly disrobed. After thirteen years, when the Pandavas came back to Hastinapur, Duryodhana would not give them even five villages, which called for the inevitable battle of Kurukshetra, where Karna had to meet his end at the hands of Arjuna. 

Karna is still remembered for his indomitable desire to fight against all odds and become the most formidable archer India had ever seen. His journey proves that with determination, one can achieve his or her goals in life despite every challenge fate throws at them. He is also known for his golden heart, from which he gave alms, and even when Lord Indra asked for his Kavach and Kundals, he did not deny the same.

LESSONS LEARNT FROM KARNA’S LIFE

Karna is one of the most underrated characters in the Mahabharata. He was not just a formidable warrior but also a man with a golden heart. He was forsaken by his mother right after his birth, adopted by a lower caste family, and refused education because of his caste, but despite everything, fought at every stage to make a mark in society. In this article, I will be sharing five lessons that one can take from Karna’s life, which are relevant even in today’s day and age.

1. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Karna had nurtured his dream to become the most formidable archer in the entire nation. However, nobody was willing to impart him with knowledge because of his caste. He didn’t lose hope and went to Guru Parshuram in the guise of a Brahmin who decided to give him the knowledge he craved for. In this way, he found a way to become the best archer in the nation and he had proved himself at every stage. 

2. You should know what true friendship means.

True friendship is being grateful for how your friend stood by you in your difficult time, and doing the same for them. But, should you stand by your friend when you clearly know for a fact that they are wrong? Here, Karna was not justified in supporting Duryodhana in every move, be it in the plan to burn the Pandavas alive, disrobing Draupadi, or even waging the battle of Kurukshetra. There is a thin line between standing by our friends through thick and thin and standing by your friend knowing that he/she has taken the unjust route.

3. Always be there for others.

Karna had suffered a lot and had gone through a lot of pain and humiliation. Still, he was always ready to give alms to people and was there to stand by them during their harsh times. This tells us that even if the world is unjust to us, we should do our best and try to stand by people during the times they need us the most.

4. Be proud to be who you are.

Karna had to face humiliation throughout his life for being the son of a Suta. He was denied his basic rights and basic opportunities just because he belonged to a lower caste. In spite of everything, he was never ashamed of his roots or his parents who had brought him up with utmost love and care. He proudly referred to himself as “Radhey” no matter how many taunts he had to go through due to that. This teaches us that no matter what, we should always be proud to be who we are and what are our values even if the entire world tries to tell us otherwise.

5. Don’t abandon your values while quenching your thirst for vengeance.

Karna might have been extremely humiliated and was filled with anger and resentment but still, he was a man of valor and values. But he was so full of resentment that he had participated in the heinous crime of disrobing Draupadi and even called her a whore. That became the reason for his doom and a stain on his character that could never be washed away. This teaches us that no matter how prejudicial society and its people have been to us, we should never abandon the values that we treasure and live by lest that shall bring our doom.

CONCLUSION

The characters of our epics have great life lessons to share. These characters have gone through a lot of struggles, have committed sins, and have faced the consequences as well. From that, we can learn from their mistakes and their deeds to make sure that we live a life that we are proud of. To have a life of integrity and honor, it is imperative for us to take life lessons from the Great Epic of Mahabharata. 

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