The "Kaunteya" 🌸

Since childhood, I had a special fondness for reading interesting stories.

During that time, I heard a lot from my father about the Mahabharata written by Ved Vyas and the desire to read the Mahabharata arose. I read the entire Mahabharata in class 8th.

If anyone's character impressed me in the entire Mahabharata, it was the character of Karna. Karna was a warrior who never gave up in his life. Everyone despised Karna, the one who did not was his best friend Duryodhana and wife Vrushali. Both of them did not leave Karna till their death. Wife Vrushali supported Karna at every step.

Karna symbolizes a man who is rejected by those who should love him but do not see the circumstances, yet he becomes a man with extraordinary abilities who gives his love and life as a loyal friend. I consider Karna as the great hero of Mahabharata. Karna was one of the best archers of Mahabharata. In Karna's last moments, Arjuna himself admitted that Karna was superior to him. Even today, the image of Karna in the Indian mind is that of a great warrior who fought against adverse circumstances throughout his life. Karna has a great character, he got the love of two Mothers.

Pandu's wife Kunti was blessed by sage Durvasa. Kunti appealed to Sun God and pleased with her devotion, Sun God appeared and blessed Kunti with a son.

To save herself from public shame due to being unmarried, Kunti kept her son Karna in a basket and drowned her in the river Ganges. Karna was the son of Surya in whom the glory of the Sun was reflected and not only this, Karna had armor and earrings on his body since birth. There is no greater donor than Karna. Karna even donated his armor and earrings to Indra. The five sons of Pandu despised Karna.

Even today, whenever I read the touching story of Kunti and Karna in Mahabharata, I feel like crying. When Kunti abandoned Karna, His foster parents, Radha and Athiratha, loved him immensely and brought him up very well, the way they knew. He was resentful because he did not know whose child he was. But the people who brought him up, did so with utmost love.  He always remembered how much his mother loved him. “That is one person who loved me for who I am,” he says. Out of his competence and the will of fate, he became Angaraja – the king of Anga. He got many things and was given a position and place in the palace. In many ways he was also a big king’s sidekick. Duryodhana held him dear and took advice from him. Even after becoming king, Karna was sad that people called him Sutaputra.

Duryodhana gave more importance to the advice given by Karna than Shakuni on any subject. Lord Krishna became the cause of Karna's death. It was Lord Krishna who told Arjun the method of killing Karna. Karna was killed by Arjun.

Being a charitable king, Lord Krishna tested Karna in his last moments and asked him for charity, then Karna broke his gold teeth and offered them to Lord Krishna. 

The name of Karna's bow was Vijay. Lord Parashurama had given his bow named Vijay to Karna.

Karna took lessons by lying to Lord Parashurama which became the cause of Karna's death.

Draupadi wanted a wise husband with strong moral values who was physically strong, skilled, good-looking, and intelligent. Karna was the only character in Mahabharata who possessed all of these qualities. The gods knew of Draupadi’s desire long in advance and gave all these qualities to one man. Furthermore, they distributed these qualities evenly among the Pandavas. (Yudhistira for moral values, Bhima for physical strength, Arjuna for archery, Nakula is handsome, and Sahadev is the most intelligent), During the Swayamvar, Draupadi knew that Karna would win the Swayamvar. But Draupadi herself prevented him from participating in the Swyamvar, calling him a Suta Putra. Draupadi chose Arjun as her groom as per Krishna's advice. He never forgot this gesture of his friend Duryodhana. To show his gratitude towards this unconditional friendship, he vowed to aid Duryodhana throughout his life and in all conditions, good or bad. This is why he did not side with the Pandavas even when Lord Krishna exploded with the truth that he is one of the Pandava brothers and the son of non-other than Lord Surya himself.

Karna promised his mother Kunti that her five sons would live forever, either Arjun or himself. Karna struggled his whole life and proved himself to be a great warrior. Karna did not leave Duryodhana and his wife Vrushali till his death. Karna forgave his mother Kunti along with his five brothers. I believe that when you are going through a struggle, do not leave the people who have supported you, under any circumstances.🌻