Arjuna and Karn - Heroes of Mahabharat

1. The decisive battle in the war of Mahabharata!

Karna and Arjuna are two valiant warriors, both important characters in the great Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. These combatants were born to Kunti, hence, were half-brothers. Yet, their diametrically different personalities and mutual antagonism went on to become one of the prime reasons for the Mahabharata itself, forming its basis for the Kurukshetra war. Though these striking personalities were always at loggerheads with each other, it is the concluding war between them that is the most cataclysmic and gripping in the entire tale of the Mahabharata.

2. The five Atirathis

It is believed that even the warriors in the battlefield and the Devas or Gods in Swargaloka (heaven) watched this battle in awe and admiration for these two Atirathis (greatest of warriors). A soldier was given the title of an Atirathi only if he was capable of fighting 60000 men at one and the same time, also successfully vanquishing them all. In fact, the Mahabharata records only five Atirathis, namely, Krishna, Bhishma, Drona, Karna and Arjuna.

3. Who was better?

Among these, Krishna only played the role of a sarathi (charioteer) during the war. He never directly attacked anyone in the battlefield. Who was the stronger of the two brothers, Karna and Arjuna? Who was the better archer? Who was more valiant and pure-hearted? To find an apt answer to these questions, we will first have to delve into the life stories of both these great Maharathis (great personalities).

4. Karna - The Suta Putra (son of a charioteer)

Karna is the son of Kunti (mother of Pandavas) and Surya (Sun God). He fought on behalf of his close friend Duryodhana against his own brothers during the Kurukshetra war. Throughout his lifetime, Karna had to fight against misfortunes. Karna was born to Kunti, before her marriage with Pandu. Hence, he was abandoned by her and was brought up by a charioteer, who is considered to be much lower in caste than Kshatriyas. He had to bear the brunt of ridicule and snide remarks throughout his life.

5. Karna's birth

Sage Durvasa, pleased by Kunti's devotion, granted her a boon that she could call upon any god of her choice, and beget a child through him. A curious, yet unmarried, Kunti, decided to test the power of the boon. She looked to the Sun and invoked the mantra. Surya immediately appeared before her and handed her a son, who was as radiant and robust as the Sun God himself. The baby had a Kavacha (armour) and Kundalas (a pair of dangling earrings) at birth.

6. Kunti abandoned Karna

Kunti knew that she would not have the courage to face the world as an unwed mother. With the help of her maid Dhatri, Kunti placed baby Karna in a basket and set him afloat on the holy river Ashwanadi, which actually joins the Ganga. The basket with baby Karna kept floating on the river, till it was discovered by Adhirata, a charioteer of the king Dhritarashtra. He and his wife Radha raised the child as their own and named him Vasusena.

7. Karna: The unfortunate one!

One afternoon, Parashurama (Karna's guru) lay down on Karna's lap for a while. After a little time, a giant bee stung Karna's thigh. Karna was in deep pain but did not move. When Parashurama awoke, he deduced that Karna was a Kshatriya and not a Brahmin, as only a Kshatriya could have endured such excruciating pain. Feeling insulted at being lied to, he placed a curse on Karna, that all his martial skills, including the use of the Brahmastra, would fail him when he needed them the most.

8. Karna is cursed

Karna pleaded with him for mercy. Parashurama relented, but this curse was now irrevocable. He then gifted Karna a celestial weapon called Bhargavastra and eventually blessed him saying that in the end, Karna would achieve everlasting glory and immortal fame. Leaving Parashurama's ashram, Karna was forced to shoot an arrow at a cow that was rushing at him. The dead cow's owner cursed Karna that he too would be killed in the same way that he killed the poor helpless animal.

9. Karna is cursed

Once Karna saw a little girl crying over spilled ghee. Karna offers to procure fresh ghee, but the child refuses, saying that she want the same ghee. Karna took the mixture in his hand and squeezed it, in order to separate ghee from the soil. This incensed Bhoomidevi (Mother Earth). She told him that she would trap his chariot wheel in the earth, at a crucial period in the battlefield. Sadly, all these curses took effect at the same time during the war of Kurukshetra.

10. The Kurushetra War - the Dharma Yuddha

Bhishma, the commander-in-chief of the Kaurava army, did not want Karna's participation in the war under his leadership. Bhishma said that Karna had insulted both Parashurama and Draupadi and such a person should not fight the war. Bhishma who knew about Karna's true identity, did not want him to fight against his own brothers. Hence, Karna entered the battlefield only on the eleventh day after Bhishma's fall on the tenth day.

11. The Karna Parva

The Mahabharat war fought on day 16 and day 17 are jointly referred to as the Karna Parva - when Karna becomes the commander of Kaurava army. Krishna warns Arjuna to be caution in the battlefield, as Karna is his equal and even much superior to him at times. This proves that even Krishna knew that Karna was almost invincible and could easily succeed in destroying Arjuna if he really focused on it. Krishna hence asks Arjuna to slay the Sutaputra as early as possible.

12. The Karna Parva

Karna defeated all the Pandavas on the sixteenth day of battle. He first defeated Bhima, but left him alive, since he was his own younger brother. He did not kill any of the four brothers, since he had given Kunti his word that he would only take Arjuna's life. Karna then asked his charioteer, Shalya, to take him to Arjuna. He took out his powerful Nagastra and hurled it at Arjuna, but Krishna subtly lowered the chariot into the earth by putting pressure with his feet.

13. A titan falls to the ground

Arjuna let off a volley of arrows, which Karna answered almost effortlessly. Finally, Arjuna was left weaponless. But by that time, the sun had set, and Karna spared his life, observing the rules of the war. On the seventeenth day, Karna fought long and hard, but Karna's chariot wheel sank into the ground and got trapped in the loose wet soil, rooting his chariot to the spot. He also forgot the incantations of the divine mantras taught to him by his Gurus.

14. A titan falls to the ground

Karna descended from his chariot to free the wheel and requested Arjuna to wait till it was set right, according to the rules of the battle. But Krishna asked Arjuna not to stick by the rules this time, as Karna had also committed enough atrocities. Though Arjuna objected to Krishna's stand, the latter convinced him that it would be no sin to kill a man who had stood by evil all through his life. Arjuna then shot several arrows at the helpless Karna, critically wounding him.

15. But Karna still did not die!

Krishna then explained that Karna's acts of generosity were saving him from certain death. Krishna then took the form of an aged Brahmin, went up to Karna and requested him to give away the fruits of all the charity he had done all his life. Karna, offered the Brahmin his blood as a representation of the fruits of his charitable actions. Krishna was touched by the greatness of this warrior and in return, blessed him. Arjuna then used his arrow, Anjalika, to behead Karna. Karna died!

16. After Karna's death

Kunti requested her sons to perform the final rites for Karna. When they refused, she revealed the truth about his birth. This shocked and saddened the Pandavas, who realized that they had killed their own eldest brother. A furious Yudhishtira then cursed his mother and all women in general, that women would never be able to keep a secret from that point on. Karna's Antim Sanskar (last rites) was performed by Krishna himself. Karna was the only one who received this great honour.

17. Arjuna in contrast with Karna

We now try to draw a parallel between Arjuna and Karna in order to find out who was the better warrior out of the two. There were many instances when they both faced similar circumstances. Both Arjuna and Karna were master archers and both competed for Draupadi's hand. Both also had to fight their own brothers in the war. Both had a deep connection to the Kauravas. The only difference was that Arjuna hated them and Karna loved them.

18. Arjuna in contrast with Karna

Though half-brothers, both showed diametrically opposite personalities. While Karna was an extremely gifted, kind-hearted, brave, giving, generous to a fault and righteous, all of which had been taken advantage of, during the entire episode of the Mahabharata, especially during the Kurukshetra war.

19. Did Draupadi and Karna love each other?

In fact, Karna had all the five qualities of an ideal husband that Draupadi was seeking before her wedding to Arjuna. Had Draupadi married Karna, she could have had all the qualities in just that one person, without having to go through the trouble of becoming the wife of five men. She then would not have had to go through societal disapproval either. There is a story that Draupadi and Karna were actually in love with one another, before she married the Pandavas.

20. An incident that triggered off the Kurukshetra war!

Neither Draupadi nor Karna had known his actual identity and royal lineage. Karna would have won Draupadi's hand at the swayamvara, but he was denied permission because he was the son of a Charioteer. Krishna knew that Karna was Kunti's son, but he was the one to tell Draupadi not to let Karna participate. How right was that? The Swayamvara episode so incensed Karna that he held on to the grudge against Draupadi, finally calling her Veshya or prostitute, during the Game of Dice.

21. Arjuna shows his arrogant nature

No doubt Arjuna was the best example of a diligent student, an embodiment of concentration and was blessed by divine grace. In fact, he was always victorious only due to Krishna. Many times, Krishna had resorted to adharma in order to win against both Karna and the Kauravas. How could this probably be justifiable? Arjuna showed his highly arrogant side many times during the course of the Mahabharata. For instance, after he killed Karna, Arjuna proclaimed himself the greatest archer in the whole world.

22. Arjuna shows his arrogant nature

Krishna merely smiled and said nothing and proceeded to take Arjuna back to his chariot. At Krishna's signal, the flag bearing Lord Hanuman's sign fell to the ground. At that instant, Arjuna's chariot exploded into dust and its horses were burnt alive. Hanuman appeared before them and revealed that he was the one who had been protecting Arjuna's chariot from the effect of Karna's weapons. He also reminded Arjuna that only Lord Krishna's power was holding the chariot together. Arjun then realized his error and praised Karna.

23. Karna was more ethical during the war

Karna had played by the rules during the Kurukshetra war. He never once attacked Arjuna at a weak moment. Once, when Arjuna fainted due to the impact of Karna's arrow, Karna had refused to send more Nagastras in his direction, as it would be a treacherous act toward humanity itself. In contrast, Arjuna took advantage of Karna's weak moment and killed him, knowing well that he would be rendered incompetent if he let him live any longer.

24. Karna was more ethical during the war

Krishna himself praised Karna's skill in the battlefield and had told Arjuna that he only survived Karna's attacks because of his own grace and the grace of Hanuman, who was protecting him from sure death. This itself proves that Arjuna was nowhere near being the greatest archer of all time. In spite of Karna knowing about his actual lineage, he never once abused Kunti for having left him to fend for himself. On the contrary, he showered her too with the love and respect any mother deserved.

25. Karna was more ethical during the war

Though Arjuna had not known during the war that Karna was his brother, he would have never bowed down before a mother if she had abandoned him as she did with Karna. Arjuna had never displayed that kind of humility ever. Also, Karna had kept up his promise to Kunti that he would not harm his four brothers. He only wanted to duel with Arjuna, no one else. Hence, he only defeated them all, but never killed them.

26. Karna was more ethical during the war

Karna had known that Arjuna's father, Indra, was tricking him into giving away his Kavacha and Kundala. He was well aware that his own defeat would be imminent if he gave them away. Yet, he did not deny Indra his demands. In spite of treading the path of dharma, Karna had to face death at the hands of Arjuna, that too, by unethical means.

27. Why Karna suffered so much injustice?

There is an explanation as to why Karna suffered so much injustice and such a violent death. It is said that Karna's friendship with Duryodhana had ultimately led him towards his own destruction. He had unwillingly supported his friend in all his adharmic actions, and hence, had to pay a heavy price for the same. He had known all along that his relationship with Duryodhana would end up in his own destruction. Duryodhana was the only one who supported Karna, when all the others had ridiculed him.

28. Why Karna suffered so much injustice?

Karna is also criticised for insulting Draupadi and supporting Duryodhana who wanted to dishonour her in public. The other adharmic incident Karna carries out during the war is the killing of the young and defenseless Abhimanyu. This was definitely not befitting of an honorable warrior such as Karna. He eventually paid in the same coin. He too was slain in an adharmic way, when he was unarmed and chariotless.

29. Karna as a popular figure in Hinduism

Many Hindus still revere Karna for his bravery and generosity. Throughout his life, he suffered immense hardships, but he never gave up hope. Instead, he continued unflinchingly with his duty and finally achieved martyrdom. Even stalwarts such as Bheesma and Krishna considered him to a noble spirit. Karna truly deserves sympathy. Though born as a divine prince, he was treated as an outcaste all his life. Kunti should have acknowledged and celebrated the radiant Karna as her oldest son, but she abandoned him.

30. Karna desrves respect

In spite of being the mightiest of warriors, he was never given that recognition. He had to live with all these frustrations haunting him for an entire lifetime. Added to that, he had also been unfairly cursed several times, which led to his ultimate defeat and death during the war. Nevertheless, Karna is worthy of the greatest respect and admiration for his amazing personality and indomitable will to fight against all odds.

31. Arjuna as the greatest of archers

Karna's greatness, should however, not detract us from Arjuna's importance in the Mahabharata. He was a central figure and an incarnation of the Nara. His divine birth was celebrated by the Devas, Munis (sages) and apsaras. Not for nothing was Arjuna so close to Krishna. Such a person could not be a mere ordinary individual. What was special about Arjuna was his quest for perfection in every field of his life.

32. Arjuna is a great teacher

His life story gives us important lessons to learn from - his unflinching adherence to duty, his respect towards elders, his devotion to his Guru and so on. Arjuna's might was commendable indeed. He could single-handedly vanquish several armies and one and the same time. Arjuna's unquestioning devotion to Krishna finally ultimately led him to the path of victory and success. This tells us that moving along the path of dharma alone will help sustain us through our journey of life.