Krishna and Karna

Krishna Vishwaroop in Hastinapur

Hammering Duryodhana’s plan of imprisoning him, Krishna left the palace court disheartened and filled with rage. He was stopped by Queen Gandhari and Kunti in the hallway.

“Krishna! I heard Duryodhana tried to confine you. Don’t get angry on him. Kindly forgive him for his activities. He got no idea on what he is doing or who you are.” -  Queen Gandhari spoke in a pleading tone.

“O Queen of Hastinapur! I’m not angry on Duryodhana. I only pity him. He has got the great Pithamaha Bhishma, intellectual Vidhura and the talented Dronacharya with him and yet he fails to listen to them or take their advices. I feel sorry for his level of understanding dharma. I feel sorry for you and King Drithirashtra for being unable to defend your son from your brother Saguni.” – Krishna spoke in a disappointed voice.

“Duryodhana doesn’t know what is right or wrong. He grew under the shadow of my brother which myself and my husband failed to preclude. My husband is blind and I, as a good wife followed his world of darkness, unknowingly pushing my sons into the world of darkness.”- Gandhari spoke in dejected voice.

“I can’t blame Duryodhana solely for this behavior of him. You both know that Uncle Saguni is leading your son in the wrong path and yet you both remained silent, right from Duryodhana’s childhood. It’s hard to change now. You both let your son rest under the shadow of a poisonous tree and the poison has spread into the roots of your son too. Now everything is out of our hands. War is inevitable. Your son favors war. He ceased to listen and think.” – Krishna spoke with a concern.

“No Krishna. I know my son. Of course, my son prefers to listen to my brother than Pithamaha and my husband but he does listen to Karna. If Karna speaks to Duryodhana, then this war can be prevented. Karna, as a friend has vowed to follow my son’s commands but, as a friend concerned on his friend’s well-being, Karna have the chance to make Duryodhana understand about the situation and prevent war. Will you kindly speak to Karna and make him speak to my son? Please Krishna. It’s a request from a mother who is worried about her son.”- Gandhari appealed to Krishna.

Listening to Gandhari’s words, Krishna spoke-“Karna is our only chance of hope. But he is eager to fight against Arjuna! This war is his opportunity to prove that he is talented than Arjuna. If this war can be prevented, of course, everyone will be relieved. I will try what I can do. I will speak to Karna about it. I will take leave now.”

After receiving blessings from Gandhari and Kunti, Krishna left the palace. Karna, who has got great respect for Krishna was waiting with his chariot to take Krishna to Vidhura’s palace. Though Karna was needed in the palace court to support his friend as everyone will be squawking about the behavior of Duryodhana, Karna chose to drop Krishna. Such was his respect and devotion to Krishna.

Krishna was happy to see Karna. He saw the depressed face of Karna but he didn’t speak about anything and he quietly got into the chariot. Karna drove the chariot.

After few moments of silence, Karna spoke, “Krishna! Kindly forgive Duryodhana for his ingenuous act. He should not have behaved in such a way to a messenger. He had no idea on what he was doing. He was blind to think as he is filled with rage on the Pandavas.”

“Ingenuous!?!? Karna! You follow the path of dharma and yet you call that as an ingenuous act!!! He wants to be the King. He wants the throne so badly and yet you call that act as ingenuous! He got no idea what the war will bring and what effects it will have on the lives of the citizens but he wants to rule the world as an emperor, at the cost of so many lives and you call that mind as innocent!? Karna, where is your heart that follows dharma?” – Krishna stared at Karna deep in the eyes.

Unable to face Krishna, Karna lowered his eyes and faced the pathway, steering his steeds. Krishna continued, “Karna! You know that what Duryodhana is doing is wrong and yet you support him. Why do you do that? Where is the Karna of Radhey and Adhiratha who followed the path of dharma? You are not satisfied with the peace talks or what? You too, like your friend, prefer war? Why is it so? Do you think war is the only chance for you to prove yourself against Arjuna?”

Krishna and Karna

Karna said, “No Krishna! Definitely no! I do pray for this war to not happen. War is not my only chance to win Arjuna. I am ready to fight against him in a one to one combat too. I, as a friend, like to follow my friend’s command for I’m indebted to him. If its war that Duryodhana recommends, then war it is for me too.”

“Karna! Your heart is filled with dharma. Dharma filled heart will have only love and kindness. If you think Duryodhana as a friend, why is it that you, as a friend, did not request your friend to follow the path of dharma? Don’t you see that you have failed in your duties as a friend in rectifying your friend’s mistakes? What is it that you’re going to gain by fighting for Duryodhana? Even if you get to beat Arjuna, all you will get to be known is only as King of Anga. Why are you fighting aside Duryodhana and what is it that you seek?” – Krishna probed Karna.

“I am not going to fight this war for anything. In fact, both I and Pithamaha will be the solitary mighty warriors of this war who will be fighting for nothing. He fights for his promise to defend Hastinapur. I will be fighting for I’m obliged to Duryodhana.” – Karna replied with distress.

“Pithamaha has got no way out. But you have. You are free to choose your decision. You can at least stay away from the war, right? You aren’t seeking anything then why to go against dharma? Why not fight for the Pandavas and support dharma? With you and Arjuna on the side of dharma, the victory for dharma will be assured and will be effortlessly accomplished.”- Krishna spoke with concern.

“No Krishna! My dharma doesn’t go by it. The throne I sit, the kingdom I rule, all those I donate was all given to me by Duryodhana. I’m grateful to him for he never questioned me while I was giving away his wealth. This war, I take it as my chance to return him my gratitude. As a friend, I have to be there for my friend. My dharma is friendship. I know, Duryodhana wishes for war, believing in me. For we all know, both Pithamaha and Dronacharya is not going to kill any of the Pandavas. I wouldn’t leave my friend when he needs me. Though I know that my friend is wrong, I cannot help it. I stand by my dharma which is to stand for the friend who was there for me when I had no one else by my side.” – Karna spoke in a definite voice.

Krishna, though he was admired at the virtue of Karna, he asked, “So, you accept that what Duryodhana is doing is against dharma? You wholly believe that he is going to be the sole reason accountable for the war to happen?”

Embarrassed, Karna lowered his head and spoke, -“As hard as it is for me, I do accept. And I do accept that as a friend I failed in my duty, in amending my friend.”

“Do you realize that Duryodhana is fighting this war because of you? Your presence in their side makes it hard for dharma to win. If you are not fighting for him, he might even rethink about the war. If you think that this is your only chance to repay to Duryodhana, what will you do when both the sides decide to go by peace? What will you do when there’s no war?” – Krishna queried Karna.

Karna glanced at Krishna and with smile on his lips he said, “Do you want me to believe that?! I can see you trying to persuade me to fight for dharma or to be more precise, King Yudhistra. I was there in the Hastinapur palace court where your peace talk faced a disastrous climax. Why would you even care to persuade me when there’s no war? With god himself trying to convince me to change sides, I can see that even the windows aren’t open for peace. With Duryodhana agreeing to Saguni blindly, with you trying to convince me, with Pithamaha and Vidhura failing to make a stand against King Dhritarashtra, I don’t see any chances for peace. I know that war is inevitable right from the day when Duchadhana dragged Draupathi to the court.”

          “You know everything and yet why do you stand against dharma? Why do you prefer to?”- Krishna asked Karna.

Karna pleading to Dronacharya

          “Dronacharya denied me teaching archery, just because I wasn’t a Kshatriya. My talents were not considered or appreciated by Dronacharya and Pithamaha because I was just the son of a charioteer. Also, I was denied and insulted when I wasn’t allowed to compete in Draupathi’s Swayamwar. That was also because, though I was a king, I am not of a Kshatriya blood. Where is dharma in all those situations when I was insulted? It was only Duryodhana who recognized my talent, appreciated me and trusted me. To me, no matter what, I have only one dharma and one friend: Duryodhana.”

          Krishna glimpsed Karna for a moment and spoke, “Right! All this is because of the insults you faced – Low caste, Not a Kshatriya blood, son of a charioteer. What if I say you aren’t? What if I say, you are from Kshatriya blood and son of a great King?”

          Stunned at Krishna’s words, Karna looked up at Krishna. Krishna continued, “What if I say Radhey and Adhiratha adopted you? You weren’t born to them. What if I say, you were born to be an emperor? You deserve to the right ruler of the whole world.”

          “Is…Is this another way of persuading me? Or...is it all…true? If I’m not theirs…then…who…who am I? Who’re my real…” – Karna’s words quivered.

“Karna, listen to me. This is the truth of your life. You are the son of Kunti. You were born to Kunti and Lord Sun.” – speaking with concern, Krishna said the whole story about Karna’s birth and his reaching to Hastinapur, in the hands of Radhey and Adhiratha.

Karna’s legs trembled. His hands lost control on the steeds and he sat on the seat, shocked. Though various questions ran inside his head, no words came out. Tears fell from his eyes but he was unable to define whether they were tears of happiness or pain. “I’m Matha Kunti’s son! I’m not Radhey’s son!? I have five brothers!!! I vowed to kill my own brother Arjuna? I’m a Kshatriya! I’m not Adhiratha’s son then?!”- Happiness because of his past ran inside his veins and at the same time, distress and pain on Radhey and Adhiratha too ran alongside.

“I know how you feel Karna. I have been there. In the same situation where you get to know that you are not who you thought you really are all these days. All those love and care from your mother and father, all those blood relation running inside you, unable to lose either of them…One is your blood and the other is the one who gave the best life with all their love and care. I know how hard it is to digest. But’ that’s the truth and you have to live with it.” – Krishna placed his hand on Karna’s shoulder and patted him gently.

Grasping his breath and back to his senses, Karna spoke, “No Krishna. You don’t know. You do have two parents. You do have faced this but not like mine. In yours, both of them are on your side. But for me, Matha Radhey and father Adhiratha aren’t by my side as I’m supporting Duryodhana. They are for me only when I’m distressed. They are not ready to share my happiness or the wealthy life with me in the palace of Anga, for they know it’s from Duryodhana and it is coated with adharma. And, my real parents…they are also against me, for again, I’m siding with Duryodhana. I have none by my side.”

Feeling pity on the hardship Karna is going through; Krishna spoke, “Karna! Now that you know who you are, why not join hands with your brothers? You win the war; you will get to be the ruler of Hastinapur. Even the whole world. In fact, you deserve it. The Pandavas will welcome you if they know the truth. Matha Radhey and Father Adhiratha too will be by your side. You will get to fight on the side of dharma, explicitly.”

“No Krishna! I don’t have any wish to rule the world. I sit on the throne of Anga only for Duryodhana. Even if I side with the Pandavas, I don’t have any reason to fight this war. The one thing that I regret is me insulting Draupathi in the court. After saying those horrible words to her, I’m not a worthy human being to be on their side. The Pandavas fight for their wife, Draupathi. Duryodhana fight for his throne. I fight for my friend, my dharma.” -  Karna spoke in a serene voice.

“What if after the war, the Pandavas call you to be their King? In that case, you have to marry her for she will be the Queen. What will you do by then?”- Krishna asked Karna.

“After the war, it’s going to be either me or Arjuna who is going to be alive. One of us will die. With me siding with adharma, with you siding the Pandavas and with you protecting Arjuna, I don’t think anything bad will happen to Arjuna. I don’t see any hitch in Arjuna’s victory. No matter what my past is, no matter where I am from, no matter who I’m, I will be siding with my friend Duryodhana, till my last breath.” – Karna spoke with attitude.

By the time Karna finished his sentence, the chariot stopped in front of Vidhura’s house. Though knowing that he is siding with adharma and knowing that he will even die because of it, Karna still supported his friend. Admired at Karna’s spirit, virtue and valor, Krishna smiled and felt proud of him. Blessing Karna, Krishna descended from the chariot and watched Karna with respect who was rushing his chariot towards the palace where his friend needs him.

In Vidhura’s abode

Pithamaha, Dronacharya and Vidhura were seated along with Krishna in Vidhura’s abode, discussing about Duryodhana’s act and war that was about to come.  Vidhura was shouting in anger on Duryodhana’s unwise and senseless behavior in the court.

“Vidhura, calm yourself. Nothing’s going to change Duryodhana’s heart now.” – Pithamaha pacified Vidhura.

“I desired for peace, but Duryodhana did not trust of believe my words. The Pandavas will address about the battle date. The sins of Duryodhana and the King will destroy the Kuru family. I expected at least Karna to explain about the situation to Duryodhana. He was my only chance of hope.” – Said Krishna.

Krishna in Vidhura's house

“Seems Duryodhana has altered Karna. I hoped Karna to let his good deeds in Duryodhana’s heart. But Saguni’s poisonous darts has pierced deeper and also has influenced more than Karna’s, in Duryodhana’s heart. Even Gandhari believed in Karna.” – Said Pithamaha.

“Witnessing the faces of the war, the King and Gandhari will not be having peace of mind anymore. That worries me. So sad, they end up in such a distress for letting Duryodhana listen to Saguni.” – Vidhura spoke distressed.

Meanwhile, Daruka entered the chamber and bowed in front of all – “O Lord, the chariot is all set to leave. Waiting for your approval.”

Krishna gestured Daruka nodding in approval and turned towards the wise men of Hastinapur and said – “Seems, our next meet will be in the battlefield. I will take leave.”

          Taking permission, Krishna along with his army, left for Upaplavya.

          Reaching the palace of Yudhistra, Krishna explained deliberately on what has happened in the court of Hastinapur, in front of the Pandavas and friends and allied Kings.

“O Krishna, the protector of the world, it gives me immense pain to have put you in such a situation. That wicked minded brother of mine, I never knew that he has lost his senses.” – Yudhistra said in distressed voice.

          “Yudhistra, forget about what happened and think about what it has brought us into. To return Draupathi’s dignity and the honor of the Pandavas, war is the only option.” – said Krishna.

          “War it is, then!” – said Yudhistra in a confident voice.