In the previous episode, we had witnessed Kunthi Devi trying to convince Karna to join the Yudishtra camp. However, Karna refuses Kunthi Devi’s request and decides to stick to his stance of standing with Duryodhana at this trying time of his. Moreover, Karna asks Kunthi Devi another important question, which seems to be a valid one too. Karna asks thus, “Oh Mother Kunthi Devi! Today you’re coming to me to talk on behalf of your son Yudishtra. But till yesterday, where were you? You were never to be seen anywhere in this picture. How come you’re suddenly having the motherly love and affection today and not for all these years? Just because your sons Yudishtra, Bheemasena and Arjuna are on my firing line, you’re trying to protect them by making me switch sides. Just because your sons’ lives are in danger from my arrows, you’re wanting me to switch sides. How selfish this attitude is! Thus, if you would have had that affection really within you, you wouldn’t have waited for almost 35-40 years to disclose this truth to me that you are my mother and Yudishtra and the others are my own siblings. If you really had that affection in you, you would have come forward to protect me at a time when I was repeatedly insulted by everyone here!”
Karna continues his accord further thus, “Oh Kunthi Devi! You’re thinking that I’m happy staying with Duryodhana, aren’t you? But do you even know that I do not have a single iota of respect here from anybody else except Duryodhana! Do you even know that Guru Dhronachaarya repeatedly fights with me for even small things? If tomorrow there’s a war and if I’m on the battlefield, Guru Dhronachaarya will not even stand near me and fight! Such is the gross disrespect I have here. If Guru Dhronachaarya is like this, Bhishmachaarya is one step further! He has even taken a pledge that only himself or Karna should be on the battlefield while the war is going on! Is this the way learned and senior people would give respect to a warrior, who is ready to give his life for Duryodhana’s cause? Where were you when all these people were taking such pledges to desert and isolate me? Now please do not tell me that you are not aware of all this. You’re very much in the Hastinapura palace and you should be knowing all this. If your motherly affection is so true, you should have come forward and defended me at that point in time. You should come and disclosed the truth boldly in front of Bhishmachaarya and Guru Dhronachaarya that I’m none other than your son, and not a charioteer’s son. When I was badly discriminated against for no fault of mine, you never came to my rescue, but now, with what face are you coming and convincing me to join Yudishtra? Isn’t this so unfair? What wrong did I do in my life to undergo such trials and tribulations one after the other? Before you came, Bhagawan Krishna came to me and told the same thing to me. If He had so much affection towards me, why didn’t He come to me and tell me this earlier? Why did He wait for so long to disclose this to me? Wasn’t I accessible to Him? Or rather, hasn’t He met me earlier too? Why are you people fooling me like this? Hence, my stance is very clear – I will continue to back Duryodhana, even though I know that he is walking the path of “Adharma” and all of us are going to die in the war if it takes place! So please do not waste your time in convincing me with such stupid things!”
Saying thus, Karna decisively conveys his decision with tears flowing through his eyes. In reality, Karna is one such character in the Mahabharata who was targeted and sidelined by almost everybody in the Hastinapura first family for no fault of mine. So for today, let us understand up to this point and in the next episode, we shall witness the continuation of what happened next! Stay tuned! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 