The Abandoned Son: The Story of Karna’s Birth and Rise to Greatness – 7

The story of Karna’s birth is a famous tale from the Indian epic Mahabharata. It goes as follows:

Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas, was given a mantra by the sage Durvasa, which would allow her to invoke any god and bear a child with them. Curious to test the mantra, Kunti invoked the Sun god Surya and gave birth to a son. Fearing the society’s stigma for giving birth to a child out of wedlock, Kunti decided to abandon the child in a basket and let it float down the river.

The child was found by a charioteer named Adhiratha, who raised him as his own son and named him Vasusena. Vasusena grew up to be a skilled warrior and became known as Karna.

As Karna grew older, he became aware of his low social status and the stigma associated with being a charioteer’s son. He decided to prove his worth and became a student of the renowned guru Parashurama, who only taught students of high birth.

Karna disguised himself as a Brahmin and approached Parashurama, who accepted him as his student. Karna proved to be a diligent student and mastered all the skills taught to him by the guru. However, his true identity was eventually revealed, and Parashurama cursed him for lying to him, causing Karna to lose all his skills at a crucial time in his life.

Despite the challenges he faced, Karna became a loyal friend of the Kauravas, the enemies of the Pandavas, and fought bravely on their side in the Kurukshetra war. Eventually, Karna was killed in a battle against Arjuna, one of the Pandavas, who was revealed to be his brother but he never knew it.

The story of Karna’s birth is a poignant tale of abandonment, sacrifice, and determination. It shows that true worth is not determined by one’s social status or birth but by their actions and character.