The princess
1. Once upon a time there was an infinitely demanding sage. 2. On one occasion he was visiting the kingdom of which Kunthi was the 16 year old princess. 3. She was humble for a princess 4. She was wise for her 16 years 5. The king has assigned Kunthi to attend to the demanding needs of the sage. 6. Kunthi served the sage with infinite care and attention 7. She served his meals 8. She helped him with his beds and sleeping arrangements 9. She listened to every one of his words 10. The sage was charmed by the extraordinary royal princess that is kind, humble, and wise 11. The sage when he left gave her an extraordinary gift 12. He said that Kunthi would be able to ask of a favor of any of the heavenly gods any time she wishes. 13. Such Gods would be bound by his word and may not refuse her invitation
The Gift
1. Soon after the sage had left, Kunthi, being a 16 year old, was curious of gift she now has 2. She decided to test it on Surya: the most luminous inhabitant of the heavens 3. Momentarily suspending the circum navigation, goaded by his seven horses his Chariot arrived with great speed at her presence 4. The Illustrious Surya said: "Most precious, beautiful, and deserving princess, what do you wish for?" 5. "Matching your brilliance, indefatigable in war, a baby boy I wish for", Kunthi spoke in a trance. 6. And thus Karna, the eldest and the most generous of Kunthi, was born to this princess of Bhoj when she was merely 16 9. Surya gave the boy two gifts at his birth. 10. The first is an unpenetrable shield beneath his chest 11. The second is a pair of brilliant orbs on his ears so no enemy may stare at him in time of war
The decission
1. She was only 16 2. She wouldn't know how to care for the infant 3. She choses to let the infant go
The parting
Heart heavy and feet reluctant Eyes but a flood of tears Her prize to her bosom Her head in bow The sorrowful 16 year old descended the bathing steps As nature wept in sad ness while permeating sorrow and unsurpassing gravity calmed the waters Not a ripple, not a wave but a rare stillness in the river awaiting the greatest burden She places Karna in an ornate cradle Places the cradle in a decorated box She gently places the box in the waters She watches the river carry the box until she can no longer see it
Union
The gentle waves carried Karna to another Kingdom And to the bathing Radha the wife of a horse trainer Radha to her joy discovers the smiling baby with the brightest ear rings Radha calls this bundle of Joy Karna With her mother Radha's love by his side Karna grows up to be a formidable archer In the lands of the Kuru and Pandava princess In the lands where Krishna played out his Lilas and in the lands where a mighty war is to be fought in honor of his mothers love Karna calls himself Radheya The proidgal son of Radha
The cousins
At the same time there is the royal house of Kauravas and Pandavas the first cousins and heirs to the legend and kingdom of Bhishma the grand old man of this long tale The first of the cousins 100 of them, they were caleld Kauravas Headed by the proud Suyodhna the crown prince of the dynasty The second of the cousins 5 of them, they were caleld Pandavas of which Arjuna is the middle the most learned and feared for his knowledge and art of weaponry An incomparable archer The cousins are always at war for land, and for power
The test
In this royal court there was organized a test of skill Uninvited, yet Karna challenges his equal the mighy middle prince of the 5 pandavas Pandavas object for Karna owns no kingdom And a mere trainer of horses Suyodhana offers and crowns Karna the king of Angarajya And paves the way for the rivalry of the ages Arjuna on one side, and Karna the other
The surprise
Fate shall have it that the pandavas were in fact the sons of Kunthi Who but the God of Lila, Krishna Knower of the past, present and future should know the truth
The final battle
In time the cousins shall meet at kurukshetra in the final war As pandavas claim their right to their portion of the kingdom Arrayed on one side is the house of Kauravas supported by Bhishma, old, yet the supreme and adroit warior, invincible in batle Drona, the royal teacher of Arjuna himself And Karna, the invincible archer Arrayed on the other side by the house of Pandavas Arjuna the mighty warior that never lost a battle to a man And his mighty pandavas And there is Krishna, the creator himself Nevertheless, with a promise not wield a weapon But a driver of Arjuna's chariot
The generosity
Unbeknowest thus far, Kunthi gave birth to Arjun from the good graces of Indra, the lord of the heavens as shed begotten Karna from Surya Krishna decided to favor victory to the pandavas He revealed to Kunthi that Karna is her own son Kunthi visited Karna in the battlefield Karna promised her that he should not harm any of her sons but reserved Arjuna for his judgement For he had promised his king and friend Suyodhana that he would defend him despite his life It was not his life or his fame that Karna should see as his duty But his word, his kindness, and his humanity Arjuna could not win as long as Karna possessed his natural defenses the shield and the orbs Indra laid out a plan to visit Karna as an old Brahmin in disguise at the mid hour that Karna Usually offers his prayers to Surya Surya reveals the atrocity to Karna in a dream As planned the begger Brahmin visits Karna at the appointed hour Karna as his vogue offered him whatever he wished for Indra, the very lord of the heavens, revealed himself and wished for his shield and his orbs Gladly Karna obliged His orbs he handed over His shield, is that not a different matter! Even for the fearless of the war Karna should cut open his own chest And retrieve the shield True to his word no act should deter him in his duty to his word Krishna should have his shield He reveals, in the process to Devendra (the king among Gods) the Godliness of a man The man that is destined to have the first seat among the Gods The light for the future
Karna
Abandoned after his birth Not an ounce of animosity he held for his Kunthi Not his own mother Yet immortalized his Radha with his name His own brother, Yet he Reserved Arjuna for his final battle to honor his Suyodhana Despite his doom Honors the King of Gods with his life All should stand at the pass of his shadow Mighty, kind, and generous His name should be for ever known as Generous, Brave and Mighty Karna