Karna: The Tragic Hero of the Mahabharata - Loyalty, Honor, and Identity
Karna was the eldest son of Kunti and Sun god Surya. He was abandoned by his unwed mother and brought up by charioteer Adhirath and his wife Radha as a half caste Suta who was shunned by the Kshatriya society. He became a powerful warrior and great archer under the tutolage of guru Parashuram.
Because of the several interpolations in the original Vyasa Mahabharat down the ages, Karna's character got distorted to a large extent. This made certain people come to the conclusion that Karna was the wicked sidekick of Duryodhan who participated in all his evil actions against the “poor” Pandavas.
It is a well known fact that history is always written by the winners, portraying themselves as the tortured souls struggling to survive against the out and out villainy of the antagonists.
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Sri Krishna always portrayed himself as a neutral entity without taking side of either Pandavas or Kauravas although he knew that Pandavas were on the side of Dharma & Kauravas were the erring party. Just before the start of Mahabharata, all Indian kings were given an option to choose between Pandavas or Kauravas. Sri Krishna was the Yadava Chieftain with a huge Yadava army at his disposal & naturally both Pandavas & Kauravas wanted him to be on their side along with his army.
Explore the compelling story of Gandhari, the princess of Gandhara, wife of the blind king Dhritarashtra, and mother of the Kauravas in the epic Mahabharata. Known for her devotion, sacrifice, and strength, Gandhari blindfolded herself to share her husband’s fate. Her grief over the loss of her hundred sons in the Kurukshetra war led to her curse upon Krishna, setting the stage for the fall of the Yadava dynasty. A tale of love, loss, and moral complexities.
Balram, as an avatar of Sheshnaag, on whom Lord Vishnu rests, Balram could not have fought against Krishna. So he decided to go on a pilgrimage while the war carries on.
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