Maze of a Life

“Why me? I did not deserve such a death. Once again, I have been abandoned, just as I was at birth. There is no difference between my birth and death. I will always be the one to suffer the consequences of others’ actions and still go down in history as the bad guy.“

Karna could not stop reminiscing about the injustices that had befallen him. His mind was filled with memories of wrongs when suddenly, the Lord appeared before him in all His glory and splendor. “You know,” the Lord said gently, “No one is born with perfect luck in life. Some encounter more thorns, some a little less, but that does not change the truth: you do not choose where you come from, but you do decide where you will end up.”

Karna was the child of Princess Kunti, born in a way that would forever be her greatest mistake. Granted a boon from the Sun God Himself, Kunti was told that whenever she called upon Him from the depths of her heart, He would bless her with a divine offspring. Encouraged by her friends to test this blessing, Kunti called upon the Sun God, and in a matter of moments, a radiant child, as bright as the sun itself, lay in her lap. Overwhelmed with fear and regret, she pleaded with the deity, “Oh Sun God, I am so, so sorry. I should never have doubted you. I am unmarried—I cannot keep this child. My honor will be questioned if I claim this child as mine.”

Making the hardest decision of her life, Kunti placed the infant in a basket filled with flowers. She whispered a prayer as tears streamed down her face, “I know your father, the Sun God, will always protect you. May you find kind souls to raise you, and may I live to see you grow into a man as mighty and radiant as the sun itself.” With a heavy heart, she let the basket drift away with the river Ganga, leaving Karna’s fate in the hands of destiny.

After being abandoned by the one person who was supposed to care for him, Karna was discovered by a charioteer who was watering his horses by the riverside. When he saw the baby floating down the river, he exclaimed, “Oh my God, who could have abandoned such a young child in such a cruel way?” He saved the baby and took him home to his wife, who said, “Oh dear, I am so happy you saved his life, but how will we manage the expense of raising a child?” The charioteer remained optimistic, saying, “I don’t know, dear, but I just have a feeling this baby is going to change things for us. He might even bring some respect to us, the lower-ranking people of society. He is our son now, dear, and we will provide him with the best we can. Who knows what this child is destined for?”

The charioteer was right about Karna; his skills, talent, and potential far surpassed what his adoptive parents could provide for. Their child’s abilities soon became a cause for concern. They often worried, “What if he one day challenges the king and something bad happens to him? We would lose everything we have.”

One day, Karna came running to his mother, saying, “Mom, look at me! I have these shiny earrings and armor, and they appear and disappear whenever they want.” His mother could not understand what she saw. Instead of beaming with pride, she was worried. She recalled her husband’s words spoken in delight, now feeling a sense of dread. She whispered to herself, “Karna is not made for this. He cannot be a charioteer. He is too grand, too magnificent just like the sun. His brightness cannot be contained by small people like us. He is destined to be someone remembered through the ages.”

One day, Karna’s father came home and told everyone that the royal princes, the Kauravas and Pandavas, were headed to Gurukul to begin their formal education in the art of warfare. Inspired, Karna expressed his desire to join them, but his parents discouraged him, saying, “My love, we will be thrown out of our home and discarded by society. We understand your thirst for knowledge, but you cannot attain what is not written in your destiny.” Karna listened patiently and then said, “If destinies cannot be changed, then I will have to write my own with my own hands.” He packed his bags and left home, determined to become what he believed he deserved.

The journey to fight for rights that were never granted is often so difficult that every passerby takes the opportunity to throw stones. Rejection and humiliation became part and parcel of Karna’s journey. Often, he faced polite refusals and doors slammed in his face. “You are the son of a charioteer; did you forget your caste, or did your parents forget to tell you where you come from?” teachers and students would taunt him, leaving no chance to diminish Karna’s spirit. But he was no ordinary child. He was the son of the Sun God, possessing the power to light up the world or burn it down. He was willing to pay any price to achieve what he deserved, even if he had to snatch it like a thief from a cruel society.

While wandering, he encountered Lord Parashurama. At that moment, Karna felt he had finally reached the pinnacle. The guru exclaimed upon seeing Karna, “Oh dear child, I sensed someone thirsting for knowledge coming my way. I would be delighted to take you under my wing. Answer one question, child: are you a Brahmin?”

This question took Karna aback. For the first time, he was on the verge of achieving his desires, but at the cost of a lie about his caste. He decided to lie to seize the opportunity. “Yes, sir, I am a Brahmin, and it would be a blessing to learn under your guidance,” he said. This lie marked the beginning of his end a journey marked by both fame and curses.

After a decade of relentless practice, dedication, and hard work, the bow and arrow had become Karna’s closest companions. He was exceptional, with the remarkable ability to hit his target from miles away. As his education was nearing its end, his guru, Parashurama, rested his head on Karna’s lap. “Oh, my dear Karna, now it is your time to shine in the world,” he murmured before drifting into sleep in the peaceful garden.

As Parashurama slept, a wasp began to buzz nearby and then settled on Karna. He didn’t move a muscle, refusing to disturb his guru’s rest, even as the wasp stung him. When Parashurama awoke, he noticed Karna’s hand swollen and discolored. Alarmed, he exclaimed, “You are not a Brahmin, are you?” Karna, taken aback, trembled as he replied, “Guruji, I desired your guidance. I wanted to become someone great, which is why I lied.”

Parashurama composed himself, a stern look crossing his face. “The qualities you possess are not those of a Brahmin. Because you deceived me, I must place a curse upon you. Just as I made an error in judgment by accepting you as my disciple, so too will you face a moment when the knowledge you’ve gained will abandon you when you need it most, because you obtained it through deceit. Now, leave my presence,” he commanded.

Heartbroken, Karna had no choice but to obey, knowing he had brought this fate upon himself.

After gaining knowledge and mastery in weapons, Karna returned to Hastinapur and challenged the princes in a contest just as they were competing to prove who was the best. The Pandavas outsmarted the Kauravas at every turn, but in a surprising twist, a new contender emerged seemingly from nowhere. Seeing an opportunity, the eldest Kaurava, Duryodhana, declared, “Now, he will belong to our side of brothers. To all who have shamed him for his social standing, I proclaim him a king. Dear Karna, I grant you a piece of land and elevate you to be our equal. You are one of us.”

The Pandavas were stunned by this unexpected gesture from their deceitful brother. They recognized it for what it was: a cunning move to ensnare an innocent and talented young man. But what infuriated them even more was the thought that someone from such a humble background would now stand as their equal. Arjuna, the Pandavas’ gifted archer, muttered with determination, “I will be the end of him, sooner or later.”

Property, land, name, fame, and even talent did not earn Karna the place he deserved in society. The entrenched, deep-rooted discrimination continued even after he gained the backing of the royal princes of Hastinapur. From rituals and ceremonies to events like the Swayamvara, Karna was disregarded and treated like a vermin. The marriage of the princess of Panchal made him realize that whatever he became, he would never be treated as an equal. Even after gaining a kingdom, his status did not change much. He was prohibited from marrying Princess Draupadi of Panchal, even after fulfilling every requirement she set forth. When he stepped forward to claim his right, the princess screamed, “Oh my God, how dare you? I cannot let my lineage be ruined by marrying the son of a charioteer kindly leave, with all due respect, I cannot be linked with someone like you.” Humiliated in front of all the kings and princes, Karna heard a chilling voice in the air: “Remember your place in this world, Son of a Charioteer.” Later, the princess became the common wife of the Pandavas.

This incident profoundly altered Karna’s view of the so-called upper castes. He no longer desired to be part of them based on status; he sought respect through his capabilities. He wanted to be recognized as the greatest archer of all time, but more importantly, he wanted to be a good person. He held a philosophy: whenever he could help someone, he would, even if it meant going out of his way. His generous nature became renowned, and it was said that he would never deny a request. When a Brahmin asked him for his divine armor and earrings, Karna, without hesitation, sacrificed a part of himself to fulfill the request, even though it meant losing something that could have made him undefeatable in the greatest war of the age.

As the war between the Kauravas and Pandavas approached, Karna was determined to prove himself as the greatest archer. Equipped with his finest weapons, he practiced tirelessly in the jungle. One day, while shooting, he heard the distant cry of an animal. Racing toward the sound, he prayed fervently, “Oh Lord, please do not let an innocent life be lost due to my carelessness.”

Upon reaching the source of the distress, Karna found a Brahmin mourning the death of his beloved cow. Bowing respectfully, Karna said, “Oh learned Brahmin, I have made a grave mistake. Please forgive me.”

The Brahmin’s tears flared into fiery anger as he cursed Karna, “Just as you have slain my dear cow, so shall you meet your end, helpless, crying out for help, but finding none.”

Karna’s fate was sealed in the great war of the Mahabharata. As he prepared to embrace his destiny, Queen Kunti, formerly Princess Kunti and now the mother of the Pandavas, spread her arms before him and pleaded, “Oh dear Karna, these are my sons. Please do not kill them; they have done nothing to you.” Hearing his own birth mother’s plea, Karna replied, “Do not worry, Queen Kunti. You will always have five sons, and you shall have five sons forever.”

As Karna lay on his deathbed, gravely wounded by Arjuna, he cursed his fate in despair: “It was never my fault. I was never given what I deserved. I fought for those who showed me even a shred of love and affection, and for that, I was shamed. I was always caught in the cycle of life, and now, at its end, it denies me even the peace of death. I know life is unfair, but I didn’t realize it could be so cruel.”

The lord listened patiently as Karna poured out his anguish. Once he had finished, the lord began to speak, “Oh, my dear Karna, you have indeed been mistreated by both strangers and loved ones. Your life was a path of thorns, marked by a lack of recognition. Yet, what people will remember you for is your generosity how you helped countless people in their times of need. No one’s path is easy; no one walks a bed of roses. But when you know what is right, death becomes a bit easier as it ushers you toward the peace of redemption. Now, farewell, Karna. May you find some peace ahead. You were not wrong, but remember, one must always strive to be right. Goodbye.”

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