Not everything is black and white in life. It’s always the grey in between that’s more interesting, realistic, relatable. That’s why Mahabharata is my favourite tale of all times. An epic with multiple story-lines woven impeccably together. Every character with myriad shades of grey. Nothing fitting the boxes of right or wrong perfectly.
Karna is one character from the epic who has intrigued me as much as Mahabharata itself. Today I’m writing about Shivaji Sawant’s MRUTYUNJAY which narrates the story of Karna.
Well, you’d say, everybody knows the story. He was Kunti’s first born son (before marriage), was abandoned, only to be found and raised by a charioteer, was denied his due multiple times, was befriended by Duryodhana, and finally ended up on the wrong side of history (or so history says). Come to think of it, it’s a tragic story, which at some point of time, compels us to think of Karna as an insecure, power hungry, egoistic person – which is a pretty two dimensional view of his character. This book dispels these misconceptions about him. It brings Karna to life as a human, with all his flaws and virtues.
Karna struggled with his identity his whole life. He was born a kshatriya, the son of Surya (the Sun God), but raised by a charioteer. That denied him the privileges of being a kshatriya. He was an accomplished warrior, with a noble heart; capable, brave, perhaps even more than the glorified and celebrated Pandavas. He had all the qualities we would expect in a great leader, but even he couldn’t get rid of the shackles of caste.
To emphasize this irony, a recurring example in the book is that of a crow and a koyal. The koyal lays her eggs in a crow’s nest. The crow cares for the eggs, hatches them, thinking they are her own, but once the eggs hatch, the world identifies the koyal chick because of its sweet, shrill voice. Karna was this koyal’s offspring, but unfortunately, the world never recognized him. For the world, he always remained the crow.
His anxiety about his position in society probably distorted his character, and he took some questionable decisions in life. Through all this, Duryodhana (the Kaurava prince) was the one who stood by his side, every time. That’s why, Karna’s loyalty to Duryodhana bordered on devotion at times. Even when Kunti, his birth mother, tried to convince him to join the Pandavas, he declined. By joining them as their elder brother, he would have had everything that he’d ever desired, in his grasp – recognition, status, the crown. But for him, upholding his dharma and loyalty was more important.
The story of Karna is compelling, yet so heart wrenching, that I had not been able to complete this book. I was not prepared, I think, to read about the tragic end, the epitome of deceit, where he is deceived by not one, not two but so many of his own, all the while hoping dharma will protect him. Finally, I did read it and it does justice to Karna.
The final episode is narrated by Krishna. Krishna, who was instrumental in Karna’s death. This is how Krishna describes, and probably mourns, Karna’s death. “There are only four people in my life’s journey, whose silent devotion, sacrifice, and love cannot be surpassed – Devaki, Kunti, Karna, and Radha!’ And it brings tears to your eyes as it did to Krishna’s.
This book, with its rich, delicate language is also replete with discussions on philosophy, social issues, war dilemmas, and identity crises; all beautifully interwoven in the story-line. However, what makes this book most attractive to me is the vibrant and in-depth narration of every little scene. You are immediately transported thousands of years back, to the battlefields of Kurukshetra, the palace of Hastinapur, the banks of the Ganga. You can taste the sweat, the blood, the tears, and the love; you can breathe in the scent of the Ganga, and you can feel the pain!
To summarize, Karna is the unsung hero, who never got his due. And that’s probably why so many of us can relate to his story!
P.S. – This book has been freely translated in many languages. I’ve read bits of the English and Hindi translations. I liked the Hindi translation better. So, go ahead and grab a copy.
