Project 6 - Vocal Variety - "Karna"

‘A successful marriage is like a chariot, with the man and his wife as its two wheels, who must always work in tandem.’ These were the pearls of wisdom from my mother as she adorned my long black silken hair with a garland of jasmine. Bedecked in carmine red attire with gold embellishments, I was coyly sitting with my eyes cast down. Oblivious to the hustle and bustle around me, I was engrossed in thoughts of my prince in shining armour. I resolved to be his companion in happiness and misfortunes alike. Dear friends, today as I, Vrushali, stand before you, myriad scenes of my wedding day flash before my eyes. And a plethora of questions which have been left unanswered flood my mind about the greatest warrior who was always misunderstood, the most righteous and the most generous man to have ever walked the earth, my husband, Karna.

Abandoned by his mother Kunti at birth, Karna grew up to be a charioteer’s son and shared a special bond with his foster parents, Vasusena and Radha. Their relationship was filled with pure love and affection and even when Karna’s true identity and his royal lineage were eventually discovered, Karna still wanted the entire world to recognize him as ‘Radheya’ - the son of Radha.  You must be wondering, ‘How a mere charioteer’s son went on to become a king himself and ultimately played a crucial role in the epic Mahabharata? What exactly the turning point in Karna’s life was?’

The words of Karna as he described that fateful day still resonate in my ears. “As I was riding through the city of Hastinapur, I saw an archery tournament being conducted and stopped by to participate. Since I could surpass the feats of the earlier winner Arjun, I challenged him to a duel. Alas! I was refused to do so because nobody knew of my royal background, not even myself. Dejected, as I was about to depart, I heard a booming voice say, ‘O Karna, I bestow upon thee, kingship of the kingdom of Anga. Please accept my humble gift’. I turned back to see the eldest Kaurav Prince Duryodhan, who had just offered me the throne of Anga, in order to make me a king and hence eligible for the duel. As I accepted his generous gift, I asked ‘O Prince, I am indebted to thee. What can I do to repay thy favour?’  To which the Prince replied, ‘I seek thy friendship and thy friendship alone’. “And thus was forged the strong camaraderie between Duryodhan and Karna. I always wonder if Karna ever looked back on that day and regretted his decision to accept the throne of Anga and in turn the friendship of Duryodhan.

The growing proximity of Karna with Duryodhan often made me uncomfortable. However, every time I swallowed my words as I remembered my vow to be by my husband’s side till eternity. But, the final straw was the humiliation of Draupadi at the hands of the Kauravs after treacherously winning the game of dice. That Karna, a loyal comrade of Duryodhan, was a party to this crime came as a complete shock to me! And one question still haunts me. ‘Rather than merely being a companion of Karna during adversities, was it not my duty to have intervened and averted his misfortunes?’

A valiant warrior that Karna was, he waged numerous wars with kingdoms far and wide to expand Duryodhan’s empire. The greatest warrior of all times, Karna was approached by Lord Krishna himself in order to forestall the impending war between the Pandavs and the Kauravs. And that was when the truth of Karna’s birth as the eldest Pandav was revealed to him. Rejecting Lord Krishna’s offer to join the Pandavs, the virtuous Karna chose to remain by his friend’s side. Throughout his transformation from being a charioteer’s son, to being crowned the king of ‘Anga’ and finally being recognized as the eldest of the Pandavs, never once did Karna lose his humility or his morals. Yet I, a mere mortal, often ponder, ‘Had Karna accepted Lord Krishna’s offer, would the course of history been altered?’

Today, I stand before you, neither to justify nor to judge the decisions and the actions of my husband.  I stand here to search answers for the numerous questions that trouble me. ‘Was Karna mistaken in ardently helping Duryodhan? Was Karna misguided in going against his own brothers? Was Karna too generous and righteous for his own good?’

He was posed with the utmost difficult questions and he often conducted himself in the most ideal manner, irrespective of the consequences. Despite all his misfortunes, I love him today as much I did on the day of our marriage, when I knew little about him, except the radiance on his face, which spoke of the greatness within him. It is a pity that society and even fate did not deem his actions right. So, I am compelled to think, who is mistaken - Him or Everyone else? As I think about these questions and more, I realize that the line between good and bad is getting blurred and what finally remains is – my perspective!