Mahabharat of B. R. Chopra: Discussions/ DT note pg 119 - Page 26

Originally posted by: sonnet11

Totally agree! Mukesh Khanna,Nitish Bhardwaj, Gufi Pantel, Puneet Issar, Rupa Ganguly and all the rest. A commendable cast beautifully done I should say.👍🏼

Originally posted by: proteeti

Karna's bitterness towards Pandavas was due to the fact that he was Duryodhan's childhood friend. I don't think Kunti had anything to do with that. Karna was bitter because he thought Arjun was responsible for Drona refusing him the divya shastras. She came to know of his identity only at the Ranga-pravesha of the princes. Even there bhi banda gatecrashed a private function. 🤣 (just a joke people)

Originally posted by: surabhi01

Let gufi pantel enter as shakuni mama and mysterious background music for shakuni mama and rubbing dice then Mahabharata .then Mahabharata will more great to watch

Success of Mahabharata credit go gufi pantel too . Really gufi pental potray shakuni role so well. His way of speaking he way walking as shakuni was so perfect .

Because of perfect portrayal of shakuni mama by gufi pantel also made Mahabharata series unforgettable

Krishna ki Chetavani - poem by Mahakavi Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar'

(especially the bold parts)

वर्षों तक वन में घूम-घूम,
बाधा-विघ्नों को चूम-चूम,
सह धूप-घाम, पानी-पत्थर,
पांडव आये कुछ और निखर।
सौभाग्य न सब दिन सोता है,
देखें, आगे क्या होता है।

मैत्री की राह बताने को,
सबको सुमार्ग पर लाने को,
दुर्योधन को समझाने को,
भीषण विध्वंस बचाने को,
भगवान् हस्तिनापुर आये,
पांडव का संदेशा लाये।

‘दो न्याय अगर तो आधा दो,
पर, इसमें भी यदि बाधा हो,
तो दे दो केवल पाँच ग्राम,
रक्खो अपनी धरती तमाम।
हम वहीं खुशी से खायेंगे,
परिजन पर असि न उठायेंगे!

दुर्योधन वह भी दे ना सका,
आशीष समाज की ले न सका,
उलटे, हरि को बाँधने चला,
जो था असाध्य, साधने चला।
जब नाश मनुज पर छाता है,
पहले विवेक मर जाता है।

हरि ने भीषण हुंकार किया,
अपना स्वरूप-विस्तार किया,
डगमग-डगमग दिग्गज डोले,
भगवान् कुपित होकर बोले-
‘जंजीर बढ़ा कर साध मुझे,
हाँ, हाँ दुर्योधन! बाँध मुझे।

यह देख, गगन मुझमें लय है,
यह देख, पवन मुझमें लय है,
मुझमें विलीन झंकार सकल,
मुझमें लय है संसार सकल।
अमरत्व फूलता है मुझमें,
संहार झूलता है मुझमें।

‘उदयाचल मेरा दीप्त भाल,
भूमंडल वक्षस्थल विशाल,
भुज परिधि-बन्ध को घेरे हैं,
मैनाक-मेरु पग मेरे हैं।
दिपते जो ग्रह नक्षत्र निकर,
सब हैं मेरे मुख के अन्दर।

‘दृग हों तो दृश्य अकाण्ड देख,
मुझमें सारा ब्रह्माण्ड देख,
चर-अचर जीव, जग, क्षर-अक्षर,
नश्वर मनुष्य सुरजाति अमर।
शत कोटि सूर्य, शत कोटि चन्द्र,
शत कोटि सरित, सर, सिन्धु मन्द्र।

‘शत कोटि विष्णु, ब्रह्मा, महेश,
शत कोटि जिष्णु, जलपति, धनेश,
शत कोटि रुद्र, शत कोटि काल,
शत कोटि दण्डधर लोकपाल।
जञ्जीर बढ़ाकर साध इन्हें,
हाँ-हाँ दुर्योधन! बाँध इन्हें।

‘भूलोक, अतल, पाताल देख,
गत और अनागत काल देख,
यह देख जगत का आदि-सृजन,
यह देख, महाभारत का रण,
मृतकों से पटी हुई भू है,
पहचान, इसमें कहाँ तू है।

‘अम्बर में कुन्तल-जाल देख,
पद के नीचे पाताल देख,
मुट्ठी में तीनों काल देख,
मेरा स्वरूप विकराल देख।
सब जन्म मुझी से पाते हैं,
फिर लौट मुझी में आते हैं।

‘जिह्वा से कढ़ती ज्वाल सघन,
साँसों में पाता जन्म पवन,
पड़ जाती मेरी दृष्टि जिधर,
हँसने लगती है सृष्टि उधर!
मैं जभी मूँदता हूँ लोचन,
छा जाता चारों ओर मरण।

‘बाँधने मुझे तो आया है,
जंजीर बड़ी क्या लाया है?
यदि मुझे बाँधना चाहे मन,
पहले तो बाँध अनन्त गगन।
सूने को साध न सकता है,
वह मुझे बाँध कब सकता है?

‘हित-वचन नहीं तूने माना,
मैत्री का मूल्य न पहचाना,
तो ले, मैं भी अब जाता हूँ,
अन्तिम संकल्प सुनाता हूँ।
याचना नहीं, अब रण होगा,
जीवन-जय या कि मरण होगा।

‘टकरायेंगे नक्षत्र-निकर,
बरसेगी भू पर वह्नि प्रखर,
फण शेषनाग का डोलेगा,
विकराल काल मुँह खोलेगा।
दुर्योधन! रण ऐसा होगा।
फिर कभी नहीं जैसा होगा।

‘भाई पर भाई टूटेंगे,
विष-बाण बूँद-से छूटेंगे,
वायस-श्रृगाल सुख लूटेंगे,
सौभाग्य मनुज के फूटेंगे।
आखिर तू भूशायी होगा,
हिंसा का पर, दायी होगा।’

थी सभा सन्न, सब लोग डरे,
चुप थे या थे बेहोश पड़े।
केवल दो नर ना अघाते थे,
धृतराष्ट्र-विदुर सुख पाते थे।
कर जोड़ खड़े प्रमुदित,
निर्भय, दोनों पुकारते थे ‘जय-जय’!

Originally posted by: sonnet11

But the text shows that Arjuna used to act arrogant with him. Then how Karna responds to that was his own karma. His bitterness harmed him the most in the end.

They were Kshatriya and humans, everybody was arrogant! 😆

But yep, his life, and his choices at the end.

Originally posted by: Wistfulness

Wasn't Karna bitter even before Drona's refusal? His bitterness overpowering rationality was most likely the reason behind the refusal.

Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. Did Drona give him a reason for not teaching him the advanced stuff? I can't remember. 🤔

Also IMO, what Karna fought for was glory, but he was not fighting for the likes of his. He only wanted respect and power for himself, not his friends and family and other members of the Suta community. Maybe that is why his campaign for respect was not as much respected by the masses.

The event of the graduation ceremony of the students of Dronacharya was when Karna, for the first time, comes out in public and demands to show his skill as an archer. The entire audience refuses to let the son of a charioteer perform in the sabha of Kshatriyas. You see the loneliness of Karna there. Pandavas disagree, his own mother Kunti (who gets to know his identity at the moment because of the kavach) remains silent, Bheeshma disagrees, Dronacharya and everybody else disagrees.

Only Duryodhana speaks that more than anything else merit matters. Of course, we can debate that Duryodhana can very well be acting as an opportunist here.

But then why wouldn't Karna feel indebted to Duryodhana who supported him (for whatever reasons) when the whole world was against him?

P.S. It is Mahabharata. No easy answers😆

Duryodhana was the clearest opportunist here. He gave Karna the kingdom of Anga (Karna's adoptive father was an estranged Anga royal dynasty member), and he was just keeping Karna in hand to pose against Arjuna because he knew about their childhood rivalry.

Throughout the series I feel Dury has taken advantage of Karna and given him almost nothing in return. Karna could have won Anga himself, but technically he was also an heir to that throne. Dury didn't do him a great favour there, only big promises.

Originally posted by: proteeti

Ekalavya really did suffer way more than he needed to.

However, Karna did have his adoptive parents to seek refuge with. Drona did teach him most of the stuff. He was a classmate of the Princes in Drona's gurukul. Drona only refused him the Brahmastra&etc, which in any case he gave only to Arjun and Ashwatthama, which were prizes for being his son, and the most dedicated student respectively.

Karna never showed that dedication to his Guru that Arjuna did (Karna later showed that dedication to Parashurama, so he got those from him).

He did not know his identity right up to the eve of the War. Also, Karna lost to Arjuna multiple times (in Draupadi's swayamvar as well as in the Virat war during Agyaatvaas), so it's not like he didn't get a fair chance.

However Krishna as well as the rest of the warriors always respected him for his charity. His life decisions were always his responsibility.

agreed ,, he did have support and he did get a chance, and of course he met his due bec of siding with adharma. And of course i will never forget that he was quiet during Draupadi's humiliation. Irrespective of his identity crisis, any man staying quiet during such a criminal offense had to be punished by the LORD

Originally posted by: Wistfulness

I don't think so. It's actually hyped. Tv serials usually show that Shikhandi accompanied Arjuna on the latter's chariot. However, a careful reading of the text shows that Shikhandi's chariot was placed in front of Arjuna's chariot to provide a shield to the latter without restricting his attacks on Bhishma. Overall Shikhandi's contribution in Bhishma's fall seems bare minimum as the shield hardly lasted and Bhishma counter attacked Arjuna.

Bhishma's fall would have happened even without Shikhandi.

maybe so but i think that split second of hesitation did some damage when he saw her in the front???

Originally posted by: proteeti

Duryodhana was the clearest opportunist here. He gave Karna the kingdom of Anga (Karna's adoptive father was an estranged Anga royal dynasty member), and he was just keeping Karna in hand to pose against Arjuna because he knew about their childhood rivalry.

Throughout the series I feel Dury has taken advantage of Karna and given him almost nothing in return. Karna could have won Anga himself, but technically he was also an heir to that throne. Dury didn't do him a great favour there, only big promises.

Yes, he played with his emotions very clearly and i think its Karna's onus that he feels that Dury is the only one who gave him respect and recognition