Who was to blame? Kunti, or others as well?

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Who do you think was responsible for Karna's lifelong pain?

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john909

@john909

Voyager

Posted: 9 years ago

#31

Well I would say the society in responsible for karna's pain. A society which is so rigid in its traditions and rules that it has no place for humanity or compassion. The traditions and rules are more important than the person itself which is weird considering they are for people and not the other way around. A society which has no place for mistakes (ironic considering making mistakes is human nature). If that was not the case then kunti would not have abandoned the child coz all her life she was probably taught or conditioned to believe the nonsense that she is the honor of family and she is responsible for it. So yes I do blame her for abandoning a child but then again she was a child herself.

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Vrish

@Vr15h

Stunner

+ 6

Posted: 9 years ago

#32

Originally posted by: .Vrish.
Vibs, in Shanti Parva, Kunti tells Yudhi how both she, and Suryadev in Karna's dream, had urged him to join the Pandavas. It's the first 4 chapters of Shanti Parva

Originally posted by: Vibhishna

Thanks, Vrish.

Reading the Shanti Parva (translation from Sacred Texts), they have made Karna a villain... 😕

In Shanti Parva, I didn't exactly see it as trying to defame Karna as much as to assuage Yudhi's guilt at having caused Karna's death. Actually, if you read an account in Karna Parva of what happened on day 17, Karna had defeated Yudhi in battle, captured him, and then released him, taunting him to go and hide behind Arjun. Of course, that was a big insult and Yudhi had to leave the field. When Arjun & Krishna came to see him, he was furious at Arjun for having come to see him w/o killing Karna, and that led to a furious argument b/w Yudhi & Arjun, w/ Krishna salvaging things and pulling Arjun off to fight Karna. So it was Yudhi who sent Arjun to avenge his own defeat, so when he learned that Karna was actually his eldest brother, he was overwhelmed w/ guilt.

That was when Narada, Kunti, Vyasa, Krishna & others tried to assuage him w/ these stories about how misguided Karna really was. The story of the cow being killed by Karna is from there, as is Karna's helping Dury abduct a princess of Kalinga. There has also been confusion about the contradiction b/w Shanti Parva and Adi Parva accounts of Karna's relationship w/ Dury. If one reads the latter, one is left w/ the impression that Dury didn't know Karna until that archery tournament where Arjun starred. If one reads the former, one is left w/ the impression that those 2 were good friends in Drona's ashram due to Karna's envy of Arjun. In fact, Vyasa contradicts himself in too many places

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Vibhishna

@Vibhishna

Dazzler

+ 3

Posted: 9 years ago

#33

Thanks again, Vrish.I remember reading several accounts of Yudhishtr being captured and released by Karna and Yudhishtr lashing out on Arjun. He certainly would be guilt-ridden if he was the one who urged Arjun to kill Karna.

I wonder if not knowing Karna was his elder was too much to bear for Yudhishtr or if he just broke down with Karna's secret being revealed as a final straw... Yudhistr, who knowingly accepted Bheeshma's fall and Drona's death wasn't able to deal with Karna's? I doubt if the war would have stopped even if Yudhishtr had known the truth if Krishna had wanted the war to happen but I suppose it would have been nearly impossible to have convinced Yudhishtr. All five Pandavas seem to uphold brotherly love more than anything else.

There was an interesting scene from a Tamil Mahabharat (its still ongoing and this scene was from yesterday's episode):

Kunti, while speaking with Krishna, asks him if nothing can be done to save both her sons. Karna and Arjuna were about to face each other that day. Krishna says that there is a way to stop all this. "Tell Arjuna (and Yudhishtra) the truth about Karna. Tell everyone about it." Kunti is aghast and stops Krishna when he volunteers to call Arjuna. He then smiles and says, "I have never seen one so selfish, Aunt. You don't mind if the sons of so many die but you are bothered that your son would die?"

...

If Karna knew Duryodhan during his stay with Drona, does that mean Karna was also in the camp? I thought he was rejected by Drona...

Edited by Vibhishna - 9 years ago

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RadhaRani

@_radharani_

Beginner

Posted: 9 years ago

#34

Originally posted by: john909
Well I would say the society in responsible for karna's pain. A society which is so rigid in its traditions and rules that it has no place for humanity or compassion. The traditions and rules are more important than the person itself which is weird considering they are for people and not the other way around. A society which has no place for mistakes (ironic considering making mistakes is human nature).

Agree, I voted society (social norms) here. The rules limited everyone so much and if people didn't obey the punishment was severe.