So a bleeding Karna tells Krishna in the Battle field of Kurukshetra:
“Oh! Krshna, Look at me, defeated by the guile of lesser mortals. What is my fault, oh cowherd, the color of the azure blue sky ?
What was my fault that I am subjected to all these unfairness of life right from my childhood? Was it my fault that I was born illegitimate ?
I, who should have been brought up there, in that palace, was left in a ‘sutha’s house. That certainly was not a fault of mine. It was my mother’s design. I was even denied a good schooling by the Acharya Drona, because I was not a kshatriya. Yet, I was cursed by Parasurama, because I was only a kshatriya . Was it my fault ?
I didn’t even know whether I was born a kshatriya or a Sutha.
In Draupadi’s ‘Swayam Vara’ I was disgraced for being a ‘Suthaputra’ even though I was the original ‘Suryaputra’. They’re not.
Kunti never told me the truth and finally when she did tell me, she asked me to consider them my siblings in the war. And even though she never gave me the affection of a mother, I never faltered at my promise to her.
Is it my fault that I, the true successor to the throne of this Hasthina, am ruling a vassal kingdom out of Dhuryodhana’s charity ? Even when Gods left me, Dhuryodhana stood by me. So where is the wrong in my being on his side in this war.
For all of you, he may be a villain, but for me he is the only one on this Earth that has done any good to me.”
… … ..
And the lord answers. “Oh! Karna,
Even I was also born in a jail. Death was waiting for me even before my birth. The night I was born, I was whisked away from my mother only to be thrown in a cow herd’s shed. At least you had some education in ‘sutha’s house. At least you grew up hearing the noise of swords, chariots, horses, bows and arrows. But look at me. I grew up in tending the cattle of a village. No swords, no chariots, but only cattles, cow dung, milk maids and of course all those fatal attempts on my life by the king Kamsa.
At a very tender age I was accused of killing my own uncle.
In fear of Jarasandha, I had to move my whole community from the banks of Yamuna to the far off Sea on the west coast. But I was called a coward who ran away from war.
I had no formal education. I could start my school only at the age of 16.
You are given a kingdom, but what was I given? If Dhuryodhana wins the war, you will get the credit of a victorius General. But I will remain only a charioteer in this war.
What do I get if Dharmaraja wins the war? Already I am blamed for this war. This blame will not go away whether Dharmaraja wins or loses.
… …
“Oh! Great warrior, Everybody gets his fare share of challenges in life. LIFE IS NOT FAIR. It never was. Nor any particular person is life’s favorite. But, what is Right (Dharma) is known to you. Yet, you have chosen the opposite.
” It’s not important, How much unfairness is heaped on us, how many times we were denied what is due to us. It is important how did we REACT to them, those misfortunes and carry on gracefully. Our actions then decides our footprints in the sand of time.
” Stop whining. Oh Karna ! LIFE’S UNFAIRNESS DOES NOT GIVE YOU LICENSE to WALK the WRONG PATH. You’re the one person who could’ve persuaded Duryodhana and avoided this war. But no, you didn’t. And now at this point, you blame the whole world for your disgrace.”
So saying, the Lord bade Karna off to another world.
(Retold)
Inspired by Sylvester Stallone’s speech in Rocky :-
( 'This world is not all sunshine..
It's important, how hard you can get hit and keep moving.
That's how success is made..')
Dr Ramakanta's Ideas 