The constant discrimination and insults he faced turned a very honest and forthright man into an extremely mean one. In his desire to become a great archer, Karna went to Drona, but the latter rejected him, calling him a suta putra, which literally means “son of a charioteer” and implied that he was low-born.
In swordsmanship and horse riding, Nakula and Sahadeva dominated. When it came to archery, Arjuna stood out. They would fight themselves to exhaustion without one being able to beat the other. With the mace, Bhima and Duryodhana were equal. With the lance or the spear, Yudhishthira was the best. After a few years of training, they all grew to become great warriors. The training under Dronacharya started, and with it, the competition between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. He employed him as the Rajaguru, which is a teacher of future kings. Bhishma immediately recognized Drona – he knew who he was and he appreciated his competence. Drona said he would not, unless they accept him as their guru. They asked him to teach them how he did it. The boys were amazed at his skill – it almost seemed like magic. It stuck out from the ball, and he shot a succession of blades into each other, so that they formed a kind of rod with which he could pull out the ball. He took a stiff blade of grass and shot it into the ball.
They saw it floating in the well but no one had a clue how to get it out, because the well was deep and did not have steps.ĭrona came by, looked at the situation, and asked, “Are you not Kshatriyas?” They said, “Yes, we are.” “Then don’t any of you know archery?” Arjuna said, “Yes, I am an archer, and I want to be the greatest archer in the world.” Drona sized him up and replied, “If you are an archer, why can’t you get this ball out?” They asked, “How can we get a ball out from a well with archery?” He replied, “I will show you.” In those times, balls were not made of rubber, leather, or plastic – they were usually made of weeds that were rolled up tightly. The training under Dronacharya started, and with it, the competition between the Pandavas and the Kauravas.īefore Drona came to Hastinapur, both the Pandavas and the Kauravas were trained by Kripacharya in martial arts. A great teacher, but a crooked and greedy human being. He knew all the dharma, shastras, rules, and scriptures, but he had absolutely no scruples. That is how he was – an ambitious man principled but unscrupulous. Drona promised him this but went straight to Hastinapur and sought employment with the king to teach the Kshatriyas how to use these weapons. Prior to handing over his astras to Drona, Parashurama put a condition that Drona should never teach a Kshatriya anything about these powerful weapons.
Rejected by DronaĪt that time, Parashurama was one of the most proficient warriors in the land. Not being a Kshatriya, Karna was not accepted by any teacher. If everyone learnt how to use weapons, there would be no control over their usage. This was a simple way of protecting the power of the king. In those times, only Kshatriyas, members of the fighting class, were entitled to receive training in martial arts and weapons. Being a charioteer, Adhiratha wanted to teach him how to drive a chariot, but Karna was burning to become an archer. As an infant, he already had golden earrings and a kind of natural armor around his chest. Karna, as he came to be known, was a child of destiny, and that too, an extraordinary one. They did not know who, but they were too glad they got this child, who filled their childless life. Looking at the nature of the box, they knew it could not be from an ordinary home, that a queen or king must have abandoned this baby.
He took the box with the baby to his wife Radha. He was childless and considered this as God’s gift to him. When he saw the little infant, he was delighted. Everything was warm about her, except her heart.Īdhiratha, a charioteer in Dhritarashtra’s palace, who happened to be at the riverside, noticed this ornate box, picked it up and opened it. Once she was clear about the purpose, she would do anything. She struggled with that, but she was a woman with a sense of purpose. She put the child in a wooden box and let him float in the river, not knowing what his fate would be. Karna, as he came to be known, was a child of destiny, and that too, an extraordinary one.īeing an unwed mother of fourteen years of age, she did not know how to face the social situation.