Legendary Archer Karna: 10 Hidden Truths Unveiled

Karna wanted to kill Arjun for several key reasons:
1. Karna’s Quest for Respect and Recognition: He was born to Kunti but raised by a charioteer family, facing constant humiliation because of his perceived low birth. Defeating Arjun, a celebrated warrior, was his way to gain respect and prove himself.
2. Draupadi’s Humiliation: During Draupadi’s swayamvara, she refused to let Karna participate, mocking him for his low birth. This fueled Karna’s resentment toward the Pandavas, especially Arjun.
3. Allegiance to Duryodhana: Karna’s loyalty to Duryodhana, who viewed the Pandavas as enemies, drove him to target Arjun. Killing Arjun would help fulfill his friend’s ambition of defeating the Pandava

Karna was called “Sut Putra” because it means “son of a charioteer.” The word “Sut” refers to “Sarthi,” which means charioteer, and “Putra” means son. Since Karna was raised by Adhirath, who was a charioteer, everyone considered him to be the son of a charioteer, even though he was actually born to Kunti and the Sun God.

Curse from Parashurama: Karna lied about his identity to Parashurama, claiming to be a Brahmin in order to learn the art of warfare from him. One day, while Parashurama was resting with his head on Karna’s lap, a bee stung Karna, causing him immense pain. Karna endured the pain silently to avoid disturbing his teacher’s rest. When Parashurama awoke and saw the blood, he realized that Karna could not be a Brahmin, as no Brahmin would have such endurance to tolerate the pain. Feeling deceived, Parashurama cursed Karna, declaring that he would forget the knowledge of the weapons he had learned when he needed it most. This curse later played a crucial role during the Kurukshetra War.
A curse from a Brahmin: Another curse was given to Karna by a Brahmin whose cow Karna accidentally killed while practicing archery. The Brahmin was furious and cursed Karna that his chariot wheel would get stuck in the ground during a crucial battle, rendering him vulnerable. This curse too came true during Karna’s final battle with Arjun, leading to his downfall.
These curses significantly impacted Karna’s fate, contributing to his defeat and death in the war.

Although Karna was born to Kunti, which would traditionally make him known as “Kaunteya,” he was called “Radheya” because he was raised by his foster mother, Radha.

The name “Vaikartana” is derived from the word “Vikar,” meaning “to cut or remove,” and “Tana,” meaning “body.” Karna earned the title “Vaikartana” because he cut his body to remove and give away his divine armor (Kavach) and earrings (Kundal) to Indra.

Karna, the courageous son of Surya (the Sun God) and Kunti, was born with divine armor (Kavach) and earrings (Kundal) that made him invincible in battle. Fearing Karna’s unmatched strength, Indra, the father of Arjuna, devised a plan to weaken him. Disguised as a humble Brahmin, Indra approached Karna and requested his armor and earrings as a donation. True to his reputation as a man of boundless generosity and unwavering honor, Karna did not hesitate. Despite knowing the consequences, he cut off his own armor and earrings, gifting them to Indra without a second thought

The Vijaya bow, forged by Lord Shiva and crafted by Vishwakarma, was gifted to Karna by his mentor, Parashurama, as a reward for his dedication. Blessed by Shiva, it was an invincible weapon designed to guarantee victory. However, Karna didn’t use it lightly; each arrow fired from the bow created thunderous sounds and immense destruction.
As a warrior of honor, Karna believed the Vijaya bow should only be used in the most critical battle, reserving it for his final confrontation with Arjuna, his greatest rival.

Although Karna was nearly perfect in many aspects—his bravery, generosity, and honor—his one major flaw was his unwavering loyalty to Duryodhana during the infamous Dice game Duryodhana had supported Karna when no one else did, and in return, Karna remained loyal to him, even during the infamous dice game. Since Duryodhana saw Draupadi as an enemy, Karna, out of loyalty, sided with Duryodhana’s actions.
Personal Insult: During Draupadi’s swayamvara, she had publicly insulted Karna by not allowing him to participate because she thought he was of low birth. This deeply hurt Karna, and he held a grudge against Draupadi because of it.

Kunti revealed to Karna that he was her firstborn son, making him the eldest brother of the Pandavas. This shocking truth meant that Karna was not the son of a charioteer, as he had always believed, but of royal blood. Despite this revelation, Karna chose to fight against the Pandavas due to his Friendship and Loyalty to Duryodhana as Karna felt a deep sense of loyalty to Duryodhana, who had supported him when no one else did.
He believed it would be dishonorable to abandon Duryodhana in the war, as Duryodhana had been his closest ally and friend although he promised Kunti that he would not kill any of the Pandavas except Arjuna. He reassured her that she would still have five sons, as either he or Arjuna would survive the battle.
During the battle, Karna had the chance to kill all four Pandavas, except Arjuna. But because of the promise he made to Kunti, he held back and didn’t harm them, staying true to his word to his mother.

Karna died in his final battle with Arjuna. During the fight, his chariot wheel got stuck in the ground, and as he struggled to free it, he was unable to recall the use of divine weapons due to Parashurama’s curse. Taking advantage of the situation, Arjuna, on Krishna’s advice, shot Karna with an arrow, killing him