1.

Moral and ethical dilemma of karna

Life lessons from Mahabharata - Karna

Do not give up on life

Always be fair even if life is not fair to you
Believe in yourself and your ability
Be loyal in friendship
Stand up for what you believe in
Keep your promises

Throughout his life, Karna only believed in his “Karma”. He lived his life with
courage and confidence in himself fighting discrimination and disgrace at every
stage.

Karna had the moral values of Yudhistra, the physical strength of Bhima, archery
skills of Arjuna, good looks of Nakula and wisdom of Sahadeva. Yet, he almost
became a puppet in the hands of fate. But no obstacle could ever deter him from
pursuing his goal. He faced all the odds of his fortune with virtue and courage.

The life and struggles of Karna can inspire us to achieve our goals in life. Never
give up.

ETHICAL DILEMMA OF KARNA

An ethical dilemma arises when a person is committed to two or more moral obligations
and he cannot fulfill one without violating his duty to the other.1 This is exactly
happened in case of Karna in the episode ‘The Temptation of Karna’. At one point of
time in the Mahabharata, Karna was also suffering from a great ethical dilemma. That
was the decision making time for him, in which he had to choose between law (dharma)
and his duty; between his mother and his friend. That was a hard time for karna where
he could not obey his mother without violating his duty to his friend, at the same time
he could not remain loyal to his friend without disobeying his duty as a son. ‘The
Temptation of Karna’ occurs in the ‘Episode- 53’ (‘The udyog parva’) of The
Mahabharata which is wholly devoted to the classic and sublime scene in which Lord
Krishna disclosed to Karna about his true descent, about his real mother and the secret
of his birth. Just before the outbreak of Kurukshetra war, both Krishna and Kunti
approached to Karna and revealed the truth of his birth and urged him to join the
Pandavas. Karna, for the first time, learnt about his true descent from Lord Krishna that
he is not Radheya but Kunteya and five Pandavas are his brothers. . After hearing this,
Karna was shocked for a moment and he did not understand how to deal with this
traumatic situation. He became so helpless that he started having ethical dilemma- the
dilemma of responsibilities both as a son and a friend. Krishna Visited Karna First and
Tried to Tempt Him by offering Several Advantageous Choices which he Would Get
by Joining Pandavas: “come with me and you shall be a king……Pandavas shall have
to recognize you as the Kaunteya senior to Yudhisthira. The five pandavas shall clasp
your feet as your brothers andso shall the five sons of Draupadi, and the unvanquished
son of Subhadra mighty Bhimasena himself shall hold the grand white umbrella over
you…Arjuna shall drive the chariot drawn by his white horses…Abhimanyu, Nakula,
Sahadeva, and the five Draupadeyas shall always be at your beck and call…..”

Lord Krishna even offered him the company of Draupadi if he choose to side with
pandavas “ and at the sixth turn you shall lie with Draupadi.” Krishna further said that
he himself would follow Karna if he joined the Pandavas. 3 Karna refused to accept all
the offerings of Lord Krishna, because he knew that it was too late for such offerings.
Rather he determined to stay with Duryodhana, because it was only Duryodhana who
always stood behind him. When he was all alone, Duryodhan was the only person to
come to his aid and he would never give him up. Karna also told Krishna that he
considers Adhiratha and Radha as his real parents because they showered unconditional
love on him, whereas Kunti cast him out as though he had been stillborn. Even Karna
request Vasudeva not to disclose their meeting in front of the Pandavas because if
Yudhisthira learnt about the true identity of Karna, he would give away his kingdom to
him, because he is a true dharma abiding person, and he (Karna) in turn would give to
Duryodhana because of his friendship and loyalty. When Lord Krishna Failed to Tempt
Karna, Kunti came to Meet him and Revealed herself as his Mother: “you are the son
of Kunti, not of Radha, nor is Adhiratha your father, you have not been born in the line
of sutas…..I gave birth to you before I was married. You are my first-born whom I
carried in my womb in the palace of Kuntibhoja. You are a Partha, my son...” 4 Kunti
Further Said “cut yourself off from the Dhartarastras and enjoy Yudhisthira’s
fortune,….let the Kurus today witness the meeting of Karna and Arjuna in a spirit of
brotherhood. Let Karna and Arjuna be like Rama and Janardana. When the two of you
are united in spirit, what could you not achieve in the world! Surrounded by your five
brothers, you shall surely shine forth, Karna, like Brahma surrounded by the Vedas and
their branches……”5 Thus, it is clear that the stone hearted mother, Kunti was trying
to emotionally blackmail Karna so that he could join the Pandavas and fought for their
cause. She revealed in front of him the untold truth and secret of his birth and accepted
him as her son, not out of love but in order to protect the life of her legal sons. In reality,
by inviting Karna into her son’s side she wanted to have a life-long protection and
permanent armour (kavach) for her favourite sons. Had Kunti really love Karna, she
might reveal his true identity in front of her five sons and begged Karna’s life instead.
But she did not do that. If she had really soft corner for her first born son, she would
have accepted him in front of all at the time of Pandava’s first military exhibition. When
Karna, for the first time, challenged Arjuna for archery competition but he was refused
and was humiliated by all due to his low origin. Everyone especially the 2nd pandava,
Bheema mocked at him by saying that a suta does not have the efficiency of a warrior.
It would be a dishonor for Arjuna if he fought with a suta. At that time, Kunti could
have disclosed Karna’s true identity and saved her son from utter humiliation instead
of remaining a silent audience of her son’s mockery. How selfish Kunti was! She
remembered her first son just before the outbreak of war when Karna wholly
determined to destroy the Pandava’s troop.
Ethical Dilemma of Karna in “The Mahabharata”: A Critical Study of Karna’s
Character 5 in the Light of Episode “The Temptation of Karna” www.tjprc.org
[email protected] Kunti was so cruel and selfish that just to testify the validity of the
mantra, which she had received from the sage Durvasa, she invoked the Deity Sun
without thinking about the horrible result of her childish behavior and finally when she
forced the latter to come to her and begot a son by him, she got rid of that child by
simply floating the new born baby on the river Ganga without thinking anything for
that child. Thus, it is apparent that Kunti tried to entrap Karna, emotionally. After
hearing Kunti’s words, Karna became emotional for a moment, but finally he could
read the true intention of Kunti that she did not come for him but for the protection of
her five sons. Karna could not help without reminding Kunti about the misdeeds that
she had done to him. So he replied to her: “what enemy could have done me greater
harm than you have? When there was time to act you did not show me your present
compassion. And now you have laid orders on me, the son to whom you denied the
sacraments. You have never acted in my interest like a mother, and now, here you are,
enlightening me solely in your own interest…...I who never had been known as their
brother now stand revealed as one, at the hour of battle. If I now go to the Pandavas,
what will the baronage call me? The Dhartarastras have let me share in all their comforts
and have honoured me much at all times……how could I desert them now when they
see in me the boat they need to cross over this impassable battle and find the farther
shore of this shoreless ocean?...” 6 Kunti, for the first time asked a favour from Karna
and Karna is known for his generosity. Nobody returned empty handed from his door
and Kunti was even his mother. But, if Karna obeyed to his mother’s word, he had to
cheat Duryodhanathat person who always supported him at the time of his misery. But,
simultaneously he could not choose both his duties. He had to violate one in order to
fulfill his duty to the other. Thus, it is clear that karna is facing a dilemma regarding his
responsibilities both as a brother and as a loyal friend. Duryodhana is in utter need of
Karna and at this moment if he joined Pandavas and left Duryodhana, it would be a
dishonour to his friendship. After all, a friend in need is a friend indeed. But Karna also
knew that he could not ignore his duty as a son and a brother. Being the elder of all the
Pandavas, it is his duty to protect his brother and to obey his mother. At last, Karna
chooses dharma over duty. His one and only dharma is to remain on the side of
Duryodhana though he is an incarnation of evil and lawlessness. Although Karna
decided to stay with Kauravas, he made a promise to his mother, Kunti: “I shall not kill
your sons in the battle…..that is, your sons Yudhisthira, Bhima and the twins, excepting
Arjuna. Arjuna I shall fight in Yudhisthira’s army. In killing Arjuna on the battlefield I
shall find my reward, or reap fame if the Lefthanded Archer kills me. So never shall
your sons number less than five, glorious woman: either without Arjuna but with Karna,
or with Arjuna, if I am killed.” 7
2. Role of Dharma
It is the last aspect of dharma, which is the most difficult to interpret. What constitutes the duty
of an individual? There are no easy answers. In the Hindu context, this duty is defined by
several variables: the individual’s place in society and family, their stop in the cosmic
hierarchy, their chosen life path, and even the time, situation, season, and place in which they
find themselves. A.K. Ramanujan calls this the “context-sensitive nature of dharma,” in “Is
There an Indian Way of Thinking?”
Perhaps the best way to fix the meaning of dharma is by approaching it from the vantage point
of the end goal, which in Indic religions is salvation, moksha, or nirvana. Dharma is that
conduct which takes you closer to salvation: often this conduct is aligned with svadharma, the
conduct that is right for one’s caste, class, and profession or for one’s peculiar, individual nature
or svabhava. Conduct that may be pure in abstraction but is dissonant with one’s svadharma
and svabhava does not lead to salvation.
The Mahabharata, the world’s longest religious epic, is at one level, a deep dive into the
context-sensitivity of dharma. At one point, Vyasa, the narrator says of the text:
What is found here concerning dharma, the proper making of wealth, pleasure and final release,
is to be found elsewhere too, O bull-like heir of Bharata; but what is not found here is to be
found nowhere. (Book I, Adi Parva or the Book of Beginnings)
Though the question of dharma comes up in the Mahabharata at every turn, two sets of events
that also theorize the nature of dharma are especially relevant. The first and most popularly
discussed are those related to Arjuna’s crisis in Book 6, the Bhishma Parva or the Book of
Bhishma.
On the first day of battle, the warrior’s courage begins to fail him at the field. Assembled before
Arjuna is a familiar host, the Kauravas, his own cousins, and his uncles and grandfathers by
blood and by marriage. Arjuna is reluctant to go to war with his own clan. Though Arjuna’s
pacifist approach is by no means “wrong” in a contemporary sense, it violates his svadharma
as a warrior. Dharma is often objective and fishes one out of the realm of subjectivity. So, the
god Krishna explains Arjuna’s true duty to him and brings him back to conduct-compliant with
his svadharma.
In the second set of events, which I’ll explore in more detail, we are the end of the great war.
The patriarch Bhishma is on his deathbed, suspended mid-air by Arjuna’s arrows, which pierce
his body. The son of the divine river goddess, the Ganga, Bhishma has the boon of “icchha
mrityu” or choosing the time of his death. Fatally wounded at the start of the battle, Bhishma
has chosen to linger on at the battlefield, witnessing the fall of the mighty armies of the
Kauravas and the Pandavas.
In Book 12, Santi Parva or the Book of Consolation, the Kauravas have been slayed and the
Pandavas have emerged as the victors. Yet, paved by corpses of internecine slaughter, this
victory is more bitter than sweet. As Yuddhishthira, the oldest of the Pandavas, and the future
king of Hastinapur surveys the battleground, he is filled with deep loathing. If this is what
becoming a king entails, Yuddhishthira wants no part of it. As a king, there will be no rest for
him even after battle. And having paid such a high price for his kingship, will Yuddhishthira
be able to prove himself worthy of that cost?
Troubled by these questions, Yuddhishthira considers giving up his life as a king and a warrior
for the simple, austere existence of an ascetic. Krishna advises Yuddhishthira to seek the
counsel of his beloved grand-uncle Bhishma.
From his bed of arrows, Bhishma delivers the sermon “The dharma of kings,” which
illuminates the path ahead for Yuddhishthira. Following the rajdharma or the dharma of a king
is important for Yuddhishthira because in the absence of kingship, the weak suffer infinitely
and the strong gain unlimited power. The king is the dispenser of justice, the righter of the
scales, the giver of mercy, without whom civilization would collapse into the laws of the jungle.
Therefore, it is implied Yuddhishthira must not give up on his rajdharma. In the excerpt that
follows, Yuddhishthira asks Bhishma to explain to him the “onerous” duty of a king.
Yudhishthira said, "Persons conversant with duty and morality say that kingly duties constitute
the highest science of duty. I also think that the burden of those duties is exceedingly onerous.
Do thou, therefore, O king, discourse on those duties. ...
Bhishma said, "... He is the best of kings in whose dominions men live fearlessly like sons in
the house of their sire ... The following verse was sung in days of old by Usanas of Bhrigu's
race, in the narrative called Ramacharita, on the subject, O Bharata, of kingly duties: 'One
should first select a king (in whose dominions to live). Then should he select a wife, and then
earn wealth. If there be no king, what would become of his wife and acquisition'?' Regarding
those that are desirous of kingdom, there is no other eternal duty more obligatory than the
protection (of subjects). The protection the king grants to his subjects upholds the world.”
Thus, in describing true rajdharma to Yuddhishthira, Bhishma allays his insecurities and
doubts. Knowledge of dharma often serves this clarifying purpose in the Mahabharata.
However, by the very frequency with which questions about the right dharma pop up in the
text, we can deduce that the text itself does not have absolute answers on dharma. Dharma is
both extremely precise and elusive; and we have to constantly calibrate our own understanding
of our right conduct based on present realities. Perhaps the greatest role of dharma in the
Mahabharata is to remind the reader of the absence of absolutes.

3. Role of karna

Karna was one of the most unfortunate characters in the epic story of
Mahabharata. Regardless of his bad luck and fight with fortune, he proved to all
that he was a real man. His principles hold good even to this day. Throughout his
life, Karna only believed in his “Karma”. He lived his life with courage and
confidence in himself. He faced all the odds of his fortune with virtue and valour.
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warrior of Mahabharata is famous for his numerous virtues. He's believed to be one
of the most important characters in the epic that can teach us few golden morals
in life. The characteristics of Karna in Mahabharata teach people how to fight all
the odds of life with patience, determination and courage. Following are the 7
inspiring characteristics of Karna in Mahabharata. Have a look at these
characteristics that can help us deal with life in a better way The Most Powerful
Man One of the 7 inspiring characteristics of Karna in Mahabharata is that he was
the most powerful character among all the men in Mahabharata. He was stronger
than Arjuna and even Arjuna could not vanquish him without help. In the battle of
Kurukshetra, Indra and Sri Krishna helped Pandavas to execute Karna. Krishna
became Arjuna's charioteer, whereas Indra snatched the armour from Karna to
clear the path for Arjuna. Painting Your Walls All White In Summer: Know The
Benefits Generous Karna is famous for his generosity and this is also one of the
most important characteristics of Karna in Mahabharata. The Son of Surya, Karna,
was born with an armour and golden earrings, which protected him and made him
unconquerable. Indra knew this and he disguised himself as a Brahmin and went to
Karna and asked him to give his armour and earrings. Karna removed his armour
from his body at once and gave it to Indra along with his earrings. Being surprised
at Karna's generosity, Indra offered Karna his unbeatable weapon named "Shakti".
At Keonjhar And Mayurbhanj, Orissa, Little Children Are Married To Dogs As A
Custom A Great Archer Another most vital quality among the 7 inspiring
characteristics of Karna in Mahabharata is that he was a great archer. Karna was
actually a better archer than Arjuna. Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones and
Daughter Carys Dazzle At Cannes 2023, Pics! Charitable Karna never refused for any
kind of a donation or gift, no matter how costly it was. While Karna was on his death
bed, Surya and Lord Indra disguised themselves as beggars and asked Karna for
some charity. Karna said that he had nothing to give them at that moment. The
beggars asked Karna to give him his gold tooth and Karna immediately took a stone
and ruptured his tooth and donated it to the beggars. Respect For Kunti Just before
the battle of Kurukshetra, Kunti went to Karna to reveal the truth that she was his
real mother. Being the eldest among the Pandavas, Karna deserved to be the king,
so Kunti asked Karna to join Pandavas in the battle. Karna didn't want to deceive
Duryodhana who was his friend. So he promised Kunti that he won't slaughter any
of the Pandavas in the battle except Arjuna. A Man Of Morals Sri Krishna also asked
Karna to leave Duryodhana and join Pandavas. He even offered Karna the entire
kingdom as well as Draupadi. However, Karna still stuck to his values and never
ditched Duryodhana for material profits. This incident proves that Karna was a man
of values, which is one of the best among the 7 inspiring characteristics of Karna in
Mahabharata. Karna Had All The Qualities Of Pandavas Karna was intelligent, had
moral values, was a great archer, was powerful and handsome. These qualities
were distributed among the five Pandavas. Sahadeva was known for his
intelligence, Yudhishtira was famous for his moral values, Arjuna was a great
archer, Bheema was physically strong and Nakula was physically attractive. Karna
possessed all of these qualities in him.

4.
Significance of the game of dice in the Mahabharata The Mahabharata, the longest Sanskrit
epic, is a story of two sets of paternal first cousin who became the bitter rivals with each other.
The epic revolves around the struggle for the throne of Hastinapura. The two collateral
branches of the family that participate in the struggle are the Kauravas and the Pandavas. The
Kauravas were collectively the hundred sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra and the Pandavas
were the five sons of Pandu. The five brothers named Yudhistira (eldest son), Arjuna, Bhima,
Nakula and Sahadeva were always obedient and dutiful. Draupadi was the common wife of the
five Pandavas. The Kauravas behaved viciously and brutally towards the Pandavas in many
ways. Their malice displayed itself when they took advantage of the eldest Pandava, Yudhistira
in a game of dice. Living in the new territory of Indraprastha, Yudhistira turns his poor land
into a wealthy kingdom, and declaress himself King of Kings. Duryodhana, the eldest of the
Kauravas, is jealous and humiliated on his visit to the magnificent palace. He mistakes a glass
floor for a pool, then later falls into a pool thinking it is glass. Draupadi and Bhima laugh at
him. He returns home bent on devising their destruction. Game of dice Duryodhana follows
the advice of his uncle, the cunning Sakuni, an infamous dice player, and invites Yudhistira to
a game of dice. They know well that gambling is Yudhistira's one weakness. Vidura is sent to
invite the Pandavas to visit Hastinapura and play a dice game there. Yudhistira accepts the
invitation. Both Dhritharashtra and Yudhistira ignore Vidura's warning to avoid the game
which may result to a destructive consequence. Sakuni was confidence that he could defeat
Yudhistira easily and thus Duryodhana could fulfil his ill-motive of outdoing the Pandavas.
Before the dicing, a lot of discussions were there, but Yudhistira is obliged to play .But Sakuni
comes in to play for Duryodhana. During the dicing event Yudhishtira stakes his wealth,
Jewelry, Indprastha, and the belongings of his brothers one by one and looses one by one.
Sakuni mocks and provokes Yudhistira at each stage and demands to stake. He thus looses his
brothers Nakula, Sahadeva. The Sakuni mocks him that at best those are the stepbrothers he
lost ,but Arjuna and Bhima are not so and he won't bet them . This forces Yudhistira to stake
Arjuna , and hid liberty at the stake as demanded by Sakuni. At this moment of his complete
defeat including himself, Yudhistira is again mocked to stake Draupadi . Yudhistira stakes
Draupadi and looses her also. There were strong reactions from the assembly when Yudhistira
staked her. Draupadi questions the legality of staking her when she was forced and dragged in
front of the assembly . There were favouring reactions to her questions. Interestingly, Vikarna,
a younger brother of Duryodhana , reacts in support of Draupadi. He says courageously that
Yudhistara is enticed to play the game deeply plotted by Duryodhana and Sakuni. And that a
lost Yudhistira has not the right to stake Draupadi .The assembly supported him. But Karna
silenced him,b by saying that he is too young before the others in that hall. Duryodhana in the
open court chides Druapadi and invites her to sit on his thigh, patting and baring his thigh. He
orders Dussasana to disrobe her in front of the court . Dussasana begins to execute the act. But
Draupadi cannot be bared. She is endowed with the divine grace of being in new dress to
whatever extent the clothes are pulled by Dussasana .The strong Dussasana fails and becomes
exhausted . The Assembly stands stunned at the miracle. Bhima sends shivering signals by oath
that he will tear open the Dussasana's heart and drink the blood of him,and he shall break the
thigh of the Duryodhana on which Draupadi was tauntingly invited to sit. The invincible
Draupadi by the divine blessing made Dhritarashtra still more afraid of the Pandavas. He asks
the pardon of Draupadi and releases all that was wom on the dicing events. Of course,
dissatisfied at Dhritarashtra's act Sakuni and Duryodhana once again plead before Dhritarashtra
for another dice game with Yudhistira. In thr second spell of dicing event, Yudhistira is again
defeated and is forced to go on exile for 12 years.The condition is that they should live in
forests and pass the 13th year disguise without being identified by anybody. If they are
identified by anybody during the period of disguise ,they should repeat 12 years of exile in
forest and the 13th year in disguise. Thus losers in the deceitful act of gambling, and insulted
by Kauravas, the Pandavas started for their exile in forest . Vidura told Yudhistira to allow
mother Kunthi to stay back as she was old and weak. Yudhistira agreed .Draupadi, however ,
accompanied her husbands to the forest. Duryodhana became the de facto ruler of both
Hastinapura and Indraprastha. The Pandavas are not alone in the forest but are followed by
many loyal Brahmons and servants.The gods give them an inexhaustible supply of food for all
of them. The Pandavas reached Kamyak forest and decided to rest there for a while .Krishna
came to help them. After inquiring about their well being, he advised Pandavas to be vigilant
and not to lose heart. The ordeal they had to face was for their good. Good and bad experience
are essential to get correct perspective and fulfillment of life. Suffering and sorrow bring
requisite feeling of renunciation essential to seek higher goal in life. The future of the Pandavas
was determined by the game of dice . The had to undergo plight and suffering due to their
defeat in the game. Yudhistira's temptation brought about that unexpected consequence. His
wife Draupadi and his younger brothers fell victims to the horrible experience .The tragic fact
of the Kauravas was another consequence of the dice game. Gambling is an immortal action.
It most often favours the evils. The gamblers do not hesitate to adopt unfair means to win the
game anyhow.A man with morality is likely to get defeated in gambling. The ultimate result of
the game of dice id the bloody battle between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The war of
Kurukshetra fought between them brings about ultimate downfall of the Kauravas. The victory
of the Pandavas symbolizes the victory of the victorious over the evil.