| Great Personalities |
 |
| Biographies of Great Indians & Hindus |
KARNA |
|
| Karna the Supreme Commander
Drona fought for five days and died.
Thereafter Karna became the Supreme Commander. On the very first day he belabored in
battle Nakula, one of the Pandavas. He could easily have killed Nakula. But remembering
his promise to kunti he spared Nakula.
Karna was eager to kill Arjuna. In every respect he had excelled Arjuna. But there was one big handicap. He did not have as brilliant a charioteer as Arjuna had in Krishna. He sent word through Duryodhana and persuaded the valiant Shalya to become his charioteer. But this only harmed Karna. Shalya was the uncle of the Pandavas. Although he had joined the Kauravas he loved the Pandavas. And the Pandavas had made a secret prayer to Shalya: "if ever you become Karna's charioteer, speak to him in such a way that he loses heart." Shalya did so. He began to praise Arjuna highly before Karna. He spoke so as to imply that Arjuna was mightier than Karna. This threw cold water on Karna's enthusiasm. Poor man! That was his misfortune. The charioteer who should have helped him was himself inviting defeat. Besides, that very day he had lost two sons in the battle. |
|
