Dr Paulose

Karnan-The great hero of Mahabharata war

The princess Pritha, also known as Kunti, bore as a virgin, a son called Karna, whose father was the sun-god Surya and the name Surya Puthra.

Kunti, his mother, was a young girl at that time. She was not married yet. Rishi Durvasa came to her house and taught her a mantra. He said: “If you say this mantra to any God, he will give you a son.” Kunti became curious. Just to test the efficacy of the mantra, she said it to the Sun God. The Sun God appeared and gave her the child Karna.

 To keep Kunti’s virginity undisturbed, the sun-god arranged to give her a child that came from her ear, and therefore the child was known as Karna and he was born of Kunti from the ear. The word Karna means ear.

Kunti was nevertheless afraid of social stigma and therefore she abandoned the child. She put Karna in a basket and placed the same in the Ganges river. Thereby karna became the illegitimate eldest son of Kunti. (the irony of the situation is that there are many karnas born even today).

History repeats even in the present era, where there  are those girls who are from well to do families and want “freedom” but end up with teenage pregnancies and then abandon their new born, not letting anyone know in the process as to what occurred, thereby manifesting a life of misery for the child.More and more Karnans are born every day in this world.

*(As an Ear surgeon, the story of this great warrior who endured lot of pain and suffering all  his life till death- Karnan, always fascinated me , also the story of Kumbha karna, the great snorer….)