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Karna Parva

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Death of Karna

The Karna Parva (Sanskrit: कर्ण पर्व), or the Book of Karna, is the eighth of eighteen books of the Indian Epic Mahabharata. Karna Parva has 96 chapters.[1][2]

Karna Parva describes the appointment of Karna as the third commander-in-chief of the Kaurava alliance. The parva recites how war begins to tire and frustrate everyone, triggers angry shouting matches between Yudhisthira and Arjuna - brothers who otherwise love each other. This book describes how brutal war leads to horrifying behavior over the 16th and 17th day of the 18 day Kurukshetra War. At the end of the parva, Karna is killed in a fierce battle with Arjuna.[1]

Karna parva includes a treatise by Krishna on if and when is it ever appropriate to lie or volunteer a falsehood. The parva also includes a symbolic dialogue where Karna in distress demands a just process, but he abuses the just process when others are in distress.[3]

Structure and chapters

This Parva (book) has 96 adhyayas (chapters).[2][4]

The eighth book of the Mahabharata praises Karna's warrior abilities. He defeats four of five Pandava brothers - Yudhisthira, Bhima, Nakula and Sahedeva. However, Karna does not kill any of them in order to keep his promise to Kunti - the biological mother of Pandavas and his - to not harm his four step brothers, but only kill Arjuna (see Udyoga Parva).[2] Yudhisthira becomes upset with Karna's action and behavior on the battlefield, criticizes Arjuna for failing everyone during the war, and particularly by not engaging Karna. This upsets Arjuna who reminds Yudhisthira, in Chapter 70 of Karna parva, that Yudhisthira's addiction to gambling is at the root cause of everything - from their exile to this unnecessary war. Krishna intervenes between the two brothers and reconciles them.[3]

On the second last day of the war, Karna and Arjuna engage in a mortal fight. Karna's chariot sinks into earth. Karna steps out to remove the wheel, asking Arjuna to suspend their battle, as the agreed rules of just war required. However, Krishna tells Arjuna that Karna has no right to the rules of a just war because Karna has consistently violated those rules against Pandava's army during the war, including when he killed Abhimanyu - the son of Arjuna. Arjuna hestitates, asking whether virtue is an absolute or relative concept. Krishna tells Arjuna that if someone's evil is established, the evil doer suspends his right to expect virtue. Karna meanwhile fires an arrow at Arjuna, as he is trying to lift his chariot out of earth. Arjuna responds with a fatal arrow, killing Karna.[1][5]

English translations

File:Coronation of Karna.jpg
Karna was the third commander-in-chief of Kauravas during the Kurukshetra War. Shown above is his coronation ceremony.

Drona Parva was composed in Sanskrit. Several translations of the book in English are available. Two translations from 19th century, now in public domain, are those by Kisari Mohan Ganguli[2] and Manmatha Nath Dutt.[1] The translations vary with each translator's interpretations.

Debroy, in 2011, notes that updated critical edition of Drona Parva, after removing spurious and corrupted text that is known so far, has 69 adhyayas (chapters) and 3,870 shlokas (verses).[6]

Quotations and teachings

Karna Parva, Chapter 6:

Passion, engagement, skill and policy - these are the means to accomplish objectives.

— Karna Parva, Mahabharata Book viii.6[7] , in x, x, Ashwatthama

Karna Parva, Chapter 69:

Many people maintain that morality can be learned from the scriptures alone; I do not find fault with that, but then everything is not provided in the scriptures.
Moral precepts have been made for the well bring of all creatures.
Moral precepts have been made to free the creatures from all injuries.
Dharma - morality - is so called because it protects all. Morality saves all creatures. That is moral that keeps creatures from injuries.
An untruth spoken to save creatures from injuries is in the cause of morality, and does not amount to a falsehood.

— Karna Parva, Mahabharata Book viii.69.56-66[8] , in x, x, Krishna

See also

Previous book of Mahabharata: Drona Parva

Next book of Mahabharata: Shalya Parva

References

  1. ^ a b c d Karna Parva The Mahabharata, Translated by Manmatha Nath Dutt (1901)
  2. ^ a b c d Karna Parva The Mahabharata, Translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, Published by P.C. Roy (1889)
  3. ^ a b Bibek Debroy (2013), The Mahabharata, Volume 7, Penguin, ISBN 978-0-143-10019-5, Section 73 - Karna Parva
  4. ^ Karna Parva The Mahabharata, Translated by Manmatha Nath Dutt (1897)
  5. ^ Johann Becker, Mahabharata, in Deutsche, Berlin, Germany, pages 130-147
  6. ^ Bibek Debroy, The Mahabharata : Volume 3, ISBN 978-0143100157, Penguin Books, page xxiii - xxiv of Introduction
  7. ^ Bibek Debroy (2013), The Mahabharata : Volume 7, ISBN 978-01-4310-019-5, Penguin Books
  8. ^ Karna Parva The Mahabharata, Translated by Manmatha Nath Dutt (1901), pages 133-134 Abridged
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