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Discover the untold chapter of the last moments of the legendary warrior Karna whose last wish reveals his noble deeds and enduring legacy.
Characters in the story:
Karna: Karna is a prominent character in the Hindu epic, Mahabharata. He is known for his valor, generosity, and tragic fate, as he was son of the sun god Surya, but was abandoned at birth and raised by a low-caste charioteer.
Lord Krishna: Lord Krishna is one of the most popular and revered deities in Hinduism. He is worshiped as the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu and is known for his divine teachings in the Bhagavad Gita and his role in the epic Mahabharata.
Pandavs: Pandavas is a group name referring to the five legendary brothers, Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva, who are central figures of Mahabharata. They are acknowledged as the sons of Pandu, the King of Kuru, but were fathered by different Devas (gods) due to Pandu’s cursed inability to naturally conceive children.
Karna, a remarkable figure in the epic Mahabharata, stands as an unsung hero, a warrior of unmatched skill, and a paragon of generosity. Yet, his fate took a tragic turn when he was unfairly defeated by Arjun, with the aid of Krishna. Many who cherish the tale of Karna or the Mahabharata are familiar with this unfortunate event, where deceit overshadowed Karna’s prowess, leading to his downfall.
However, what followed Karna’s defeat, and the events surrounding his last rites, is a lesser-known chapter of his story.
After his defeat, Karna was breathing his last breath. Krishna, in his guise as a Brahmin, approached him for alms. Resting beside his mother Radha and his wife Vrushali, Karna confessed he had nothing to offer. But Krishna noticed gold in Karna’s teeth and requested it. Without hesitation, Karna broke off the gold and presented it to the Brahmin. Krishna, moved by Karna’s selflessness, granted him a final wish.
Karna, son of Surya and the virgin Kunti, pleaded that his last rites be performed on untouched land, to break the cycle of ill fate that plagued his life. Krishna, with a smile, accepted the request and scoured the land for such a place.
Eventually, they discovered a tiny piece of virgin land, barely larger than the tip of a needle, on the banks of the Tapti River near present-day Surat, Gujarat. There, Karna’s last rites were solemnly conducted.
The revelation that Karna was their elder brother filled the Pandavas with sorrow. Doubts arose about the purity of the chosen land, but Karna, from the heavens, assured them of its sanctity, naming it after his brothers Ashwini and Kumaar.
Concerned about how others would recognize the sacred spot, Krishna prophesied the growth of a unique banyan tree sporting three leaves. Those who honored this tree would find their desires granted by the benevolent spirit of Daani Karna.
Visitors to the site observed the strange behavior of the banyan sapling: it neither grew nor shrank in size, maintaining a perpetual stasis, curiously, one leaf would regularly fall off at night, only to be replaced by a new one. Despite attempts to contain the plant, the vanished leaf remained a mystery.
Another rendition of the tale recounts Karna’s wish for his cremation occur in a place untainted by sin. Unable to find such a location on Earth, Krishna honored this wish by cremating Karna on his own hand, ensuring the fulfillment of his final request.
In the end, Karna’s legacy endures, immortalized in the sacred soil of his final resting place, where the echoes of his selflessness and valor continue to inspire generations. His tale, though tinged with tragedy, shines as a beacon of honor and righteousness in the annals of history.
