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In the midst of the Kurukshetra war, a pivotal moment arose as Krishna's swift intervention saved Arjuna from the destructive power of the Nagastra.
Characters in the story:
Arjuna: Arjuna is a skilled and virtuous warrior prince and one of the central characters in Mahabharata. He is renowned for his archery prowess and is a key figure in the Kurukshetra War, where he faces moral dilemmas on the battlefield, eventually receiving divine guidance from Lord Krishna.
Karan: Karan is a prominent character in Mahabharata. He is known for his valor, generosity, and tragic fate, as he was the 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 for his role in the epic Mahabharata.
Yudhishthira: Yudhishthira is one of the central characters in the Hindu epic, Mahabharata. He was the eldest of the five Pandava brothers and known for his unwavering adherence to truth and righteousness, earning him the title of “Dharmaraja” or king of righteousness.
Duryodhana: Duryodhana is a key character in the Indian epic Mahabharata, known as the eldest of the Kaurava brothers and the main antagonist of the Pandavas.
Ashwasena: Ashwasena was the mighty son of Naga King Takshaka whose mother was tragically killed by Arjuna.
By the 16th day of the Kurukshetra war in the Mahabharata, only one of Karan’s sons, Vrishaketu, was alive. The others had died in battle, mostly at the hands of Arjuna. Amidst his sadness, Karan found out that Dushasana, Duryodhana’s dear brother, had also died. Despite his own grief, Karan tried to comfort his friend Duryodhana.
Driven by a desire for revenge, Duryodhana ordered Karan to avenge their losses by killing the Pandavas, starting with Yudhishthira.
Confronting Yudhishthira, Karan blamed him for the war, saying his decision to gamble Draupadi away had triggered it. He severely wounded Yudhishthira, leaving him injured and struggling. But Karan remembered his promise to his mother, Kunti, and spared Yudhishthira’s life, advising him to leave the battlefield. In the Pandava camp, the wounded Yudhishthira told Arjuna to defeat Karan, setting up a battle between the two warriors.
Karan and Arjuna’s fight went on, showcasing their equally impressive archery skills. Krishna even praised Karan for pushing back Arjuna’s chariot, even though Hanuman’s symbol was on it.
Karan decided to use the powerful Nagastra against Arjuna. Shalya, Pandava’s uncle who had been manipulated to fight for the Kauravas, was Karan’s charioteer. Shalya told Karan to target Arjuna’s chest, but Karna suspected Shalya’s hidden intentions due to Arjuna being Shalya’s nephew. Instead, Karan aimed for Arjuna’s neck.
Krishna, always watchful, pressed down on the chariot’s wheel, causing the Nagastra to barely scrape Arjuna’s crown without harming him much.
The Naga king Takshaka’s son, Ashwasena, who was a friend of Karan and Duryodhana, took the arrow and wanted to use it against Arjuna. Ashwasena held a grudge against Arjuna for causing a fire that killed Ashwasena’s mother while helping Lord Agni (incident to be covered in another story).
Seeking revenge, Ashwasena asked Karan to use the weapon again. Karan declined, knowing that divine weapons could only be used once. Frustrated, Ashwasena tried to use the weapon himself, but Arjuna quickly regained his composure and killed him.
In some versions of the Mahabharata, Krishna lowered the chariot and it got stuck in the mud. In this version, Krishna got off the chariot, knelt down, and lifted it with his strength. Although Karan shot arrows at Krishna, they didn’t affect him.
And so, the epic tale of the Kurukshetra war continued, filled with complex feelings, divine weapons, and the extraordinary bravery displayed by the warriors and their charioteers.
