Last year I watched the epic movie, “Kalki 2898 AD.” The last scene where the identity of Prabhas’s character was revealed literally gave me goosebumps and I know it was a similar feeling for everyone in the theatre as they cheered heavily for that scene.
But as an avid reader of the Mahabharat, I knew that something was off! How come people have started loving Karna more than Arjun? How come he has overshadowed the glory of the great Gandivadhari archer? Well, the answer lies in a simple fact: We have been fed this idea for a long time!!!
Well, it must have started with B.R. Chopra’s “Mahabharat”, but nothing comes close to the present-day Mahabharat shows depicting the glory of Karna. Even I believed that Karna was a hero for a long time before I could open the original texts and take time to read the individual parvas of the great epic.
Before that, I knew the Mahabharat only through TV shows, which showed that the real villain in the story was Shakuni. I am surprised how conveniently these shows showed Shakuni as an evil person, planning and plotting every conspiracy against the Pandavas. If you read the original Mahabharat you will be surprised that Shakuni was barely mentioned in the Adi Parva. He had a role in the gambling match, which may have given him such a bad name. But is it enough to frame a person? If so, then how is Karna a hero when he was the one who suggested disrobing Draupadi in the main hall in front of everyone?
There are many instances when Shakuni tried to mentor Duryodhana and guide him. When Duryodhana felt jealous of the Pandavas after the grand Rajasuya Yagya in Indraprastha, it was Shakuni who convinced him that he had enough to feel pride in his life, and he had no reason to feel jealous of the Pandavas. His words from the Sabha Parva are as follows:
”O Duryodhana, thou shouldst not be jealous of Yudhishthira. The sons of Pandu are enjoying what they deserve in consequence of their own good fortune. O slayer of foes, O great king,
thou couldst not destroy them by repeatedly devising numberless plans,
many of which thou hadst even put to practice. Those tigers among
men out of sheer luck escaped all those machinations. They have
obtained Draupadi for wife, and Drupada with his sons as also Vasudeva
of great prowess as allies, capable of helping them in subjugating the
whole world. And O king, having inherited the paternal share of the
kingdom without being deprived of it they have grown in consequence
of their own energy. What is there to make thee sorry for this ?”
Now this person has been framed the main villain in the Mahabharata by our so called modern TV show makers. And we glorified Karna who always instigated Duryodhana against the Pandavas. The person who disrespected a woman and called her a prostitute in front of so many people. We worship him, knowing how cruel he was, how he advised Duryodhana to humiliate the Pandavas even during their exile.
These are his words to Vikarna in the sabha parva:
“Draupadi had been mentioned (by Shakuni) and
approved of as a stake by the Pandavas. For what reason then dost
thou yet regard her as not won? Or, if thou thinkest that bringing her
hither attired in a single piece of cloth is an action of impropriety, listen to certain excellent reasons I will give. O son of the Kuru race, the
gods have ordained only one husband for one woman. This Draupadi,
however, hath many husbands. Therefore, it is certain that she is an
unchaste woman. To bring her, therefore, into this assembly, attired
though she be in one piece of cloth, even to uncover her is not at all an act that may cause surprise. Whatever wealth the Pandavas had,
she herself and these Pandavas themselves have all been justly won by
the son of Suvala. O Dussasana, this Vikarna speaking words of (apparently)
Wisdom is but a boy. Take off the robes of the Pandavas, as also the attire of Draupadi. “
It is sad that there is so much misinformation in today’s time. We believe everything and don’t take the time to look for real answers. We should ask ourselves, “Are we truly seeking answers, or have we already decided what we want to believe?”
Thanks for reading!
-Khushboo Singh