Karna - Part 1 of 8

'I am very pleased with your hospitality Pritha!' Sage Durvasa's face crinkled into a smile. 'Ask for anything you wish!' He said as he looked at the sixteen year old Pritha standing before him.

(Pritha and Vasudeva (The Dark Lord - Krishna's father) were the children of King Surasena from the Yadava clan. When Pritha had been very young, Surasena had given her in adoption to his childless cousin King Kuntibhoja. Kuntibhoja doted on Pritha so much that he changed her name from Pritha to Kunti.)

While answering the sage, Kunti not only displayed her intelligence, but also her maturity by which she was able to please the ferocious sage. (Sage Durvasa was an extraordinarily powerful sage with a serious flaw. He got angry extremely fast and in his anger he very often cursed people.) 'My Lord! You know of all the things that has happened and the things that are going to happen! Please give me any boon which you feel would be useful for me in my future!'

Sage Durvasa smiled. Of course, he knew Kunti's destiny. He took a deep breath. 'Pritha! There is a mantra by which you would have the power to invoke any God of your choice! Once the mantra is uttered, the Deva would appear before you and offer you a child with the power of the Deva!'

Why would I need the mantra? Kunti wondered briefly but then she shook her head. If the Sage felt it was necessary for her to learn the mantra, she would learn it....

And so Kunti learnt the mantra. His mission completed there, the sage left the palace and went back to the forests leaving behind the young Kunti with her new found knowledge.

Any Deva? Did she really have the power to invoke any Deva of her choice? Kunti sat in her palace as she stared out of the window the sun's rays washing her. The sage had unconditionally given her this power....Kunti frowned....Would the mantra really work?

The sun was feeling warm today and without even realizing it, Kunti started murmuring the mantra staring at the sun.

Before Kunti knew what was happening, a dazzling light was filled in the room. Kunti gasped as she saw the shining Surya Deva standing before her! 'My Lord!' Kunti bowed looking flustered.

'You summoned me by the mantra!' was all Surya said.

Kunti blinked. She had not realized what she had done. She shook her head hurriedly. 'No my Lord! You do not understand! What I did....I did without understanding!' Kunti was suddenly feeling ashamed wondering what her father would say if he came to know of this....Much to her horror, Kunti saw Surya shake his head. 'I am sorry but I am bound by the mantra!'

Kunti continued, wailing. 'You do not understand! I am not married! How on earth, can I have a child now?'

The Sun God shook his head. 'I cannot go back without abiding by the mantra! However do not worry, you would be a virgin, even after you have the child....!'

And so Kunti had a glorious and beautiful child...wonders of wonders the child was born with earrings and a natural armour around his body!

The Sun God vanished from there....

Kunti realized that she could not keep the child with her. She repeatedly regretted her hasty action of summoning the Sun God. Probably deep down, she realized that this child....her son, her first born son....would be the one who would face a harsh difficult world for her mistakes....She wept as she wrapped the child in a cloth and put the baby inside a box and let the box float in the River Aswa.....

From there the box floated to the Charmanwati to the Yamuna and finally to the Ganga.....The child inside the box was alive and fine. Destiny had kept the child alive for a purpose...