The character of Karna is one of the most interesting and layered characters in Mahabharata. He is often considered a tragic hero in the epic saga. Let us look at the ultimate life lessons from Karna.
Dharma
No matter what happened, Karna also stood by his Dharma. He took up the weapons and fought against his own brothers. He happily played his role in the war even though he knew that Duryodhana was wrong. He also knew that he was definitely going to die in the war. Despite everything, he never gave up and did what he had to. He was cursed with the knowledge of everything yet he never disclosed anything and suffered in silence.
Kindness
“Daanveer Karna” is how people refer and remember Karna today. Even when he was dying, he gave his golden tooth to Indra and lived up to his name and duty. He never refused anyone who asked him for help or donation. This is also one of the reasons why Krishna and all the Gods looked up to him and gave him a place in heaven after his death in the war.
Loyalty
Krishna offered Karna the whole kingdom of Hastinapur and he had the chance to stop it and become the king. He politely refused the offer and when he insisted, he said that even if he took up the crown, he would pass it on to Duryodhana as Duryodhana always supported him and treated him like an equal when all the others were neglecting and mocking him.
Determination
He was refused training by Dronaacharya and he knew that he would have to deceive Parshurama to learn the skills. He also knew that he would have to face extreme consequences if the truth comes out. Yet, nothing stopped him from being the warrior that he always wanted to. He learnt the skills and dedicated himself to the cause without fearing the consequences.
Tolerance
It is the most underrated quality of Karna. Karna tolerated every injustice that happened to him. He never took it in anger and raised his weapons to fight against mockery or injustice. He was a skilled warrior and he could easily defeat most of the people if he had chosen to take the violent method. In fact, he could even defeat Arjuna but his curses prevented him from winning the war.
Sense of Duty and Belonging
Karna never treated his foster parents any differently from how he would treat his real ones. He was indebted to them and even when Kunti revealed his truth, he never felt alienated or different from the role he had always played with his parents. In fact, when Krishna tries to pacify him and prevent the war, he claims that Kunti had abandoned him while his foster parents left no stone unturned to bring him up with all the good qualities and luxuries.
Thus, Karna is a very layered character and one of the most interesting ones in the saga of Mahabharata. From his birth until his death, he stood by what he claimed and he is one of the most respected and revered warriors in Mahabharata. These life lessons from Karna can be pretty useful in our day-to-day lives as well.
Click here to read about Daanveer Karna and his acts of charity.
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