The Story of Karna's Birth
This is the story of the valiant warrior known as Karna. He was the eldest of the Pandavas, a fact unknown to all but his mother, Kunti. Karna was born before Kunti's marriage. Consequently, fearing social stigma, she abandoned him.
But how did Kunti conceive before marriage? It happened during a time when she was a princess, unmarried. Sage Durvasa, renowned for his austerity, was a guest at her father's palace for a year. Kunti tended to him diligently.
Impressed by the princess's service, Sage Durvasa blessed Kunti with the power to invoke any deity and bear their child. One day, emboldened by this power, Kunti invoked the Sun God.
The invocation, imbued with the Sage's blessing, resulted in Kunti's pregnancy before marriage. She bore a son, as radiant and powerful as the Sun God himself. Remarkably, the child was born adorned with a divine armour and earrings.
Out of fear of social disgrace, Kunti placed the child in a basket and set it adrift on a river. The basket was discovered by a charioteer and his wife, who were childless. Overjoyed at finding a son, they named him Karna and raised him as their own. This Sun-born son would later be known as the generous Karna.
Years later, he stood as a formidable warrior before the five Pandavas in the Kurukshetra War.
