The First Stone

The First Stone

Karna's father filled his life with everything he'd ever need. Karna always had food to eat, a place to stay. But most importantly, he had love. His lowly charioteer father loved him and cared for him. The love that was lost to Karna by his own mother as a child was made up by a man who loved him like his own.

In hindsight, that should have been enough for Karna. As with any person, there are things we want that were never meant to be ours.

Karna watches the Pandavas training each morning on his way to town. Their training sessions are public and they draw in crowds from many surrounding nations. Each of the brothers practice with their choice of fine weaponry. They're trained by Drona, who Karna notices spends more time focused on Arjuna than any of the other brothers. He openly admired Arjuna and his skills in archery. Drona's attention for Arjuna planted a seed of jealousy in many of spectators watching, Karna included.

Drona was one of the most sought out gurus, but he was particular in who he taught. Karna knew this firsthand because he approached Drona many weeks earlier to request his stewardship. Drona did take Karna under his wing, but on his own terms. Karna had the potential to become a great warrior and that worried Drona. With the correct training, Karna might be an equal opponent to Arjuna. Possibly a better opponent. Drona's heart had already made up its mind that Arjuna was going to be the greatest warrior. So, when Karna approached him asking to learn how to yield the holy weapons, called Brahmastra, Drona declined. Only a warrior was permitted to use such powerful weapons. A charioteer's son had no business in battle. In dismissing Karna, Drona's fears quieted. At the same time, a small fire ignited inside of Karna.

Karna needed to learn how to use the Brahmastra. So he disguised himself as a brahmin and approached another guru called Parashurama, . Parashurama gladly accepted Karna as a student. He exclusively taught brahmins. Karna was only a student of Parashurama for a short time before his lie caught up with him. Parashurama cursed Karna, telling him when he tried to use the Brahmastra, the skills he acquired would fail him.

Then came a day when the Pandava brothers and their cousins, the Kauravas, put their training to the test in a tournament of skill. From far and wide people came to see the spectacle. Arjuna's skill outmatched those around him. He was the very best. Then suddenly when the tournament was nearing its close, a stranger appeared. Karna's entrance shone of destiny, with light shining around him as he entered the arena.

"For many years, I feared that my son had relented to the mortal world. He didn't act upon the godlike nature instilled in him. Until that day." exclaimed Surya. "It was a redeeming moment for the son I thought I lost."

Indra replied, "I had seen Arjuna succeed for so many years, that I expected nothing less of him. Born afraid to be second best, he did whatever it took to be on top."

After permission from the council to perform, Karna completed all the same challenges as Arjuna. He completed them just as well. Duryodhana, overjoyed that someone had beat his cousin Arjuna, embraced Karna. In a celebratory manner, Duryodhana crowned Karna Prince of Agna. This coronation should have legitimized Karna as the true victor. But what really determined the course of competition was when Karna's charioteer father entered the arena. Overjoyed with Karna's impressive accomplishment, the father embraced his son. In turn, this act of affection revealed Karna's lowly status and his victory was stolen away from him. Arjuna, too caught up in his triumph, didn't notice his cousin Duryodhana comforting Karna.

"I remember that day vividly," said Surya. "Karna should have be named the victor. He earned it. The day my boy became a man."

"Yes, I remember. But, in that moment, I only saw Arjuna and a fight that was so easily his," replied Indra.

"Something in Karna snapped that day," said Surya.

And so, the first stone was thrown into the rubble of this relationship.

Author's Note

In this first story, the focus is on Karna. Even though he was abandoned, I feel like it's important to note that Karna's adoptive parents loved him very much. He didn't lack anything as a child, but he always felt like there was something missing. (Unknown to him, his demigod half is beginning to emerge.) He, like many of the other younger men in town, admire the Pandava princes. Their training is shaping them into the mighty warriors that will serve and protect their people. Karna is proactive with his envy. Drona, the trainer of the princes, agrees to train Karna. By this time, Drona has personally foreseen that his prize student, Arjuna, would be the greatest warrior. When Drona began to train Karna, he noticed his student's tenacity and skill. A born warrior, Karna excelled more than Drona could have ever imagined. When Karna approached him, asking about the heavenly weapons, Drona knew it was time to let this student go. Remember when Drona cut of Eklavya's right thumb so he couldn't surpass Arjuna in archery? Drona is ruthless when things don't go his way. Karna's dismissal from not one, but two gurus, leaves him feeling beaten down. He gets a chance to prove himself in the tournament, but in the end, that too is stolen away from him. We see the fathers of Arjuna and Karna discussing how the felt during their son's first encounter. We see Surya, father of Karna, beaming with pride. He can finally see himself in his son. Indra, father of Arjuna, comes to terms with the expectations he has for his son and the expectations his son has for himself. Both equally grueling. At the very end of the story, Arjuna's cousin Duryodhana begins his relationship with Karna. This is the beginning of a very loyal, destructive relationship.