Introduction

In this storybook, I will be telling the story of Karna, one of the most ill-fated characters of the Mahabharata. His character is often associated with traits of loyalty, sacrifice, friendship, and duty. In the Mahabharata, Karna is known for his friendship with Duryodhana and it is their friendship that that leads to Karna’s downfall.

Karna is the son of Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas, and the sun god, Surya. Since Karna was conceived out of wedlock, Kunti abandons him in a basket along a river. Karna was born with golden earrings and a strong armor which are a part of Karna’s strength. He grows up to become a skilled warrior and charioteer. It is because of his abilities that he strikes a strong friendship with Duryodhana, another integral character in the Mahabharata. It is because of his friendship with Duryodhana that he sides with him during the Mahabharata war.

For the storybook, I will focus on Karna’s and Duryodhana’s friendship, particularly how Duryodhana manipulated Karna’s friendship for his own intentions. Also, I will focus on how Karna’s hatred towards the Pandavas even though they are his biological family led him to make unwise decisions and fuels Duryodhana’s ambitions.

First, I will give background of Karna’s earlier life with his adopted family as well as how he became a skilled warrior. Next, I will outline Karna’s and Duryodhana’s friendship. I will primarily look at the events that led Karna and Duryodhana to having a strong friendship. Also, I will delve into Karna’s loyalty towards Duryodhana as Duryodhana stands up for him.

Finally, I will discuss Karna’s hatred towards the Pandavas and how his hatred leads him to choose Duryodhana’s side during the war. Also, I will include Karna’s conversations with Lord Krishna and his biological mother, Kunti. I believe that these interactions will provide great insight into the character of Karna.

Although this storybook will be about Karna and his perspective during the Mahabharata, this storybook also will delve into concepts of morality, deceit, loyalty, and sacrifice as these themes are prevalent in the Mahabharata. Also, I would like readers to understand about some concepts of Indian culture such as dharma, karma, and moksha. Overall, I believe that this will be a great opportunity to understand more about the Mahabharata as well as creating a website.