FALL OF KARNA

Before the seventeenth day of the battle, Karna's sacred armour the Kavacha and earrings Kundala were taken as alms by Lord Indra when asked for, which resulted in his death by Arjuna's arrows.

Karna in a fit of rage attacked Arjuna. Karna asked Salya, "Lord of Madra, suppose I am killed by Arjuna, what will be the consequences?" Salya replied, "The great war will be continued. I will take up arms and I will kill Sri Krishna and Arjuna and crown Duryodhana with victory." Arjuna put a similar question to Sri Krishna, "What will happen if I die, Achyuta?" Sri Krishna smiled and replied, "The hypothetical question does not arise at all. You are sure to win. The glorious Bhishma fell. The great preceptor died, Karna is destined to follow them. Everybody knows how the wind is blowing. "Look at Bhima who has fulfilled his terrible vow by killing Duhsasana. It is time for you to rise to the occasion. Draupadi’s hopes are centered round you."

The two reputed heroes, Karna and Arjuna were locked in a fierce single combat. They fought with the divine missiles. Arjuna hurled the fire missile and Karna parried it with the rain missile. When Arjuna shot the cloud missile, the whole battlefield was covered with darkness. But Karna soon dispelled it by the wind missile. Arjuna hurled the Indra shaft at Karna and it multiplied itself into a million shafts and attacked him. However, Karna parried them all with counter shafts. Bhima perceived that the missiles hurled by Arjuna were successfully parried by Karna. He went to Arjuna and said, "You are not able to clinch the issue. If you want I will dash against Karna and break his head into pieces with my mace." Arjuna told him that it was against the accepted code of honour for anybody to intervene in their single combat. Karna hit Sri Krishna thrice with powerful shafts which pierced his armour. Arjuna retaliated by hitting Salya nine times, and the guards of his chariot wheels several times. They fled from the battlefield and Krishna blew his conch Panchajanya in exultation. Karna said to Salya, "Lord of Madra, I am shooting the serpent shaft called the Sapasilimukha astra at Arjuna. The Naga prince Asvesana who wants to wreak vengeance on Arjuna entered into it. Arjuna will be no more in few seconds." As Karna was arranging the shaft to the string of his bow, Salya said, "Great warrior, please have a second look, I am afraid, your aim is wrong." That was all what he could do to save Arjuna from the fatal shaft. Karna looked at Salya contemptuously without having a second look at the shaft and shot it aiming at the neck of Arjuna. The shaft darted forth with a bang.

Sri Krishna who perceived the shaft darting forth with great velocity made the horses to slip their legs so that the height of the chariot was reduced by about ten inches. Arjuna was saved but the shaft shattered his divine diadem to pieces. Th Gods rained showers of celestial flowers on Sri Krishna in recognition of his unrivalled mastery of the art of chariot driving. Sri Krishna said to Arjuna, "Look at this serpent shaft. It has fallen on the ground but it is advancing against us menacingly." Arjuna cut it into pieces with his swift shafts. Arjuna who remained aghast for a while at the loss of his diadem, covered his head with a white turban and renewed the fight. Both the warriors were bleeding profusely with multiple wounds from head to foot, but the fierce fight continued. After a while, Karna’s chariot was stuck in the mud and the wheels did not move. Karna thought the curse of the Brahmin began to take effect. Once Karna quite inadvertently killed the calf of a Brahmin who cursed him that the wheel of his chariot would sink into the mire, at the mortal hour. Karna jumped to the ground to retrieve the wheel, but could not raise it to the ground. He knew that the fatal hour had approached. Karna said to Arjuna, "Savyasachi, you see, my chariot has sunk into the mire. I hope you will not take unfair advantage of my predicament. Wait, till I set my chariot aright."


Arjuna looked at Sri Krishna who said to Karna, "Radheya, you are now quoting the scriptures and rules from the code of honour. From the burning of the wax palace up to the exile of the Pandavas, cheating them at the game of dice, you never thought of fair play or any code of honour. "What code of honour did you observe when you stealthily broke the bow of Abhimanyu from behind?" Karna heaved a heavy sigh in silence and did not choose to give a reply to the denunciation of Sri Krishna. Karna vainly tried to recapitulate the mantras of the divine missiles, but his memory too failed at the nick of time.

Sri Krishna said to Arjuna, "Great Warrior, delay not. Now is the opportune moment." Arjuna shot a swift shaft at Karna and his severed head rolled on the ground. A brilliant light emerged from the body of Karna and merged into the setting Sun. The battlefield together with the hearts of the Kauravas was plunged in darkness. Cessation of hostilities was proclaimed for the day. Sri Krishna and Arjuna went to Yudhisthira and bowed to his feet. Yudhisthira embraced them fondly. He congratulated Arjuna saying, "The Panchalas have conveyed the good news to me before your arrival. I am glad you have avenged my humiliation." Turning to Sri Krishna he said, "Achyuta, all this is due to your stewardship. Hereafter I can have sound sleep. Even when Saindhava fell, I did not have any glimpse of victory. Duryodhana devoid of Karna, is a walking corpse. Our victory is in sight." Sri Krishna replied, "Dharmaputra, it is your righteous will power that has inspired Arjuna today. Undoubtedly, Karna is a great hero. To be frank he defeated all the Pandava brothers including Arjuna at one time or other. Arjuna developed cold feet by noon today. But for your unprecedented admonition to Arjuna today, history of the great war would have been quite different. In fact it is not Arjuna alone that killed Karna, the noblest benefactor of mankind and the greatest warrior of our times. He fell owing to a curious conspiracy of circumstances. The preceptor who cursed him, Indra who took away his natural armour, the mother who left him to float in the Ganges, Salya the charioteer who discouraged him, I, that took away the wind from his sails among others, are the assassins incognito. Arjuna is the last straw that broke the camel’s back.

Duryodhana was plunged into grief at the death of his beloved friend Karna. Kripa and Kritavarma, Salya and Asvatthama went to Duryodhana to offer their condolences. Salya said to Duryodhana, "Grieve not, O king of kings, it is moral victory for Karna and a mean success for Arjuna who took unfair advantage to slay his opponent. Of course, Arjuna is an accomplished warrior but Karna is no doubt superior to him in every way. It is my privilege to witness from close quarters such a historic battle. Today from dawn to dusk, Karna humbled everybody in the battle including Yudhisthira who fled from the battlefield. Karna fell simply because fate was against him." Kripacharya said, "I agree with Salya. If Arjuna was able to slay Saindhava in the teeth of concerted opposition, it is due to divine grace. Human effort, however great it may be, is powerless before divine dispensation. I advise you to seek juistice and use for peace. I think Dharmaputra will accept Dhritarashtra as the sovereign. The Pandavas can be given Indraprasatha again. You can live to serve your aged parents. After all nothing is gained by death. Any blessings can only be enjoyed while living."

Duryodhana remained silent for a few minutes, heaved a heavy sigh of deep anguish and replied, "Great preceptor, I thank you for your solicitude for my life. Much water has flown under the bridge since the commencement of the great war. "Today you have seen the beastly performance of Bhima who drank the blood of my beloved brother Duhsasana. I cannot hope to save my skin or soul by using for peace now. "Even if I make peace now, how can I get back my brothers and colleagues who laid down their lives in the battle for me? I must fight to finish." Salya congratulated him on his heroic decision and they decided to continue the war to its logical conclusion. The spies arrived and told Duryodhana that the Pandavas were moving to the battlefront with the help of flaming torches. Kritavarma said, "They may try to precipitate a nocturnal fight, elated by their success now. We should not be lured into their trap. Let us not sleep in our encampments tonight. Let us go to the rest houses on the banks of the Sarasvathi river which is just two yojanas distant." Duryodhana and his colleagues went to the rest houses on the banks of the Sarasvathi for the night stay. Dharmaputra followed by his brothers, Satyaki and other warriors went to the battlefield to see the dead body of Karna, preceded by a contingent of torch bearers. He said to Sri Krishna, "Tonight I hope to enjoy perfect sleep for the first time in my life." The flaming torches of Yudhisthira’s nocturnal visit to the battlefront were mistaken by the Kaurava spies for a pre-planned peremtory drive on the part of the Pandavas to start the nocturnal attack.