92. Karna and Yudhishtira

Prelude 

This is a fictional story featuring the characters in the epic Mahabharata. 

The Pandavas, the five brothers led by the eldest Yudhishtira, were ruling Indraprasta. Their cousins, the Kaurvas, the hundred brothers led by Duryodhana, were ruling Hastinapura. 

The visually handicapped Dhritarashtra was the Kaurava king, but his son Duryodhana wielded the real power. 

Prompted by Duryodhana, Dhritarashtra invited the Pandavas for a game of dice at his palace. The Pandavas lost everything including their country in the game of dice. 

They were banished from the country and commanded to live in the woods for twelve years and then live incognito for one year. If they completed this successfully, they would get back their country, they had lost in the gamble.

Krishna, a prince belonging to the Yadava dynasty, was a friend of the Pandavas. Krishna was an avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu. This was known to most of the characters in the epic but they treated him as a fellow human being. Various people sought his counsel at different times, though. 

Kunti, the mother of three of the Pandavas, while being a teenager, was granted a boon by a sage that she could beget children by invoking any of the celestials. 

Kunti playfully tested the boon, by invoking the Sun God. As a result, a male child was born to her, which she subsequently abandoned. 

The child was picked up by a charioteer, christened Karna and brought up by him.

Duryodhana made Karna, the king of a small province Anga, that was a part of his kingdom. Karna, was therefore beholden to Duryodana. 

Karna remained a strong supporter of Duryodhna and despised the Pandavas, without being aware that they were his brothers. 

Karna had the reputation of being a munificent person.

The above introduction will help those not familiar with the story of the Mahabharata to understand the following story, built using the setting and characters of Mahabharata.

Karna and Yudhishtira

At the time the Pandavas were residing in the woods. Karna had a chance meeting with Krishna, when the latter had been to Hastinapura.

"Krishna! I have a question for you!" said Karna.

"Shoot!" said Krishna.

"What is your assessment about me?"

"You are a great warrior and a highly skilled archer."

"Anything more?"

"You are also adept at using the dagger. You are well-versed in other types of martial arts, as well!"

"I am not asking for your assessment of my skill in the use of weapons!" said Karna, feeling disappointed.

"What are you asking me about?" queried Krishna.

"People say that I am a benefactor."

"Yes. I have heard it, I have had no personal experience of witnessing your munificence, though!" quipped Krishna.

"Does it mean that you won't acknowledge me as a benefactor?"

"I didn't say that. I have heard that you donate to people whatever they ask for. I am aware that you have been observing a vow of giving people what they ask for, without saying 'no.'"

Karna was silent.

"What is your problem, Karna? Unless you spell it out, how can I help you?" prompted Krishna.

"I am the King of the Anga country. Every day, many people come to me, receive gifts from me and return happily. They hail me as a benefactor. But I find that quite a few people walk a long distance and throng to the woods to meet Yudhishtira. Why are they doing this? To my knowledge, Yudhishtira has not donated much to people. In his present status, he doesn't have things to donate, either. But even when he had been a prince of the Hastinapura kingdom or the king of Indraprasta, he didn't donate much to people. Why do people flock to him?"

"You have answered the question, yourself, Karna!" said Krishna, with a smile.

"I don't understand what you mean, Krishna!" 

"People who go to Yudhishtira, don't go there with the expectation of receiving any gifts from him."

"Then, why do they go to him? That was my question."

"They go to him, for listening to his pleasing words."

"What do you mean, Krishna?"

"Just as you have been observing the vow of donating to people whatever they ask for, Yudhishtira has been following the principle of speaking without hurting anyone's feelings. Therefore, only words pleasing to the ears and the heart will come out of his mouth. People residing in the cities and towns in the country go to his abode in the forest, to listen to those pleasant sounding words!"

"I also speak only pleasant sounding words!" said Karna.

"Do you? Are the demeaning, derogatory and mortifying words you used against Pandavas and Draupati, in the court of Duryodhana, after the Pandavas lost the game of dice, pleasant sounding? In contrast, Yudhishtira won't use harsh words against even Duryodhana, who had committed such vicious and cruel acts against the Pandavas."

Karnan was silent.

"Yudhishtira's resolve to speak only words that are pleasant and to desist from using offensive language against anyone is much superior to your vow of donating to people whatever they ask for" said Krishna.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 10
Speaking Pleasantly

Verse 92 (In Tamil)

agan amarndhu Idhalin nanRE mugan amarndhu
insolan Agap peRin.

Meaning:

Being someone who speaks sweet words with a smile

is even better than being philanthropic with a happy heart.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'karNanum yudhishtiranum' by the same author)

Verse 93
Verse 91