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Karnataka State Syllabus Class 10 English Supplementary Chapter 2 Karna
Karna Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes
Pre – Reading Activity:
The Mahabharata is a great epic. It abounds in characters who are the best models of the greatest qualities of man. Which character in the epic do you like most? Why? Share your view in pairs.
Answer:
There are many great characters in the Mahabharata. To name a few:
- Lord Krishna – for his wisdom, cunningness, sense of justice
- Dharmaraya/Yudhisthira – for his truthfulness and sense of justice
- Kama – for his loyalty, humility, courage, bravery, generosity
- Draupadi – for her intelligence, courage, fortitude
- Ekalavya – for his sincerity, selflessness, humility
- Gandhari – for her loyalty towards her husband, intelligence
- Bhisiima – for his loyalty to the families of the Kauravas and the Pandavas
- Arjuna – for his excellence at various martial skills, courage
II. Comprehension Questions
A. Answer briefly the following questions:
Question 1.
Why was a large crowd assembled in the arena?
Answer:
The Pandavas and the Kauravas had learnt the practice of arms first from Kripacharya and later from Drona. A day was fixed for a test and exhibition of their proficiency in the use of arms in the presence of the Royal family. The public too had been invited to witness the performance of their beloved princes. Thus there was a large crowd assembled in the arena.
Question 2.
What did Duryodhana envy?
Answer:
Arjuna displayed superhuman skill with his weapons and this earned the wonder and admiration of the whole crowd assembled there. This scene made Duryodhana envious and hateful towards Arjuna.
Question 3.
How does the writer introduce the Kama to the assembly?
Answer:
The writer introduces the Kama in a very impressive manner. At the close of the day, there came suddenly from the entrance of the arena a sound, loud and compelling like thunder, the sound made by the slapping of mighty arms in challenge. All eyes turned in that direction. They saw enter through the crowd, which made way in awed silence, a godlike youth from whom light and power seemed to emanate. He was Karna.
Question 4.
What was the cause for Duryodhana’s exultation?
Answer:
after Arjuna’s exhibition of his superhuman skill with his weapons, with Drona’s permission, Kama, then and there, duplicated all Aijuna’s feats with careless ease. This made Duryodhana feel exulted.
Question 5.
How does Kama challenge Arjuna?
Answer:
Laughing is scorn, Kama says: “This arena is open to all, O Arjuna, and not to you alone. Might is the sanction of sovereignty and the law is based on it. But what is the use of mere talk which is the weapon of the weak? Shoot arrows instead of words.”
Question 6.
Who were the divine parents of the two heroes?
Answer:
Indra, the lord of the thunderclouds was the parent of Arjuna, whereas Bhaskara of the infinite rays, was the parent of Kama.
Question 7.
Why was Kunti stupefied?
Answer:
When Kunti saw Karna, she recognized him as her firstborn, and now seeing him get ready to fight with her other son, Arjuna, she was stupefied with anguish not knowing how to stop the fight between brothers.
Question 8.
Why did Kripacharya object to Karna joining in the battle?
Answer:
Kripacharya objected to Karna joining in the battle because his lineage and parentage were unknown, and, Arjuna being a high-bom prince, could not engage in single combat with unknown adventurers.
Question 9.
How did Duryodhana restore Karana’s honour?
Answer:
Duryodhana announced that he would crown Karna as the king of Anga. He obtained the assent of Bhisma and Dhritarashtra, performed all the necessary rites and invested Karna with the sovereigns of the Kingdom of Anga giving him the crown, jewels and other royal insignia.
Question 10.
How does Bhima ridicule Karna?
Answer:
On seeing the charioteer call Kama his son, Bhima roared with laughter and said: “O he is after all only the son of a charioteer! Take up the driving whip then as befits thy parentage. Thou art not worthy of death at the hands of Arjuna. Nor should thou reign in Anga as a king.”
Question 11.
How does Duryodhana defend Karna against Bhima’s accusations?
Answer:
Duryodhana admonishes Bhima for speaking so contemptuously about Karna. He says that great heroes and mighty rivers should not be traced to their sources, and points out that there might be awkward questions about Bhima’s origin also. He points to Kama’s godlike form and bearing, his armour and earrings, and his skill with weapons, and says that he has to be of a noble birth, and is definitely worthy to rule the whole world.
Question 12.
How and why did Indra approach Karna?
Answer:
Indra foresaw that a supreme contest was inevitable between his son Arjuna and Karna; and he put on the garb of a Brahman and came to Karna, who was reputed for his charity, and begged of him his earrings and armour.
Question 13.
a) Why couldn’t Karna refuse the gift asked of him?
Answer:
Karna could not bring himself to refuse any gift that was asked of him.
b) What does this tell us about Kama’s character?
Answer:
This tells us that Karna is a very kind and dignified person who will not deny anyone anything.
Question 14.
Why does Indra offer a boon to Karna? What is the boon?
Answer:
Indra was filled with surprise and joy when Karna cut off his earrings and armour with which he was born and gave them to him. In return, he told Karna to ask for a boon. As Karna desired to et Indra’s weapon, the Sakti, Indra granted the boon.
Question 15.
Indra granted the boon with a condition. What was the condition?
Answer:
Indra said that Karna could use the Sakti weapon only against one enemy, and it would kill him whosoever he might be. But after this killing was over, the weapon would no longer be available to him. Instead, it would go back to Indra.
Question 16.
How did Parasurama realise that Karna was not a Brahmana?
Answer:
When Parasurama was reclining on Kama’s lap, a stinging worm burrowed into Kama’s thigh. Blood began to flow and the pain was terrible, but Karna bore it without tremor for fear that the master’s sleep should be disturbed. When Parasurama awoke and saw the blood flowing from the wound, he said: “Dear pupil, you are not a brahmana. A Kshatriya alone can remain unmoved under all bodily torments.”
Question 17.
What was Parasurama’s curse?
Answer:
Parasurama curses Karna that, as he had deceived his guru, the Brahmastra that he had learnt from the Guru shall fail him at the fated moment. Karna would be unable to recall the invocatory mantra when his hour comes.
Question 18.
What does Bhishma ask Karna to do?
Answer:
Bhishma asks Karna to befriend the Pandavas since that was the right path for Karna who was their brother.
Question 19.
What does Karna say about his loyalty to Duryodhana?
Answer:
Kama says that he has eaten 1 Duryodhana’s salt and so must be true to him, to be true to his own lineage. He says that Bhishma should permit, Karna ) to repay with his life the debt he owes to. Duryodhana for his love and trust.
Question 20.
How does Lord Krishna save Arjuna from Kama’s arrow?
Answer:
Lord Krishna, who was Arjuna’s charioteer, at the nick of time, pressed the vehicle down five fingers deep in the mud, so that the serpent shaft just missed Aijuria’s head but struck off his helmet.
Question 21.
What mishap happened to Kama’s chariot?
Answer:
The left wheel of Kama’s chariot suddenly sank in the blood mire, and would not allow the chariot to move.
Question 22.
When Karna appeals to Arjuna’s sense of dharma Lord Krishna recounts many acts of Kama and the Kauravas which violated fair play and chivalry. Pick out any 3 such acts.
Answer:
- Karna, along with Duryodhana, Dushyshana and Sakuni, had dragged Draupadi to thf^all of Assembly and insulted her.
- Kama had conspired with the wicked men who had sought to poison and kill Bhima.
(in) Kama had agreed to the plot to burn the Pandavas alive when sleeping in the palace of wax to which they had been lured.
Question 23.
a) What Navas Karna’s response to Lord Krishna’s denouncement?
Answer:
When Krishna was denouncing him, Kama bent his head in shame and uttered not a word.
b) What does this tell you about Karna?
Answer:
It tells us that Karna was not truly wicked, but was forced by his gratitude and loyalty to Duryodhana to assist him in all his wicked deeds. ‘
Question 24.
Why was Arjuna’s mind wavering when Lord Krishna asked him to slay Karna?
Answer:
Lord Krishna urged Arjuna to kill Karna when he was vainly trying to raise his chariot out of the mud in which it had stuck. According to the code of honour and laws of war prevailing then, it was wholly wrong to attack such a warrior. Hence Arjuna’s mind wavered.
Question 25.
Was killing Karna when he was not ready for the fight wrong?
Answer:
According to the code of honour and laws of war prevailing then, it was wholly wrong to kill Karna when he was not ready for the fight. But it was Lord Krishna who revealed the absence of fair play in Kama’s behaviour and how he had breached the dharma and urged Arjuna to shoot. Arjuna had not done this on his own. Hence it was not wrong.
Question 26.
How does the poet justify this wrong?
Answer:
The poet does not have the heart to impute this act of Arjuna who was the embodiment of nobility. It was Lord Krishna who had incited Arjuna to kill Karna when he was not ready for the fight. Except for the Lord Himself, no one could bear the responsibility for breaches of dharma.
II. Discuss in pairs and answer the following questions.
Question 1.
Kama is easily one of the most tragic and compelling characters of the epic. List any 5 great qualities of Karna which you admire most. Justify your choice of qualities.
Answer:
- Kama’s superhuman courage to challenge Arjuna to a battle is admirable.
- When he was told by Bhishma that he should give his enmity with the Pandavas and not fight them as he himself is a Pandava, Kama told him that he couldn’t be disloyal to Duryodhana whose salt he had eaten. Even if he had to give up his life he’d fight the Pandavas as he was indebted to Duryodhana for his love and trust. This showed that he was loyal.
- When the wheel of his chariot §0 stuck in the mud, he called on Arjuna to honour dharma and not take advantage of his accident and attack him. Lord Krishna taunted Karna for the number of occasions when he had himself violated dharma. Kama could easily have surrendered to Arjuna or run away from fighting him. Instead, he showed great courage and presence of mind and tried to stun Arjuna by sending him an arrow of great power to win a respite and set the chariot wheel free.
- When Krishna was denouncing him for having violated dharma, he had the discretion not to say a word, but listen to him with his head bent in shame.
- Kama is known for his generosity. He couldn’t refuse anyone any gift. When Indra asked for his earrings and armour he gave it to him readily.
Points to Remember:
1. This consists of extracts from the Indian epic, The Mahabharata. It deals with the character of Karna, a mighty warrior and very wronged person.
2. All the princes have gathered to demonstrate their expertise in various martial arts in front of their teachers, Kripacharya and Dronacharya. A huge crowd has also gathered to watch them.
3. Arjuna demonstrates his prowess and thrills the crowd. At that moment, Kama comes and repeats all the acts of Arjuna with similar skill. Then he asks for permission for single combat with Arjuna.
4. Duryodhana is thrilled to see Karna. However, Arjuna is not so. His teacher, Kripacharya, wants to know Kama’s background as Arjuna cannot fight with a commoner.
5. Duryodhana comes to his rescue by declaring Karna the king of Anga, and immediately performs the necessary rites and rituals.
6. At that moment, an old charioteer comes . and blesses his son, Kama.
7. Bhima laughs out loud at this and taunts Karna for daring to fight with Arjuna, being only a charioteer’s son. Duryodhana and Kama go away.
8. Arjuna’s celestial father, Indra, understands that Karna might be a threat to Arjuna, and hence, in the guise of a Brahmin, comes to Karna and takes Kama’s earrings and armour as a gift. In return, he gives a powerful weapon, Sakti which can be used only once.
9. The second extract shows Karna sitting on the ground with his teacher, Parashurama, on his lap. The guru is asleep, and a stinging worm bites into Kama’s thigh, making it bleed. But Karna doesn’t move. After he wakes up, the guru sees the wound. He understands that Karna is not a Brahmin but a Kshatriya because only a Kshatriya can bear lot of pain. He becomes angry with Karna for fooling him about his birth, and curses that Karna should forget all that he had learnt from him at a crucial moment
10. In the next extract, Kama visits Bhisma. the great grandfather of the princes, who is wounded and is dying. Bhisma advises Karna to leave Duryodhana and join the Pandavas since he is their eldest brother. Burt Kama refuses to do so, saying that he is much obliged to Duryodhana who has helped him at all crucial times. Bhisma agrees with him, and blesses him.
11. In the next extract, we are shown the battlefield, with Karna on a chariot facing Arjuna. in another, with Krishna as his charioteer. Kama and Arjuna shoot powerful arrows at each other. Suddenly, Kama’s chariot wheel gets sunk in the mud. Karna gets down to raise it out of the mud, and Krishna goads Arjuna to shoot at Karna just then.
Kama protests that it is not just to aim at an unarmed man. Krishna lets out a speech wherein he reveals all the unjust acts Karna committed along with the Kaurava princes, and admonishes him for talking about justice. Karna remains silent, but shoots another arrow at Arjuna. Krishna again orders Arjuna to shoot and kill Karna. Arjuna, hesitatingly, does so and severes the head of Kama.
Karna by Chakravarti Rajagopalachari About the Author:
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (1878 – 1972) was a lawyer, writer and statesman. He was an accomplished writer who made lasting contributions to Indian English literature. In 1951 he wrote an abridged retelling of the Mahabharata in English followed by one of the Ramayana in 1957.
These stories were originally written in Tamil and were rendered into English mainly by Rajaji himself. “To have preserved the beauty and spirit of the great original in refined and simple English is an achievement of the highest order.-’ He was also one of the. founders of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, an organization dedicated to the promotion of education and culture. The episode you have read now extracts from different chapters of his “Mahabharata”
Karna Summary in English
These extracts from the ‘Mahabharata’ by C Rajagopalachari deal mainly with Karna, the unfortunate Prince. There are many courageous, intelligent, passionate characters in ‘The Mahabharata’, but Karna is all these and humble and generous to a fault. He is most sinned against than sinning. Though he is the eldest son of Kunti, he is abandoned by his mother, and grows up as a charioteer’s son. He is accepted as a pupil by the mighty sage Parashurama, but abandoned when his lie of being a brahmana is found out.
Later on, in the confrontation with Arjuna, he is accepted by Duryodhana, the Kaurava prince, who bestows his friendship. and kingly status on him on the spot only to make him fit enough to face Arjuna. After that, Kama is drawn towards various misdeeds only due to his feeling of gratitude and loyalty towards Duryodhana. He dies a sad death on the battlefield.
In the first extract, the Pandava and the Kaurava princes have gathered to demonstrate their skills to their gums, Kripacharya and Dronacharya, and also the crowd at Hastinapur. Everyone is in awe of Arjuna who has proved to be the best in a variety of military feats. Karna is introduced to the people of Hastinapur as a competent rival to Arjuna. When Karna desires to have single combat with Arjuna, guru Kripa asks for details about Kama’s lineage, since Prince Arjuna cannot fight with a common man.
Karna remains silent, and Duryodhana, seizing the opportunity, crowns him the King of Anga and thus, grants him royalty. But at that time, Kama’s father, a charioteer comes there to bless him, and everyone laughs at Karna. Bhima mocks Karna. Duryodhana admonishes Bhima for his unpleasant behaviour and takes Karna away. Indra, Arjuna’s father, is worried about his son, and so cunningly dons the guise. of a brahmana and going up to Karna, begs for his earrings and armour. Karna who was generosity personified gives them without any hesitation. In return, Indra gives him the boon of the weapon Sakti which can kill one enemy of Kama’s without fail. This extract shows Kama’s courage, humility and generosity.
The next extract relates how Kama’s lie to Parasurama about his caste was revealed and earned Parasurama’s curse. While the guru was lying on his lap, a stinging worm burrowed into Kama’s thigh, but he did not stir for fear of disturbing his guru. When Parashurama got up and saw this, he realized Karna was a Kshatriya as he could withstand such pain. This made him curse Kama to forget what he had learnt from Parasurama just at the moment he needed it.
This extract shows Kama’s ability to withstand pain, and love for the guru. The third extract demonstrates Kama’s loyalty and notion of justice. Hu meets the grand old man Bhishma to pay his respects. Bhisma advises him to go back to the Pandavas since he is their eldest brother. But Karna refuses, saying that his loyalties lie with Duryodhana who has helped him in the worst of circumstances and given him dignity in life: He takes Bhisma’s blessings and goes to the. battlefield.
In the fourth extract, we get to see the valour of Kama. He is in the battlefield opposite Arjuna who has Lord Krishna as his charioteer. Karna shoots arrows at Arjuna which just miss him through the shrewd manipulation of Krishna. Then Kama’s chariot wheel gets stuck in the mire. When Karna gets down to release it, Krishna goads Arjuna to shoot at him immediately. Kama protests at the injustice of shooting at a rival who is not ready for battle. Then Krishna speaks at length, admonishing Karna for the various injustices he has heaped on the Pandavas, along with Duryodhana and the rest. Finally, Arjuna, urged by Krishna, sends an arrow that cuts off the head of Kama.
Karna Summary in Kannada
