Karna, Dukhad Naayak

Vivaah se pehle yuva rajkumari Kunti ko Rishi Durvasa se ek vardaan mila tha, ek mantra jisse vah kisi bhi devta ka aahvaan kar sakti thin aur unki santaan utpann kar sakti thin. Baalika sulabh jigyaasa se prerit hokar unhone Soorya dev ka aahvaan kiya, jo dahakti mahima mein prakat hue. Unke sanyog se ek shishu ka janm hua jiske shareer par divya kavach tha aur kaanon mein tejasvi kundal the, aise uphaar jo use ajeya banaate the. Lekin Kunti avivaahit thin aur kalank se bhaybheet thin. Toote hriday se unhone navjaat ko ek tokri mein rakha aur nadi mein baha diya. Tokri behti rahi jab tak Hastinapur ke ek saarthi Adhirath aur unki patni Radha ne use nahin paaya, jinhone baalak ko apne putr ke roop mein paala. Unhone uska naam Karna rakha, aur vah swayam ko soot, saarthi ka putr maankar bada hua, haalaanki uski nason mein shaahi rakt behta tha. Bachpan se Karna mahaan yoddha banne ka sapna dekhte the. Vah dhanurvidya seekhne Dron ke paas gaye, lekin Dron ne, jo keval rajkumaron ko padhaate the aur Arjun ka paksh lete the, unhe mana kar diya. Adig hokar Karna Parashuram ke aashram gaye, Brahman hone ka daava karte hue, kyonki mahaan rishi keval Brahmanon ko padhaate the. Lekin ek din satya saamne aaya. Jab Karna apna sir guru ki god mein rakhkar so rahe the, to ek bhayankar keede ne unki jaangh mein chhed kar diya, rakt behne laga. Karna ne apne guru ki nidra bhang karne ke bajaay maun mein peeda sahi. Jab Parashuram jaage aur rakt dekha, to unhone turant jaan liya ki koi Brahman aisi peeda nahin seh sakta. Parashuram ka krodh bhayankar tha, lekin apne shishya ke prati prem ne use sashart shaap mein naram kar diya. Unhone Karna ko shaap diya ki divyaastra unki sabse badi aavashyakta ke samay unka saath chhod denge, jab vah apne samaan yoddha ka saamna karenge. Karna ne pranaam kiya aur apna bhaagya sveekaar kiya. Varshon baad rajkumaron ki mahaan shastra pradarshani mein Karna bina aamantran aaye aur Arjun ko chunauti di. Unka kaushal Paandav rajkumar se baan par baan takraaya, aur bheed aashcharyachakit hui. Rajkumaron ne unka uphaas kiya ki vah saarthi ke putr hain, rajsi dvandva ke ayogya. Tab Duryodhan uthe aur vah kaarya kiya jisne Karna ko sada ke liye unse baandh diya. Unhone usi kshan Karna ko Ang desh ka raja banaaya, unhe shaahi pad diya aur uphaas ko maun kar diya. Us din se Duryodhan ke prati Karna ki nishtha poorn thi, sammaan ka rin jise vah apne praanon se chukaayenge. Karna samast desh mein do baaton ke liye prasiddh hue, unki atulniya udaarta aur Arjun ke viruddh unki bhayankar pratigya. Devtaon ke raja aur Arjun ke divya pita Indra ko Karna ke ajeya kavach aur kundalon ka bhay tha, jo unhe samast haani se bachaate the. Brahman bhikshuk ke vesh mein Indra unki praatah pooja ke samay Karna ke paas aaye aur daan mein kavach aur kundal maange. Karna ne turant jaan liya ki unke saamne kaun khada hai aur is uphaar ki kya keemat hogi. Phir bhi unki udaarta ki pratigya poorn thi. Muskuraate hue unhone apne shareer se divya kavach kaata aur apne kaanon se kundal noche, rakt bahaate hue Indra ko saunp diye. Karna ne Vaasavi Shakti maangi, vah achook bhaala jo kisi bhi ek shatru ka vadh kar sakta tha, aur Indra ne yah chetavni dekar diya ki iska prayog keval ek baar kiya ja sakta hai. Karna ne vah bhaala Arjun ke liye bachaakar rakha. Jab mahaan yuddh aaya, to Karna bhaari hriday se Kauravon ke liye lade, kyonki vah jaante the ki unka paksh anyaaypoorn hai. Yuddh se pehle Krishna ne unhe unke janm ka rahasya bataaya, ki Kunti unki maata hain aur Paandav unke bhai hain, aur unse unse judne ki vinati ki. Karna ne mana kar diya, kaha ki Duryodhan ke prati unki nishtha, jisne unhe sammaan diya tha jab sansaar ne unhe tiraskaar diya tha, kabhi nahin toot sakti. Kunti swayam unke paas aayeen aur unse apne paanch putron ko bakhshne ki vinati ki, aur Karna ne vachan diya ki vah Arjun ke siva kisi Paandav ko nahin maarenge, aur yuddh ke baad bhi Kunti ke paanch putr rahenge. Yuddh ke satrahven din Karna ne Arjun ka saamna us dvandva mein kiya jiski samast sansaar prateeksha kar raha tha. Yah samaan yoddhaon ka yuddh tha, swarg banaam swarg. Lekin Parashuram ka shaap laga. Jab Karna ko apne mahaanatam astra ki aavashyakta thi, to uska mantra unki smriti se phisal gaya. Unke rath ka pahiya rakt se naram dharti mein dhans gaya, aur jab vah use uthaane ke liye jhuke, to sammaan maang karta tha ki un par vaar na kiya jaaye, lekin Krishna ne Arjun ko Draupadi aur Paandavon ke saath hue samast anyaayon ki yaad dilaayi. Arjun ne ghaatak baan chhoda, aur udaarta ke naayak Karna gir pade. Unke shatru bhi roye, kyonki sansaar ne apna sabse dukhad aur kuleen yoddha kho diya tha.