Mahabharata

by C. Rajagopalachari

Once, when Karna saw that Arjuna was superior to him in archery, he approached Drona and entreated him to teach him how to wield the Brahmastra. Drona declined saying it was not open to him to instruct any but a brahmana of faultless conduct or a kshatriya who had purified himself by much penance. Thereupon, Karna went to the Mahendra hills and deceived Parasurama by saying that he was a brahmana and became his disciple. From him he obtained instruction in archery and the use of many astras. One day, when Karna was practising with his bow in the forest near Parasurama’s asrama, a brahmana’s cow was accidentally hit and killed. The brahmana was angry and uttered a curse on Karna: “In battle, your chariot-wheels will stick in the mud and you will be done to death, even like this innocent cow which you have killed.” Parasurama was exceedingly fond of Karna and taught him all the archery he knew and instructed him fully in the use and the withdrawing of the Brahmastra. One day, however, he discovered that the disciple was not a brahmana. It happened thus: an insect hit a hole into Karna’s thigh when, one afternoon the teacher had fallen asleep on Karna’s lap. Karna bore the acute pain quietly and did not stir lest the master should wake up. The warm blood trickling from the wound woke up Parasurama. When he saw what had happened, he was angry. “You are a kshatriya; otherwise you could not have borne this physical pain without stirring. Tell me the truth. You are not a brahmana...