Karna- The Hero Chosen by the Gods

Lord Parshuram's Gurudakshina

'I AM HIS WEAPON TEACHER'

The voice rattled everyone in the court. Suddenly the sky turned dark and the wind started blowing indicating the upcoming storm. Then Lord Parshuram entered into the court.

Bheesm and Drona, 'Gurudev?'

Karna was shocked but smiled at him and touched his feet. Lord Parshuram placed his hand at his head and said, 'Vijayi Bhava Putra.' Then he turned at Drona. 

Lord Parshuram, 'I am his teacher Drona and he is my best student. Tell me what do you want to do to me? You and the stupid son of yours wanted to punish me and here I am now.'

Both Bheesm and Drona came down from their throne and tried to touch his feet but Lord Parshuram refused. 'No, today I came here not as your guru so I cannot accept your pranam. Now tell me why do you want to punish me and my student. Because of him, all of you are alive today. Drona you gave Brhammastra to a person who does not have the ability to touch it and now you are harassing the person who saved you. And you Bheesm because of this Aswatthama your mother was also injured and instead of punishing him, you dragged my student into this court?'

Drona, 'Gurudev, how could you do this adharm? How could you teach a Sutputra?'

Lord Parshuram, 'I am not like you who teach people based on their social status. The only thing I see in my students is determination, talent, and good intentions. Adhirath Putra Karna has all those abilities in him. And you are talking about Adharm, who forced a boy to cut his thumb so that he cannot beat your best student Arjun. It is the greatest Dharam of a teacher to treat all of his students equally and you failed to do that.'

This statement of Lord Parshuram disturbed everyone in the court. Dhritarashtra himself came down from his throne and bowed in front of Lord Parshuram and begged for his mercy. But Lord Parshuram said, 'Everyone in this court had done adharm by taking the side of a sinner and tried to punish an innocent. Drona today I Parshuram challenge you, if your best student can defeat my best student then I will accept my defeat.'

Hearing that everyone was shocked but Dronacharya accepted this challenge. He said, 'Gurudev, I don't want to disrespect you but I am confident that Arjun will win and then you will realize that one should follow the profession that is determined by their birth. A Sutputra can never defeat a Kshatriya.'

Bheesm, 'Dronacharya, you have committed a great mistake. One who can stop Brhammastra can easily defeat Arjun. Today you both you and your student are going to be humiliated in front of all.'

King Dhritarashtra announced the tournament between Karna and Arjun. Karna was shocked to see Lord Parshuram in Hastinapur. When he asked then Lord Parshuram replied, 'Putra once you asked me about my Gurudakshina. Today it is your guru Dakshina to me. I want Drona to apologize to me in front of everyone. You shall show everyone that birth status cannot be an obstacle in anyone's life. Everyone shall have a chance to pursue their dreams. So that in future no one shall dare the cut the thumb of a tribal boy in the name of Dharma.'

Meanwhile, Arjuna was also very angry. He never dreamed that one day he had to prove his strength by dueling with a Sutputra. Pandavas though always treated others properly still believed Sutas as inferior. But he did not understand why Lord Parshuram taught Karna. 

Bheem, 'Now a petty Sutputra is going to compete against Arjun.'

Yudhisthir, 'Don't forget Bheem that Sutputra is the student of Lord Parshuram. I told you, that he is different. That is why he knows so much about warfare and weapons.'

Sahadev, 'He can even stop Bhrammastra.'

Arjun, 'I don't care. Today I will show everyone that I am the best.'