Raghukul: Mahabharat

Chapter 1: The Son

In the kingdom of KuniBhoj, young Princess Kunti, only thirteen, was gifted a powerful hymn by Sage Durvasa. The hymn promised the ability to summon any deity and receive a child from them. Kunti and her friends were skeptical, dismissing the hymn as mere superstition.

However, Kunti, driven by a mixture of curiosity and desperation, decided to test the hymn. One evening, in the solitude of her chamber, she invoked Surya Dev with the chant. The room filled with a radiant light as SuryaDev appeared, his presence overwhelming and divine.

"I have summoned you, Surya Dev," Kunti said, though her heart pounded with anxiety. "But I cannot accept a child. I am unmarried, and it would bring disgrace upon me and my father. Please do not grant me a son."

Surya Dev's face darkened with anger. "You have called me, and I am bound by the hymn's power. Even if you deny it, the child shall be born."

Despite Kunti's pleas, Surya Dev's divine will could not be swayed. He granted her a son, born with an awe-inspiring divine radiance, golden armor, and kundals. The child's arrival only deepened Kunti's distress.

Unbeknownst to Kunti, a shadowy figure had been drawn to the area by the divine light of Surya Dev. This figure watched from a distance, intrigued and troubled by what was unfolding.

Kunti, determined to conceal the truth, fabricated a story to her father. She claimed she was going to the forest to serve some sages, a cover that would keep her away from scrutiny. Accompanied by her loyal friend Priyamvada, Kunti retreated to a remote grove.

As the months passed, the shadow observed Kunti's growing unease. When the child was finally born, the shadow noted the divine attributes of the infant, even as Kunti's face remained clouded with worry.

Priyamvada, seeing Kunti's distress, approached her cautiously. "Princess, what shall we do with the child?"

Kunti's voice was icy with resolve. "He is a stain on my honor. We cannot keep him. He must be sent away."

Despite Priyamvada's hesitations, Kunti's determination was unyielding. "We will set him adrift in the Ganga. The river will carry him far from here."

They placed the infant in a basket and set it afloat on the sacred river. As the basket drifted away, Kunti watched with a mixture of relief and cold detachment.

The shadowy figure watching from a distance suddenly rose into the sky, revealing itself as Ram Bhakt Hanuman. His eyes gleamed with determination as he descended toward the Ganga. After Kunti and Priyamvada had left, Hanuman gently retrieved the basket containing the infant, Karna. With a mighty leap, he soared toward Kailash.

Upon reaching Kailash, Hanuman landed before Mahadev and Mata Parvati. Bowing deeply, he said, "Pranipat Mata, Pranipat Mahadev."

Mahadev and Parvati smiled warmly. "Pranipat, Putra," they responded in unison.

Hanuman, holding the basket with the infant, asked, "Is this the child Prabhu Shri Ram told me about?"

A flashback began, taking Hanuman back to a memory etched deeply in his heart.

Flashback

A few days before the return to Ayodhya, Hanuman stood on a secluded mountain with Prabhu Shri Ram. The air was serene, and a sense of impending change lingered.

"Prabhu, you and Mata called for me. Where is Mata?" Hanuman asked, his voice filled with devotion.

A gentle voice answered from behind, "I am here, Putra." Hanuman turned to see Mata Sita approaching, carrying a plate of fruits.

"I went to get these for you, Putra," she said, her smile radiant with maternal affection.

Hanuman bowed deeply. "Dhanyawad, Mata," he said, accepting the plate. "Prabhu, Mata, you called for me?"