Dream - A Karna SI

5. RENDEZVOUS

Karna - 6 years old

Yudhistira - 3 years

Bhima & Duryodhana - 2 years

Arjun - 1 years

Karna's POV

I felt an intense warmth coursing through my body. My blood seemed to be on fire, my skin tingled, and my heart raced. I was filled with a boundless energy that was far from the calm state I usually achieved during my meditation. I opened my eyes and was shocked by what I saw.

The world around me had shifted, and I stood in the presence of an extremely handsome man, bathed in golden light. His presence was overwhelming. And he was dressed in a printed beach shirt and pajama pants-an image that left me momentarily speechless.

"Who are you?" I asked, bewildered and disoriented. I realized I was standing in an open field, with a dry, warm atmosphere and a couple of trees in the distance.

"Weren't you praying to me?" the man said with a laugh, his skin radiating a fiery, golden hue.

This was Surya! But the shirt and pajama pants? It was surreal.

"Oh, you didn't expect me in this attire? How about this?" Suddenly, Surya's clothes seamlessly transformed into a yellow dhoti, his bare upper body adorned with a few pieces of jewelry, and a crown appearing on his head.

Any doubts about the otherworldliness of the situation vanished. I was indeed in the presence of Surya. I bowed deeply before him. He had called me "son." Was this a reference to my being his son or just a general term of address? I felt overwhelmed and afraid. Would Surya be angry with me for hijacking his son's body?

Surya sensed my hesitation. "Karna, don't worry. In a way, all living beings are my children, as they draw sustenance from me. You are my son because my Tej (grace) shines through you in this world."

I felt immense relief hearing Surya's words. It was as if a great weight had been lifted from my soul.

"Now, tell me, son, what do you need?"

"I need a teacher to learn archery. Can you teach me, Father?" My eagerness to finally find a worthy teacher poured out.

"I could teach you. But first, answer me this, Karna: why do you want to learn archery?" Surya began walking slowly, and I realized the setting had changed again. We were now walking along a beach, with Surya once again wearing the printed shirt and pajama pants.

"It is the way of warcraft," I replied, hurrying after him.

"But why specifically archery?" he probed further.

This question made me think deeply. Why did I want to learn archery? Was it because I wanted to become a great archer? No, that might have been the original Karna's dream, but it was not mine. I primarily wanted to avoid the pitfalls the original Karna stumbled into. But Karna was important because he was seen as a deterrent against Arjuna.

In this life, I didn't want to fall into Duryodhana's camp. Did I want to fight for the Pandavas? No, I wanted to stand on the side of Dharma alone. If that meant fighting for the Pandavas, so be it.

The Mahabharata brought unparalleled disaster to this land. All the martial might of the country lay broken at the end of it. If I wanted to change or modify the outcome in any way, I had to become a mighty warrior to contribute significantly. The opposition had the likes of Bhishma, Drona, Ashwatthama, and Bhurisrava-great archers, the cream of the warriors. To oppose them, I had to become a great archer myself.

"Again, why can only an archer compete with the likes of Bhishma and Drona?" Surya seemed to access my inner monologue, guiding my thoughts to the next level.

It was the rule of fighting in the Mahabharata. Archers could only be countered by archers. An ardharathi will fight an ardharathi, a maharthi with a maharathi.

"Don't you remember the Mahabharata in your original timeline? Every rule was broken. Everything promised to be followed during the war was discarded as impractical. Don't fall into the same trap as the mortals of that time, Karna. All the mighty designed their rules for the war, but if they had followed the same principles in their early lives, the war wouldn't have happened. Once a war is declared, the only course available is to fight to win. I'm not saying you should commit inhumane atrocities during the war, but don't make foolish rules in the name of Dharma." Surya's voice rumbled like thunder, making my head tingle.

"But the rules contained the war and didn't allow it to spill past Kurukshetra," I argued.

"Okay, let's take a scenario. What was one of the rules about being disarmed?" Surya continued.

"One should not be attacked while disarmed," I replied, straight out pointing to the original Karna's tragic end and other tragedies during the war.

"They were not tragedies, son. They appear tragic only because you view them through the lens of pre-war rules. Imagine you are in a sword fight, and your opponent's sword falls out of his hand. Will you wait for him to pick up his sword?" Surya's eyes bore into me.

"Yes, that is the rule of Dharma," I replied hesitantly.

"And if you are disarmed next, he should also wait, and this cycle may go on endlessly. What if your honourable fight results in tremendous losses for your allies because you are otherwise engaged? Or if your opponent escapes and brings unimaginable calamity to humanity? Will your deed align with Dharma then?"

I was speechless. The concept of Dharma, once nebulous in my mind, started crystallizing into a coherent thought. I realized I had been thinking like Bhishma, prioritizing personal Dharma over the all-encompassing universal Dharma as taught by Lord Krishna. I was still invested in Karna's glory and my own legacy, failing to see that Karna's deeds wouldn't heal the wounds left by the Mahabharata. They wouldn't cleanse the atrocity of Draupadi's Vastraharan or address Arjuna's passivity that allowed Bhishma to kill thousands daily.

"And that's why I want you to contemplate the original timeline and choose your path wisely," Surya said, smiling like a teacher pleased with his student's progress.

My thoughts raced. How would I counter the great archers of this age without using archery? Using shields was a passive option. What about their chariots and maneuverability? Should I use elephants? But elephants were prone to rage and could harm friendly forces. What other options did I have?

"You're thinking in narrow terms again, Karna. Expand your horizon. Let's revisit history-your original history. Why were chariots abandoned?" Surya asked, turning to face me.

This was a familiar topic. From what I recalled from history books, I answered, "They became clumsy and slow, vulnerable to rear attacks."

"And who destroyed the chariots of Darius and Porus?" Surya continued.

"Alexander, with his fast horses and pikemen infantry."

"And what led to the downfall of horse cavalry?"

"English longbowmen with their superior reach."

"And the decline of well-organized infantry?" Surya prompted.

"The Mongol horse archers," I replied, realizing what Surya was trying to teach me. I shouldn't confine myself to the timeline and technology of the Mahabharata. I could leverage knowledge from my original timeline to become a better fighter. I thought of becoming an archer, but Surya showed me a path to becoming a battle commander.

Doubt resurfaced. Would it be enough to counter Bhishma and Drona? These thoughts were just in my mind. Would they hold up in actual battle? And I needed a battalion to be effective. Where would I get that? After ditching Duryodhana, the army of Anga wasn't an option.

Surya laughed. "Don't worry, calf. I won't leave you adrift. Keep an open mind at all times. Consider all perspectives and use every tool at your disposal, including the knowledge from your past self. And you will learn archery too."

I felt invigorated, wanting to imprint this conversation in my mind. I was grateful to Surya for his first lesson. My heart was filled with renewed purpose and determination. I would blend the wisdom of my past life with the teachings of this era to lead a life of honor, courage, and innovation. "I am ready for your lessons, Gurudev!" I bowed to Surya once more.