Meru and Kailasa are very different from each other, and always compete for attention. Meru has flowing rivers, streams, greenery, trees, fruits and flowers; it’s fragrant, colourful, rich and fertile. Kailasa is the opposite—it’s rocky, snow-covered, still, colourless, lifeless. The gods and their abode, Devlok, are associated with Meru and the vairagi, tapasvi Shiva, with Mount Kailasa. Nothing grows there, but it does not affect Shiva who is always in deep meditation and does not need anything. It’s a formidable mountain and people are afraid to go there.
But Shiva, with his knowledge and power, meditating there by himself is of no use to anyone. Indra doesn’t dare to go there, so to bring him down from the mountain, the gods pray to Devi. Devi takes birth as Parvati, the daughter of Parvateshwar, god of the mountains. The most supreme of all mountains are the Himalayas and so Parvateshwar is also called Himavan; and Parvati is also known as Haimavati (daughter of the Himalayas). She is also known as Girija, daughter of Giriraj (king of the mountains), and Shailavati, she who is born of the stone (shila).
She convinces Shiva to come down to earth and become a householder, partake in the world. She brings him to Kashi (Varanasi) where the river flows; that is, from the stable (sthir) world to the unstable (asthir) world. The tension between these two worlds constantly plays out in Puranic stories.
We’ve heard very interesting stories about Krishna and Hanuman both having lifted mountains. Tell us about them.
In the Bhagavata Purana, an angry Indra inflicts heavy showers on Gokul in an attempt to drown and destroy the village. Krishna lifts up Govardhan Parvat on his little finger and uses it as an umbrella for the people. Again, this demonstrates Krishna’s strength. Interestingly, it is also believed that Govardhan was made of cow dung (gobar); that it wasn’t a natural mountain.
In the Ramayana, during the battle with Ravana, Lakshmana is injured by an arrow. The only thing that can save his life is the Sanjivani herb, which grows on the Gandhamadan Parvat (fragrant mountain) in the north. Hanuman is sent to fetch the herb, but he cannot find it. As time is of the essence, he picks up the entire mountain and brings it to Lanka. This shows his incredible strength.
When Hanuman is flying towards Lanka to find Sita, he has many adventures. He encounters a number of dangers on the way, in the form of asuras and monsters (like Simhika, Surasa). He then comes upon Mainak Parvat. Mainak identifies himself as Himavan’s son. He asks Hanuman to rest against him, since he must be tired, and then proceed to Lanka. But Hanuman turns down his help, saying he has no time to rest. Mainak realizes what a great soul Hanuman is. So, Hanuman is called Mahavir, Sankatmochan, someone who will not rest until he has solved your problem. Mainak Parvat is a curious mountain because it rises up from the ocean to offer Hanuman rest, but when he refuses, it sinks back—almost like a mobile mountain!
In another story, Ravana wants to take Shiva to the south where he resides. Shiva agrees, and Ravana picks up Mount Kailasa, arrogantly claiming to have Shiva in his possession. To squash his conceit, Shiva presses his big toe from where he sits on top of the mountain, bringing the mountain crashing down on Ravana. In many Shiva temples, there is an idol called Ravana-anugraha murti. Ravana is squashed under the mountain and is pleading to Shiva for forgiveness. The other idol is of Hanuman holding aloft a mountain. The contrast is between Ravana, who is arrogant and has little devotion (bhakti) and is crushed under the mountain as a result, and Hanuman, the true devotee, who can fly even while carrying a mountain. This is a visual method of explaining what true devotion is.
Are any other mountains mentioned in the Puranas?
There are stories about the Vindhyas.
Vindhya was very conceited, and always quarrelled with the gods, grahas (planets), rivers and rishis. Once, he tells Surya that he’ll grow so tall that the sun god will not be able to cross over to the other side. Worried, the gods go to Rishi Agastya to intervene. Agastya goes to Vindhya Parvat; on seeing him, the mountain bows in respect. The rishi says that this helps me go southward so stay as you are until I return. It is believed that Agastya never returned, and the mountain is still bent over.
Ravana’s kingdom, Lanka, is also on a mountain called Trikut Parvat, which is associated with the Vindhyas. Once, Vindhya gets into a wrangle with the wind god, Vayu, who threatens to blow him away. When Vindhya challenges him, Vayu becomes stronger and stronger. So Vindhya takes the help of Shesh Naag; he asks the serpent to wrap his coils around the base and hold on tight. The two strengths balance each other out—one, the movement of Vayu and the other, the stabilizing strength of Shesh Naag. This goes on for a while, until the gods ask them to stop it. On hearing Vishnu’s command, Shesh Naag relaxes immediately. Just then, Vayu releases a strong gust of wind and a piece of the Vindhyas breaks off and is swept away into the ocean where it becomes Trikut. On top of this, the kingdom of Lanka is established.
In most of the stories about mountains, a common feature is that mountains are transported from the north to the south through some means, either by being carried or being swept away, and so on.
Many important temples like Vaishnodevi and Tirupati are on mountaintops. Why is that?
Mountains are considered close to the gods, as they reach the skies. People live on earth and gods up in the skies. Mountains connect the two. Towards the end of the Mahabharata, the Pandavas decide to retire from the world and go towards heaven (Swarga) by climbing a mountain as it is believed that the gates to heaven are there.
It is said that Vishnu came to earth from his heavenly abode and started looking for a place that would remind him of Vaikuntha. The seven mountains at Tirupati reminded him of Shesh Naag, who has seven hoods. Thus the mountain range is known as Sheshachalam (that which looks like Shesha Naag), and the seventh mountain is Venkatachalam. Vishnu on this mountain is called Venkateshwar (god of Tirupati).
Further in the south, Murugan’s idol at Palani is on a mountain. In Kerala, Lord Ayyappan is also known as Hari-Hara Suta (son of Vishnu, or Hari, and Shiva, or Hara); his temple is at Sabarimala on a mountain. It is said that those who sit on a mountain are tapasvis. So, Ayyappan, having tied a yogapattam (band) around his legs, sits and does only tapasya there. Vaishnodevi too is a tapasvini; she is not in her role as a wife (Bharya) here.
In south India, all Kartikeya temples are found on mountains. What is the connection?
Kartikeya is Shiva’s son. Once the two have a fight and Kartikeya decides to leave Kailasa, and head south. According to the jyotirlingas (local temple legends), Shiva goes after him to persuade him, but Kartikeya keeps going further away. Since there were no mountains in the south, his thoughts kept returning to his mountainous home. His mother Parvati decides to send him a mountain with a demon, Hidimba. Like human mothers pack lunch for their children, goddesses are bound to do something similar, but on a grand scale! This is why Kartikeya is always associated with mountains.
Another story is that when he is warring with Taraka-asura, Taraka’s brother Surapadmana assumes the shape of a mountain. Kartikeya shatters the mountain with his lance, splitting it and creating a passage. This shows Kartikeya’s immense strength; he broke Mount Krauncha as well. So Kartikeshwara is strongly associated with mountains.
13
Karna
Karna is my favourite character in the Mahabharata, as he is for many. There is perhaps an aura about him that makes him so popular. Tell us about him—how was he born?
There’s a princess from the Yadava clan called Kunti, Surasena’s daughter given in adoption to Kuntibhoj. She serves Rishi Durvasa who blesses her with a mantra which allows her to summon any deva and beget his child. She can become an instant mother, without waiting for nine months. Sceptical about the mantra’s powers, she, in her childish curiosity, decides to test it. She calls Surya and gets a child. The child is special because he is born wearing a kavach (armour) and kundala (gold earrings). At first she is excited, but then she realizes that having a child while still a maiden would destroy her reputation.
She places the child in a basket and floats it down a river.
Who brings up Karna?
The basket floats to Hastinapur and gets stuck on the bank of the river where sarathis (charioteers) stop to let their horses drink water. A charioteer named Adhirath discovers the baby and takes it to his wife, who finds it beautiful and decides to raise it even though she has children of her own. So this princely child with a princess for a mother and a powerful deva for a father is raised by charioteers who are of the Suta caste, that is, Shudras.
This is where the story of the caste system (varna vyavastha) comes into play. Through the story of Karna you see the hierarchy (samant-vaad) in society. Rathi is the person who sits in the chariot and is of a higher caste; sarathi is a low-caste charioteer who serves the rathi as his dasa (servant). Karna is born a rathi but he is raised by a sarathi. Societal rules at the time demanded that the son take up the profession of his father. Thus Karna ought to become a sarathi. However, to Adhirath’s surprise, he wants to become a rathi. He has the attributes of his Kshatriya varna—the desire to dominate, control, fight, to be a warrior—and is adamant on learning the art of battle.
So he goes to Dronacharya, who is Hastinapur’s rajguru, and who trains the Kauravas and the Pandavas. The strict professorial Dronacharya refuses, saying he only teaches children of royalty. So Karna goes off to Parashurama, who does not like Kshatriyas and teaches only Brahmins. Karna dresses up as a Brahmin and approaches Parashurama, and learns from him through deceit. One day, Parashurama discovers that Karna is not a Brahmin. He curses the warrior, saying that the day Karna needs his knowledge the most, to save himself, he will forget everything he’s learnt from Parashurama, and die.
Whom does Karna marry?
In the Sanskrit Mahabharata, it is not clearly mentioned. In folklore, it’s said that he married Vrishali, another charioteer’s daughter, a woman from his own jati. But the interesting story is when he goes to participate in Draupadi’s svayamvara. Technically, he can win and marry Draupadi. But when Draupadi comes to know his jati, his father and family, she rejects him. Krishna too is present there but he does not participate in the svayamvara. Why he does not hasn’t been explained in the text. My hypothesis is that when he watches Karna, a charioteer’s son, being turned away, he questions how he, a cowherd’s son, can take part. His story, after all, is similar to Karna’s; although royalty, he has been adopted and raised by cowherds. In a way, by rejecting Karna, Draupadi rejects Krishna.
There is a story involving Duryodhana in which a different shade of his character emerges. At what could be called their graduation ceremony, Dronacharya wants to exhibit all the skills of warfare the royal children have learnt from him. For the first time, Karna comes into the arena, and says he wishes to participate. Everybody, including Dronacharya and Bhishma, refuses him because he is a charioteer’s son. Bhima also insults him, and calls him a servant, unaware that he is his brother (both being Kunti’s sons). Arjuna too feels insecure as Karna appears to be his competition in archery. As Kunti watches this drama unfold, she recognizes Karna from his gold armour, and is aggrieved to see her eldest son being insulted by her younger sons. Only Duryodhana supports Karna, saying that merit is important. One wonders whether Duryodhana is actually advocating for Karna or if he is just making the most of the opportunity to defeat the hated Pandavas. Does he genuinely like Karna? He claims he is his friend, makes him king of Anga, by virtue of which Karna is called Angaraj. However, people say that it doesn’t change his birth as a Shudra. This complexity is a theme of the Mahabharata. Karna has a friend who’s not a friend, a mother who’s not a mother, brothers who are not his brothers . . . This loneliness follows him throughout his life.
Karna is known as Daanvir, an extremely generous person. He is even compared with Harishchandra. Are there any stories about this?
Indeed, Karna is very generous. When he becomes king of Anga, is rich, and is no longer a sarathi—he has become a rathi—he declares that nobody will return empty-handed from his house. Once, a man comes asking for logs of chandan (sandalwood). Karna doesn’t have any but his house is made of chandan so he breaks it down and gives the wood to him. In Andhra Pradesh, there’s a famous story which tells of a girl who is standing on the side of the road, drinking milk. When Karna drives past in his chariot, her pot accidentally falls from her hand and the milk spills. She starts crying, telling him to return the milk to her. Karna picks up the mud and with his incredible strength squeezes the milk out of it and gives it to her. Though the little girl is pleased, Bhudevi is unhappy; she accuses him of snatching away milk that rightfully belonged to her. She curses Karna and says that one day she too will hold back his chariot so that he cannot move, and that’s the day he’ll die. Despite his generosity, Karna is cursed. When he’s dying, Krishna goes to him disguised as a Brahmin and asks if he has anything he can give him. Karna pulls out his golden teeth and hands them to him. When Krishna comes back for more, Karna says I give you all my punya (good karma that’s accumulated). He keeps giving daan so is called Daanvir Karna.
It is said that Draupadi was in love with Karna—is that true?
This is a loka katha (folk tale); it does not exist in the Sanskrit epic. In Maharashtra, there’s a famous poem called ‘Jambul Akhyan’. Once Draupadi picks a jambul (jamun) fruit. A rishi, who is close by, claims that he had been eyeing that fruit and was about to pick it when she did. He is about to curse her, so she pleads with him. He tells her that if she can attach the fruit back on the tree, he won’t curse her. When she asks how it is possible, the rishi says that if she reveals her deepest secret, the fruit will attach itself. Draupadi then confesses, ‘Although I have five husbands, I have a special feeling for Karna.’ People say she has a ‘loose character’, but the rishi (believed to be Krishna) says that only a person who can eat a jambul fruit and not get a purple stain on their mouth can claim to be absolutely pure. So, don’t judge Draupadi.
At Draupadi’s vastraharan (disrobing), the Pandavas, Kauravas and Karna were present. What was Karna’s reaction?
One would expect that Karna, having suffered so much humiliation, and being a hero-like character, would defend someone being insulted in public. But Karna does not come to Draupadi’s aid. Instead, he calls her a public woman. Because she has five husbands, he says, she can be treated as an object for gambling. It’s a very dark sentence. At that time you don’t like Karna much.
Tell us the story of Karna’s kavach and kundala (armour and earrings).
He has them from birth, a sign of his royal and warrior qualities. Despite this, Dronacharya refuses to teach him. When he becomes powerful on his own, Indra becomes insecure. Arjuna is Indra’s son and he thinks that if there’s ever a battle between Arjuna and Karna, the latter’s kavach will protect him from Arjuna’s arrows. He disguises himself as a poor Brahmin and approaches Karna and asks for his kavach and kundala as daan. Though they are stuck to his body, Karna cuts them off and gives them to Indra. The king of devas is impressed and feels bad about deceiving him, so he gives Karna an astra (weapon) and tells him that no matter whom he aims it at, it will unfailingly meet its target. Karna says he’ll definitely use it against Arjuna, which again leaves Indra doubting what he’s done.
What was Karna’s role in Kurukshetra?
Three men assumed leadership of the Kaurava army as its commander (maharathi)—Bhishma, Drona and Karna. When Bhishma becomes the maharathi, he does not allow Karna to fight in the battle because he is a Sutaputra and because Bhishma holds Karna responsible for the battle taking place. Typically, he was blaming someone outside the family for the feud, claiming that Karna had been a bad influence on Duryodhana, and so on. It’s said that Bhishma did this on purpose because he knew Karna was Kunti’s son and the Pandavas’ older brother.
When did Karna find out the truth of his birth?
Before the war, when negotiations are on to make peace, Krishna goes to him and tells him that he is Kunti’s firstborn son. If they were to publ
icly declare this, by law Karna would be a Pandava. Kunti’s husband was Pandu so he would get his rightful share of the property and claim to the throne of Hastinapur. The Pandavas who had insulted him all along would sit at his feet and their wife would become his, too, his patrani (foremost queen). He would get everything. But Karna declines, saying he will stay loyal to his friend Duryodhana. When he becomes a maharathi, Kunti comes to him and pleads with him not to wage war against his brothers. She tells him that she is his mother. It’s a beautiful conversation. Rabindranath Tagore has written a significant poem on this exchange, ‘Kunti–Karna Samvaad’.
When Kunti asks Karna to promise her that he will not kill any of his brothers, Karna says, ‘I’ve already given away my kavach and kundala to Indra, I’ve been cursed by Bhudevi and Parashurama, now you handicap me further with this request. I promise you that except Arjuna I will not kill any of your sons. If I die, Arjuna will live, and if Arjuna dies, I shall live. No matter what the outcome of the war is, the number of your sons will remain the same.’ Perhaps Kunti is being opportunistic here, as Duryodhana was before. This is the tragedy of Karna’s life.
In Kurukshetra, in the middle of battle, Karna’s chariot gets stuck in the mud, as Bhudevi holds it down. He knows a mantra that Parashurama had taught him to get out of such a situation, but cannot remember it because of Parashurama’s curse. So he climbs down from the chariot to dislodge the wheel. He is unarmed. At that moment, Krishna tells Arjuna to shoot him with his arrow. Arjuna protests, saying that he is unarmed, but Krishna says, it does not matter, kill him.