Thread by @Sai_swaroopa

Have been tagged in multiple discussions related to #Karna in the last couple of days. Will attempt to clarify them in this thread.

Firstly, about the alleged discrimination he faced because of being a SutaPutra and not being admitted into Drona's Gurukula+

Let us first understand the role of a saarathi that a typical Suta was supposed to fill in.

A Sarathi readies the chariot. Makes decisions on the horses to yoke, number of bows and arrows to keep, how many kinds of arrows to keep and how many of each type. A wrong decision+

+can prove fatal to the Rathi, the warrior and the Sarathi too. And to make great decisions, a basic to middle level training in Dhanurvidya is necessary for a Saarathi. He is supposed to train in Dhanurvidya. There is no way Drona would have refused to teach Karna archery.+

Karna in fact trained under Drona. He left when he saw that Drona taught Brahmastra only to select people. And that list did not include Karna.

FYKI, Duryodhana and Bhima too were not there in the list. AFAIK Arjuna, Yudhishtira and Ashvatthama were there+

Under Parashurama, Karna (under a false gotra) learnt Brahmastra, Bhargavastra and a score other divyastras. He also got a chariot and an unbreakable bow Vijaya from Parashurama. Of course, his deceit was seen through and Parashurama cursed him that the Vidya learnt by deceit+

+will not come to his aid in the time of his need.

The effect of the curse can be debated as Karna, despite loss of memory, manages to invoke Brahmastra twice and Bhargavastra too.

It is Arjuna's arrow powered by the merit of his humility towards elders that kills Karna+

+ Another point is of his having the other four Pandavas at his mercy.

Karna was a better archer, probably w.r.t Yudhishtira and twins. His victory over Bhima was a near impossible one and Bhima earlier and later defeats him in the war.
One fact. When he defeats Bhima+

+Karna is just 4 days into war while Bhima is 14 days into war. If I were to list the warriors who bettered Karna in the war, it would be
Arjuna, Satyaki, Bhima and Abhimanyu.

And there were countless instances where he could have been killed but was saved by Ashvatthama+

That said and done, Karna had his high moments and you do, at places, wish he had a better judgement of right and wrong.

IMHO, it is not Duryodhana's friendship that threw him down (many sided with Duryodhana), but his inability to overcome narrow minded rivalry with Arjuna.

I will keep updating this thread as topics come up. Have often questioned myself why I feel passionately against Karna deification. Will share my personal experience. You are all free to disagree.

I have closely observed some Karna glorifiers. A common trait in them is that+

+they were all talented. But at the first obstacle, they resorted to blaming the system/destiny/god knows what all with no gratitude for what they had got.

It is a cycle that forced them into mediocre whiners while they had the potential to excel if only they kept at it.

Anyways, itihasas exist for us to observe the trajectories of truly greats, 'could have been greats if only's and 'what a piteous fall for such a great's and then become better versions of ourselves.

Judging them without nuance and learning is just gossip. Will continue later