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97.YUDHISHTHIRA'S ANGUISH
One day, however, he discovered that the
disciple was not a brahmana. It happened
tha an an insect bit a hole into Karna's
thigh when one afternoon the teacher had
fallen asleep on Karna's lap. Karna bore
the acute pain quietly and did not stir, lest
the master should wake up. The warm
blood trickling from the wound woke up
Parasurama. When he saw what had
happened, he was angry.
"You are a kshatriya; otherwise you could
not have borne this physical pain without
stirring. Tell me the truth. You are not a
brahmana. You have deceived your
teacher. Fool! When your hour comes,
your knowledge of astras will fail you and
what you have learnt from me through
deception will not avail you."
Parasurama's wrath against kshatriyas is
well known and, when he discovered that
Karna was a kshatriya, he cursed him thus
in his anger.
Karna was free in making gifts. One day,
Indra, who was Arjuna's father, came in
the garb of a brahmana and begged of
Karna for a gift of the divine earrings and
armor with which he had been born.
Karna took them out and gave them away
accordingly. From that time, Karna's
strength was reduced.
"Karna's pledge to his mother Kunti that
he would not kill more than one of the
five of you, Parasurarna's curse, the anger
of the brahmana whose cow was killed by
Karna, the way in which his charioteer
Salya depressed him by underrating his
valor and Vasudeva's stratagems, these
combined to bring about Karna's end. Do
not grieve believing that you alone caused
his death." Thus said Narada, but
Yudhishthira was not consoled by these
words.
"Do not blame yourself, son, for Karna's,
death," said Kunti.
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