Karn Finishes His Education
See also  Karn's Story on Next Page

Guru Drone had asked Eklavya's thumb in Guru Dakshinaa, but he was unaware of another archer who was getting trained to challenge Arjun in future. He was Raadheya - Karn (or read biographies of Karn, and Kuntee). He was taking training under Parashuraam Jee. When Drone refused him to teach archery only because of being a Soot-Putra, he felt very bad. He came to now that a Soot-Putra is the child of a Kshatriya man and a Braahman woman, but to get educated from a well known Guru he should tell about himself as either Kshatriya or a Braahman.

In those times then Parashuraam was the greatest archer. Karn knew his anger about Kshatriya. So he thought that if he would go there and told himself a Braahman, maybe he agrees to educate him. He made up his mind and went to his Aashram. With matted hair and and burning eyes Bhaargav had a terrible personality. Raadheya fell on the feet of Bhaargav, and said - "I have come with a great hope, please, do not send me back empty-handed."

Bhaargav lifted him up, Raadhey's eyes were full of tears. Bhaargav was very pleased with the young man and his humility. Raadheya told him that he was a Braahman and that he wanted to learn archery from him. Bhaargav said - "I will teach you willingly." He spent many years in learning archery from Bhaargav. He was learning with his full heart. His aim was only one - to acquire knowledge. For him knowledge meant power, fame and recognition. His education was coming to an end. Bhaargav was very happy with his archery practice, so he blessed him "Be the best archer of the world."

He is the same Parashuraam Jee who made Prithvi without any Kshatriya 21 times; and in the end went to Van after donating all won Prithvi to Maharshi Kashyap Jee. When Raam was born in Prajaapati's son Soorya's lineage, then he took retirement after handing over his bow to Raam, but he never accepted anybody else than Bheeshm as his disciple.

Now he was giving him last piece of advice. He said to Raadheya - "I have been very happy with you all these days. I have given you all that I had. I am very proud to have you as my disciple. You are very honest and you respect your elders. You must use this knowledge in upholding Dharm. You must never use it for any unrighteous cause. 

Arrow has the soul of the archer. It means that this is the first duty of an archer that he should not let get his arrows insulted by bribery, or injustice. If he will not do so then all the arrows of his quiver will be lifeless and he will be without education as if it was never there before with him. No Guru must have got a disciple like you after Devavrat."

Parashuraam felt tired, the heat was unbearable, so he asked Raadheya to bring a deer skin and a pillow from the Aashram and expressed his desire to take some rest under a shade of a tree. Raadheya said - "I am here. I will sit down and and you can use my lap as your pillow. Can I not do this small service to the greatest of men?" Parashuraam was very happy with his devotion to Guru. He put his head in the lap of Raadheya and slept under a tree.

Raadheya got lost in his thoughts. He was thinking about Parashuraam's words, "You are very honest". Am I really honest? Perhaps not. I told him that I was a Braahman, when I am not. But that was the only way to get education  for which he was longing for long. The wise have said that the end justifies the means. His aim was to acquire knowledge that was why he told a lie. A lie is a sin if it is told to achieve sinful, but he had not committed any sin.

Some time passed that Raadheya felt something stinging in his thigh on which Guru's head was resting. Without disturbing Guru's sleep he tried to see what it was. It was a scorpion. Its sting was very sharp. But what could he do? His Guru was sleeping so he patiently sat unmoved. Blood came out after its sting. When that warm blood touched Guru's face he got up and said - "Raadheya, There is blood on my face, where did it come from?" Raadheya said - "From my thigh, Guru Jee. While you were sleeping a scorpion bit me, this blood is coming from the same wound."

Rishi was stunned to see the scorpion, he said - "Then why didn't you get up and stop the pain?" Raadheya said - "Guru Jee, You were tired, you were sleeping. I did not want to disturb your sleep." Parashuraam said - "How can you you be a Braahman? A Braahman cannot bear so much pain, only a Kshatriya can bear so much pain. Did I teach everything to a sinful Kshatriya? I hate Kshatriya. I can never forgive you for your this deception to me. You are a Kshatriya, admit it."

Raadheya fell at his feet. It broke his heart with the fear that whatever he had learned will go waste. He held his Guru's feet firmly and cried - "Forgive me Guru Jee, You have been more than a father for me. A father should forgive his child. This is correct that I am not a Braahman,  but I am not a Kshatriya either. I am Raadheya, a Soot-Putra. My father is Adhirath. A Soot born from Kshatriya and a Braahman. The only thing I wanted is learning. I beg of you, please forgive me."

Nothing could move Parashuraam Jee. He had forgotten his devotion to him, he forgot that because of him Raadheya suffered the scorpion, he just remembered only his lie. He gave Shaap to Raadheya - "You learned archery by lying to me, when you are in a desperate need of an Astra, you will not be able to remember it." And he got up after a few moments.

Raadheya was crying and crying - "Why did you give this Shaap to me? I spoke a lie only because of obtaining the knowledge, I had no other purpose for that." But Rishi's words were irrevocable. Still he said politely - "One thing, that you wanted fame, you will get it. You will be known as the greatest archer in coming times." and went away. Raadheya also walked away in great despair.

He was so much in despair that for some time he just wandered aimlessly, he didn't what to do. In the meantime he saw an animal flash past him. More by instinct he shot an arrow at the animal. After he went near it he found that it was not a deer but was a cow and belonged to a Braahman. Raadheya went to him and told him that he had killed his cow in ignorance. He also got so much angry that he also gave Shaap to him that - "When you will be fighting with your deadliest enemy, the wheel of your chariot will sink into ground; and just as you killed my poor cow when she was unaware of the danger, he will also kill you when you are least prepared for it."

Raadheya was certain now that this was also his fate's game. First he was Soot-Putra, then his Guru's Shaap, now this Braahman's Shaap will not let live him peacefully. Now he was not sad, but was ready to fight with his fate. He loved only one person in this world - his mother Raadhaa. He wanted to make her happy at any cost. So he went home, but immediately he could not tell her that all these years of education was useless for him. He stayed there for a few days then told her mother that he was going to Hastinaapur.