In Dwapar yuga, once upon a time lived a Yadava dynasty king named Surasena. He had a beautiful young daughter named Pritha (later known as Kunti).
As tradition had it, a rishi – Vedic scholar and seer – named Durvasa visited the king for a lengthy stay, who housed him as his palace guest. The king asked Pritha to personally ensure that the sage Durvasa's stay was comfortable. Princess Pritha did her best, and Durvasa was delighted with his stay and her diligent services. Before leaving, Durvasa thanked her and gave her the Siddha mantra telling her that if she ever wants, she can use that mantra to call any god she desires as her lover.
Teenage Pritha, in her youthful innocence, eager to test the power, while still unmarried, wondered if the mantra would really work, and so one beautiful morning, as the golden sun rose, to explore, she called the sun god Surya. And because the mantra could not prove fruitless, a child was conceived. Surya, the Sun God, handed a son wearing golden armour (kavacha) and golden earnings (kundala).
Karna is born with characteristics of both parents, such as the "ear-rings and breastplate armor" along with glow of his father and the feet that looked like his mother. The earrings and breastplate make him immortal like the gods, invincible before any god, human or demon.
Pritha felt confused and ashamed, worried what everyone will think and how she will embarrass her family. So, she put the newborn baby in a padded basket, waterproofs and seals it with beeswax, and set it adrift in the small river Ashvanadi by the palace.
As the adolescent mother abandons her unwanted child on the river, she laments a lot. The basket floats, reaches the river Charmanavati, which carries it to the Yamuna River. The basket floats on and reaches the Ganges River and on it into the kingdom of Anga (ancient Bengal). There, it is found by a charioteer's wife Radha, who takes the baby Karna to her husband Adhiratha Nandana. They adopt him right away and name him Vasushena. They love him and raise him just like their own son.
Because of the golden earnings, he was mainly known as Karna.
Thus, as per the curse of Nara, the asura Sahasrakavacha and Surya, the Sun God, together were born as Karna (human) in the Dwapar yuga.
As tradition had it, a rishi – Vedic scholar and seer – named Durvasa visited the king for a lengthy stay, who housed him as his palace guest. The king asked Pritha to personally ensure that the sage Durvasa's stay was comfortable. Princess Pritha did her best, and Durvasa was delighted with his stay and her diligent services. Before leaving, Durvasa thanked her and gave her the Siddha mantra telling her that if she ever wants, she can use that mantra to call any god she desires as her lover.
Teenage Pritha, in her youthful innocence, eager to test the power, while still unmarried, wondered if the mantra would really work, and so one beautiful morning, as the golden sun rose, to explore, she called the sun god Surya. And because the mantra could not prove fruitless, a child was conceived. Surya, the Sun God, handed a son wearing golden armour (kavacha) and golden earnings (kundala).
Karna is born with characteristics of both parents, such as the "ear-rings and breastplate armor" along with glow of his father and the feet that looked like his mother. The earrings and breastplate make him immortal like the gods, invincible before any god, human or demon.
Pritha felt confused and ashamed, worried what everyone will think and how she will embarrass her family. So, she put the newborn baby in a padded basket, waterproofs and seals it with beeswax, and set it adrift in the small river Ashvanadi by the palace.
As the adolescent mother abandons her unwanted child on the river, she laments a lot. The basket floats, reaches the river Charmanavati, which carries it to the Yamuna River. The basket floats on and reaches the Ganges River and on it into the kingdom of Anga (ancient Bengal). There, it is found by a charioteer's wife Radha, who takes the baby Karna to her husband Adhiratha Nandana. They adopt him right away and name him Vasushena. They love him and raise him just like their own son.
Because of the golden earnings, he was mainly known as Karna.
Thus, as per the curse of Nara, the asura Sahasrakavacha and Surya, the Sun God, together were born as Karna (human) in the Dwapar yuga.