Tragedy of Being Karna

" Oh, Madhusudhan what crime have I done? When I fire a volley of arrows at Karna's chariot it is pushed back by 15 to 20 feet, you remain silent. But you applaud Karna when his arrows push back my chariot by mere 4 feet, why this discrimination, " a distraught Arjuna implores Lord Krishna.

The Lord smiles and says," Hey Partha remember, the flag on your chariot has Hanuman, Sheshnag is there with the horses, and I am your charioteer, still Karna is able to push back your chariot."

Certainly, a no means feat. After the devastating war of Kurukshetra was over, the Lord got down from Arjuna's chariot and it burnt instantaneously. " Arjuna your chariot was destroyed a long time back by Karna, but since I was seated on the chariot," it survived this long.

" Never be arrogant. Remain humble. The divine qualities you possess have all been given to you by God," Lord Krishna reminds Arjuna.

Once Lord's Avatar was completed in the Universe, Krishna returns to Vaikuntha to assume the form of Lord Vishnu.

" Oh Lord, why did you not protect Karna - he was Dana, Veera, Surya Putra Karna," Goddess Lakshmi asks Lord Vishnu.

Lord Vishnu says," I did not checkmate him when he lied to Guru Parusharama, that he was a Brahmin and not a Kshatriya. I overlooked his indiscretions committed in the company of Duryodhana.".

" Indira deceived Karna and robbed and stripped him of his Kavach and Kundala," I am aware added Lord Vishnu.

" I also pardoned him when he called Draupadi, a Yagyaseni who emerged from the Havan Kund as a Vaishya," remarked Lord Vishnu.

The Lord overlooked all these indiscretions of Karna and was even prepared to crown him as the King of Hastinapur if he exchanged sides before the Kurukshetra war.

" But Devi, how did this Daan, Veera, Suryaputra Karna kill Abhimanyu who was totally unarmed? ," added Lord Vishnu.

Karna killed Abhimanyu along with others in a pool of water. And this is the very pool where his chariot got stuck.

" So Devi, all the righteousness of Karna were reduced to a cipher when he and other Kaurava warriors did something incorrectly, that is killing of an unarmed Abhimanyu.

" Karna lost the plot that day....." says Lord Vishnu before he resumes his meditation.

Righteousness is expected of noble and honorable men. Of men of virtues.