The eldest son of Kunti. Though he was the Pandavas’ brother, he sided with Duryodhana and became the king of Anga. Thus his antecedents are the kings of Anga.
Antecedents: Vishnu – Brahma- Atri – Chandra – Budha – Pururavas – Ayus – Nahusha – Yayati – Thurvasu – Vahni – Bharga – Bhanu – Tribhanu – Karandhama – Marutta – Dushyanata (adopted by Marutta) – Varudha – Gandira – Gandhara – Kola – Druhyu – Babhrusetu – Purovasu – Kharma – Khrita – Vidusha – Prachetas – Sabhanara – Kalanara – Srinjaya – Puranjaya – Janamejaya – Mahasala – Mahamanas – Ushinara – Titikshu – Rushadradha – Paila – Sutapas – Bali – Anga – Dadhivahana – Draviratha – Dharmaratha – Chitraratha – Satyaratha – Lomapada – Chaturanga – Pridhulaksha – Chamba – Haryanga – Bhadraratha – Brihalkarma – Brihalbhanu – Brihadatma – Jayadratha – Brihadratha – Vishwajit – Karna.
Kunti, daughter of Shurasena was married to Pandu, the chandravanshi king. She had been brought up by the king Kuntibhoja. During that time, the young Kunti was once assigned the task of looking after the sages. Durvasa visited Kuntibhoja and stayed there for 4 months. He was very happy with Kunti, and before he left, taught Kunti 5 mantras. He blessed that whichever deva she prayed to using the mantra would become the father of her child. Kunti wanted to test the mantra and invoked Surya. Immediately, a human form descended from Surya. Though she was afraid, he embraced her and said that she would not lose her virginity even though she would become a mother. Except for Kunti’s foster mother, no one knew this. In time, she gave birth to a boy. With her foster mother’s help, Kunti floated the baby away in a trunk on the Ashva river.
Suta, a charioteer by profession and a supporter of the Kauravas came to the river for a bath and found the baby. He took it home, to his wife Radha and they became the child’s foster parents. They named him Vasushena, as per Mahabharata Aranyaparva Chapter 302, and he became famous later as Karna, as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapters 305-309. They had no other children.
Vasushena, also known as Vrisha, grew up in Anga in the house of Suta (Adhiratha). Kunti learned of this through her spies. When it was time for Vasushena to get educated, Adhiratha sent him to Hastinapura, where he was taught Dhanurveda by Drona. There are also mentions of Karna learning weaponry from Kripa and Parashurama. After that, he became a friend of Duryodhana, as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 309.
Even when they were learning weaponry, there was a rivalry between Karna and Arjuna. Once Karna secretly asked Drona to teach him the Brahmastra mantra, which he wanted to use against Arjuna. Drona refused and Karna went to Mahendragiri to meet Parashurama. He told Parashurama that he was a brahmin belonging to Bhrigu’s dynasty, and wanted to learn how to invoke the Brahmastra. Parashurama believed him and taught him the use of many astras. Once, Karna saw a cow near the hermitage and shot an arrow at it. The brahmin who owned the cow cursed Karna that when Karna battled his biggest rival, his chariot’s wheel would get stuck in mud, and when he would be thus distracted, his enemy would kill him. Though Karna pleaded for forgiveness, the brahmin did not relent.
Parashurama finally taught Karna the use of Brahmastra. Once, when they both set out to practise it, Parashurama became tired and slept with his head on Karna’s lap. A bug named Alarka reached there and started drinking the blood from Karna’s thigh. Karna sat through the pain, not wanting to disturb the guru. Karna’s blood kept flowing. Meanwhile, Parashurama woke up and looked at the bug, which immediately died, and appeared again as a rakshasa. The rakshasa said that he had earlier been named Damsha and had once forcibly taken away Bhrigu’s wife. The sage had cursed him and made him a bug, and decreed that Parashurama would free him. He then left the place. Parashurama then looked at Karna and said that a brahmin would not have been able to withstand the pain that Karna had gone through, and asked him who he really was. Karna told him the truth and Parashurama cursed that the brahmastra would not work when Karna needed it the most, as per Mahabharata Shantiparva Chapters 2-3.
Karna learned Dhanurveda under Drona with the Pandavas and Kauravas. After their education, a special arena was made for testing their skills. The Pandavas enthralled the crowd with their skills. But after them, Karna entered and replicated everything that Arjuna did, with ease. This resulted in an argument between them which ended with Arjuna questioning Karna’s lineage. Duryodhana then interfered and made Karna king of Anga. Adhiratha arrived there and hugged him as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 134.
Karna had a pair of earrings and an armour on his body from birth, as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 53 verse 99. Surya also blessed that so long as Karna wore these, he would be invincible. Indra learned of this and began thinking of ways to get them off Karna, because he wanted his son Arjuna to defeat Karna. Karna was famous for his generosity. Surya warned him that Indra would approach him in the form of a brahmin and ask for the armour and earrings, but Karna was not ready to budge from his generosity. Surya left, advising his son to ask for a weapon from Indra that would help him vanquish his enemies, as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 302. Indra approached Karna just as Surya had feared. Karna prayed that no sores would appear when he cut away the earrings and armour from his body. Indra blessed that it would not happen and further that Karna would glow like the sun henceforth. Indra also gave him the power called Vaijayanthi for the battle with Arjuna. But Karna had to use it before that battle to kill Ghatotkacha, as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 310.
According to Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 185 verse 4, Karna was present at Draupadi’s swayamwar. Bhima once defeated Karna in battle as per Mahabharata Sabhaparva Chapter 30 verse 20. Karna was present at Yudhishtira’s rajasuya as per Mahabharata Sabhaparva Chapter 34 verse 7. He once defeated Jarasandha as per Mahabharata Sabhaparva Chapter 44. Karna defeated Drupada, Bhagadatta, Kerala in his digvijaya as per Mahabharata Aranyaparva Chapter 254. Karna annexed Malini and Champanagar to Anga as per Mahabharata Karnaparva Chapter 5. Karna encouraged Duryodhana to hurt the Pandavas when they were staying in the forest as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 7. Karna vowed to kill Arjuna as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 257. Karna lost his clothes during the war in Virata as per Mahabharata Virataparva Chapter 65. Karna’s exploits in the Mahabharata war were as follows-
Before the war began, Kunti saw Karna on the banks of the Ganga and confessed to him that he was her son and asked that he should join the Pandavas. Surya confirmed that to him, but Karna refused to desert Duryodhana. Karna said that he would spare the other Pandavas, but would kill Arjuna. Kunti left as per Udyogaparva Chapter 146. Karna began the war against the Pandavas after getting Bhishma’s blessings as per Dronaparva Chapter 3. Karna battled the Kekaya princes, Arjuna, Bhima, Dhrishtadyuma, and Satyaki as per Dronaparva Chapter 3. Abhimanyu defeated Karna as per Dronaparva Chapter 40. Karna made Bhima defenseless as per Dronaparva Chapter 139. Karna had to retreat when Arjuna attacked as per Dronaparva Chapter 139. Kripa was humiliated by Karna as per Dronaparva Chapter 158. Karna killed Ghatotkacha with the Vaijayanthi given by Indra as per Dronaparva Chapter 180. Karna ran away from the battlefield when Drona died as per Karnaparva Chapter 193. He was made commander of the Kaurava armies as per Karnaparva Chapter 10. Shalya became Karna’s charioteer as per Karnaparva Chapter 36. Arjuna’s crown fell to the ground because of Karna’s sarpamukhabana, but Karna’s chariot wheels then got stuck in the mud as per Karnaparva Chapter 90. Arjuna killed Karna as per Karnaparva Chapter 91 verse 50.
Karna had 3 sons – Chitrasena, Satyasena, Sushena who were killed by Nakula in the Mahabharata war as per Shalyaparva Chapter 10 verses 10-50.
After his death, Karna merged with Surya as per Mahabharata Swargarohanaparva Chapter 5 verse 20.
Karna was also known as Adhirathi, Adityanandana, Adityatanaya, Angaraja, Angeshwara, Arkaputra, Bharatarshabha, Goputra, Kaunteya, Kuntisuta, Kurudwaha, Kurupritanapati, Kuruvira, Kuruyodha, Partha, Vrishatmaja, Radhasuta, Radhatmaja, Radheya, Ravisunu, Sauti, Savitra, Suryaja, Suryaputra, Suryasambhava, Suta, Sutananda, Sutaputra, Sutasunu, Sutasuta, Sutatanaya, Vaikartana, Vaivaswata, Vasushena, Vrisha.