"Radheya," shouted a friend from afar, "Your father is looking for you. He has chosen a wife for you. Hurry there before someone else kidnaps your wife. Your father is at the gathering place of the elders.""Woooooo..." exclaimed Karna's other friends as they saw him.Karna's face turned red, and he jumped down followed by all his friends. "Why are you all following?" he asked them."Just want to see your future wife and if lucky, get drunk with your wedding wine today," said Sena, followed by laughter from the other friends.Karna walked with about a dozen of his friends towards a tent where the elders of the Suta group usually gathered."Father is calling me," Karna said as he bowed before Adhiratha."Stand up," Adhiratha said to Karna. "Look at my son, isn't he brave?" Adhiratha added, showing Karna to all the elders there. "Sarathi, let me fulfill your request from last year. I will marry my son Karna, the King of Anga, to your daughter. What do you think?""No, you can't," shoute
The horse-drawn carriages began to glide one by one through the outer city route. Karna started to move after about twenty carriages had gone ahead of him. He knew that this competition could be either tough or easy, depending on what the drivers would do during the race. If the race was conducted fairly and cleanly, the winner would undoubtedly be Vrushali. Even he, who had won the chariot race years ago, didn't believe he could beat the girl.In a horse race, a driver must have a close relationship with the horses they control. Using horses that are familiar and understanding their habits is the main requirement for winning. Karna looked at the horses pulling his chariot—two of them were new and unfamiliar. But knowing one of the stallions among the four was enough for him to control all of them.Karna began to accelerate his chariot, but he didn't force his horses to run at their maximum speed like the other drivers did. The journey around Hastinapur was not short. If he pushed the
Karna and Vrushali had a simple wedding following the traditions of the Suta caste, done modestly and quietly. The faces of both individuals were filled with joy. Radha cried tears of happiness.A month later, Karna visited the palace of Hastinapur to meet his friend, Duryodhana. He intended to greet him before returning to his kingdom in Anga and also to introduce his wife. Duryodhana welcomed them both, and when Karna introduced Vrushali to him, Duryodhana was surprised."I didn't know there was still a girl as beautiful as this. Which kingdom does she belong to? Which competition did you attend? Why didn't I receive an invitation?" Duryodhana asked rapidly. "Truly, her beauty is no less than Draupadi's, and I can smell the fragrance of lotus. Does it emanate from her body?"Vrushali bowed her head in embarrassment and replied, "Your praise is too kind, Prince. I am not a princess; I am just the daughter of a charioteer, and my husband won me in a competition among the charioteers.
However, from many other pieces of information, it was said that Indraprastha was built by the gods because of the power of the Pandavas. Karna just found it hard to believe. Karna didn't know what the Pandavas were thinking by creating such a magnificent city.Certainly, Duryodhana would feel pressured by this, as they named their city 'Indraprastha,' meaning the city of Indra. Indra, the god, was the king of the gods. This also meant that the Pandavas wanted to claim themselves as rulers of all or at least rulers of the Kuru. Duryodhana would certainly feel threatened by this.Several years later, after the city was completed, Karna heard that they began to build a palace famous for its beauty and luxury. They also built a large arena for gatherings of kings.At least Karna realized one thing: after the Pandavas received half of the Kuru kingdom, they did not prosper their people but squeezed them to build the center o
Indraprastha stands tall to spread the truth of dharma. That's what many people say. The beauty of its palace is also renowned everywhere. Although Yudhisthira's name sounds like that of a wise king following the truth, Karna as the King of Anga remains a king with the greatest sympathy and virtues.Arjuna and Bhima never agreed with that. On one occasion, Arjuna was in the palace when a poor Brahmin came to see Yudhisthira. The Brahmin asked for a considerable amount of sandalwood as firewood for his deceased wife.Yudhisthira welcomed the Brahmin warmly and immediately ordered all his people to search for sandalwood everywhere. However, they all returned saying that the available sandalwood was still wet due to consecutive rainfalls in the past few months. According to woodcutters and wood sellers, the rain might continue for several more months.Yudhisthira then promised the Brahmin that as soon as dry sandalwood was available in the market, he would personally deliver it to the Br
Duryodhana had heard about the beauty of the Indraprastha palace, which drew admiration from all the kings who had seen it. He felt restless and wanted to see the beauty of the palace for himself, rumored to be far more magnificent than the main palace in Hastinapur. It was even said that the palace was not built by humans but by gods."This is clearly just a rumor spread by the Pandavas to enhance their fame and reputation," thought Duryodhana. "It's impossible that demons or celestial architects from heaven built it for them. They are just deceivers."Accompanied by some brothers and uncles, Duryodhana accepted the Pandavas' invitation to visit and tour the Indraprastha palace. They were all amazed at the beauty of the palace. It was a shining palace full of luxury from gemstones, with all buildings neatly arranged and adorned with luxurious stone carvings, among many other beauties that were difficult to describe in words. Duryodhana was even speechless, not imagining that there co
King Dhritarashtra remained silent, unable to make a decision. Bhisma appeared displeased by this and asked Yudhisthira, "Are you aware of the consequences?" "Yes," replied Yudhisthira. The old grandfather snorted and said nothing more. Likewise, Drona and Vidura stayed quiet. Karna looked around and remained silent. It was the right of Duryodhana and Yudhisthira to stake what they had. Outsiders like them couldn't interfere unless ensuring that both were fully aware of the risks.The dice were rolled, and Yudhisthira got the numbers 3, 4, 4 from the three dice, totaling 11. Shakuni, playing on behalf of Duryodhana, began to roll his dice. Duryodhana's heart raced; he might lose his kingdom. When the dice stopped, the first die showed a 5, the second showed a 1, and the last showed a 6, totaling 12.Yudhisthira's face turned pale, as did his four brothers. Bhima, furious, erupted and refused to accept the decision. He even threatened to go to war if Duryodhana took their kingdom.Dury
Draupadi, witnessing the scene, felt humiliated, angry, and tried to escape without realizing her clothes were still held by Dushasana. This tore her clothes and made it seem like Dushasana wanted to strip her naked. The spectacle intensified as Draupadi struggled, and Dushasana refused to let go of her clothes, fearing she would escape.Her emotions surged within, feeling hot with anger. However, something called rules bound her. She was like a hungry tiger chained with iron shackles. She could no longer distinguish right from wrong. If Yudhisthira had not accepted this game, none of this would have happened. If Draupadi hadn't insulted Duryodhana, she might not have been involved and humiliated. Also, if Draupadi hadn't struggled, resisted, and sat calmly, things might have been different, and her clothes wouldn't have been torn open. But Draupadi kept struggling with her clothes gripped, ultimately causing harm to herself, especially when she had already lost."Stop all this," Vidu