Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56Adhiratha tried his best for his child. On that day, the moment he had been waiting for months finally arrived.
When he became the charioteer for King Dhritarashtra. Because King Dhritarashtra had many charioteers, no one knew when they would have the chance to meet him.
On the journey, accompanying King Dhritarashtra around the city of Hastinapur, Adhiratha gathered his courage to speak boldly to this blind King.
He was ready to be punished if his actions were too bold, but it was the only choice to support his child.
"Your Majesty, the generous King Dhritarashtra," said Adhiratha as he drove his chariot through the streets of Hastinapur, "I have a request that weighs heavily on my heart. May Your Majesty please listen."
"Speak," replied King Dhritarashtra, slightly unaccustomed to being addressed by his charioteer.
"I have a son whom I obtained from the river Ganga. He has grown into a strong and brave young man. He greatly admires Your Majesty, and his aspiration is to become a warrior, to fight and die on the battlefield for Your Majesty."
"Is he from the warrior caste?"
"I truly do not know," answered Adhiratha. "We found him in a beautiful box wrapped in expensive cloth. With him were earrings and a necklace made of gold."
"And your request?"
"I dare to speak my heart. If Your Majesty pleases, allow me to seek permission from Your Majesty so that he may find a good teacher and become a warrior for Your Majesty."
King Dhritarashtra, known for his weak heart, replied, "Take your child to the military school with my permission," said King Dhritarashtra. "What makes one a warrior is their attitude and actions. If he wishes to become a warrior, I will not stand in his way."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," replied Adhiratha with great joy. Thus, Radheya would find a teacher who would teach him the art of warfare and martial arts.
Two days later, Adhiratha took Radheya to the military arts school established by King Dhritarashtra with the support of Bhisma—King Dhritarashtra's uncle—for Drona.
Adhiratha regarded Drona as the best teacher in all of Hastinapur. He had confirmed this information from several of his friends.
Drona himself came from the brahmana caste. He mastered almost all martial arts, knowledge of weapons, and even the knowledge of divine weapons called Devastra—which he obtained from a great teacher named Parashurama.
No one in the land was unaware of the legendary and immortal Guru Parashurama. Parashurama was even considered one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu and had lived for hundreds of years.
Drona was not like Bhisma, who was a direct disciple of Parashurama and learned all his knowledge. On one occasion, when Parashurama distributed all his wealth and possessions among the brahmanas, Drona hurried to the place and found that Parashurama had nothing left to give.
The great teacher then asked Drona, "I have nothing left except the knowledge of how to summon my divine weapons (Devastra) or this immortal body. Which of the two do you desire?"
Drona requested the knowledge of the divine weapons directly from Parashurama. On the surface of the earth, only a few humans could summon the power of Devastra, as these divine weapons required direct permission from the gods or teachings from teachers who had the gods' authorization.
Radheya's eyes sparkled as his father told him all this. His excitement soared as he would soon learn the legendary power of Devastra.
According to the humble Brahmana teaching him, an arrow imbued with Devastra could summon lightning, create tumultuous winds, burn targets, and much more, depending on the power of the god being invoked.
With anticipation, Radheya stood beside his father, awaiting the arrival of Drona, his prospective teacher. Radheya could see that the school was vast and located beside a large forest.
When Drona arrived, his gaze fell upon Adhiratha and, recognizing him as the king's charioteer, he asked curtly, "What does a charioteer want from me?"
Adhiratha respectfully replied with a grimace, "I would not dare to disturb Guru Drona without the king's permission."
"And what is it?"
"I want my son to be educated as a warrior under Guru Drona."
"The son of a charioteer?" Drona looked at Adhiratha and Radheya. "Find another teacher for your son. There are still many teachers who can teach him the art of war to become a warrior. Perhaps you can seek Kripa."
"But I want you, the best teacher in the Kuru Kingdom, to teach him," Adhiratha replied.
Drona raised his hand and waved it dismissively. "You know this school is built only for the sons of kings and nobles of the kingdom. I will not teach someone from the charioteer caste."
Adhiratha and Radheya could only stand silently as Drona walked away from them. Radheya's happiness vanished instantly. His father's grip on him tightened, then he pulled Radheya to leave.
"We will find another teacher," Adhiratha said, holding back his anger and pain. His eyes even appeared moist.
Radheya remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "Father, I don't think anyone will teach the art of war to warriors' children among charioteers, who are considered slaves. It would demean them."
"But we have a recommendation from the King."
Radheya lowered his head. "But it all depends on whether the teacher wants to teach or not."
Adhiratha bowed sadly. He knew other teachers might also reject them just because of their status.
Radheya looked at his father's sorrowful face and then said, "Father, I will just become a charioteer."
"Why?" Adhiratha asked, surprised.
Radheya didn't want to make things difficult for his father again. "The Guru said each of us is born with our own purpose, which the Creator has determined. Whether one is a Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya, or Sudra is not a problem. What matters is that we must fulfill our destiny to the best of our ability and submit to the Almighty. I will learn to be a good charioteer and make you proud, Father."
Adhiratha touched Radheya's head and gently caressed it. "You already make me proud by being my son."
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
KARNA: Son of the Charioteer Chapter 5
Almost every day, Radheya visits the horse stables and the carriage workshop located at the back of the palace.His daily tasks revolve around cleaning the horse stables, feeding the horses, bathing them, cleaning the carriages, and other tasks related to horses and carriages.Three weeks have passed since the incident with Drona, and Radheya has been trying not to remember it anymore. Living life as a charioteer has become his destiny."Radheya, come here," called a palace coachman. Radheya, who was brushing the horse's fur, left his work and ran towards the coachman. "Yes?""Give this cloth to the scribe from the back room of the palace library," said the coachman. "He hurriedly left it on his carriage.""Okay," said Radheya, taking the folded cloth and quickly running towards the palace library through the servants' special route.The palace library has two interconnected rooms: one room for the king, prince, and nobles to access, and the back room where the scribes work and exit w
KARNA: Son of the Charioteer Chapter 6
Radheya realized that it would be difficult to find a teacher willing to teach him the art of war and martial arts, as he clearly came from the sudra caste. He looked up at the sun above him and then prostrated himself."God Surya, you who bestow your rays on everyone regardless of caste, let yourself be my teacher." After paying homage like a student to a teacher, he went to a forest with a plan to train in martial arts on his own. He knew that to master martial arts, discipline in training was crucial.Quickly, his feet ran through the trees and bushes to find a high place. Along the way, Radheya found a natural cave that was uninhabited. He unloaded his belongings containing an axe, sword, spear, bow and arrows—items he had ordered from a blacksmith a few months ago.Radheya cut down some trees with his axe, arranged them neatly, and made them into a door for his cave. He turned branches into arrows and spears. The rest became firewood.Every morning, Radheya would train himself wi
KARNA: Son of the Charioteer Chapter 7
The shouts of victory echoed loudly from Radheya's lips, intentionally mocking Drona once again, which angered Ekalavya. Ekalavya then initiated a shooting contest without looking, which he won by a small margin. He proceeded to mock the sun god, Surya, who was Radheya's teacher.Half a year passed with the two young men competing against each other. Radheya trained from morning till night to perfect his archery, as did Ekalavya. Often, they would light a fire at night just to practice. They ate together every day, joked around, and teased each other."I am Drona's best student," Ekalavya declared one day as he successfully shot an eye from a wooden fish-shaped statue from a great distance. Radheya could only grimace.That morning, Ekalavya had invited Radheya to spy on Drona's military school where a competition among Drona's students was being held. One prince managed to shoot an eye from a small wooden fish statue hanging on a distant tree, earning Drona's high praise.Ekalavya was
KARNA: Son of the Charioteer Chapter 8
After worshipping the sun in the morning like usual, Radheya ran to Ekalavya's place."I've been waiting for you since this morning, why haven't you come yet..." Radheya fell silent for a moment upon seeing Ekalavya trying to cover a wound on his right hand with a cloth that already turned red."What happened?" Radheya exclaimed in surprise and immediately grabbed Ekalavya's right hand, which was still bleeding."I'm fine," Ekalavya said.Radheya saw a large missing part where the thumb should have been. Now it only left raw flesh and white bone protruding."Hold on," Radheya said. He lit a fire where Ekalavya usually cooked and then placed a short knife on it.He burned the knife until it glowed red. Radheya held Ekalavya's right hand and then placed the hot knife on the flesh where the thumb used to be.Ekalavya screamed loudly until he passed out.When he woke up, he saw his right hand wrapped in crushed leaves."What happened?" Radheya asked while giving him water to drink.Ekalav
KARNA: Son of the Charioteer Chapter 9
Radheya has been walking for months towards Mount Mahendra. He wants to find the teacher Drona. The great guru Parashurama who taught devastra to Drona. The legendary guru whose life is eternal. From the information gathered along the way, Parashurama might be in the Mahendragiri area or on Mount Mahendra.During the journey, Radheya disguised himself as a Brahmin because he knew that Parashurama only accepted students from a Brahmin. Throughout the journey, Radheya depended on the kindness of others. Like a Brahmin on a sacred journey without possessions to achieve enlightenment.Radheya's conscience actually rejected deceiving by becoming a Brahmin just to learn a skill. However, his mind kept giving reasons to calm himself, he was born into a family whose caste was not clearly known. There is a possibility that he also comes from a Brahmin family.Furthermore, during months of traveling as a Brahmin, he realized more about himself, humanity, life, death, and an unseen power that go
KARNA: Son of the Charioteer Chapter 10
"I don't know if you're destined for me or not," said Parashurama. "Our meeting might be fated. I can see you have nothing here. Tell me, what will you give me if I accept you as my student?"Radheya prostrated, placing both hands on the ground and opening his palms towards the sky. "The Almighty gives everything. In worldly life, parents give life. A teacher gives meaning to life. For you, my Guru, I surrender myself."Parashurama laughed joyfully. "Rise and follow me. From now on, you are my student."Radheya's tears flowed freely.Radheya was brought by Parashurama to the ashram where he taught. There, Radheya could see hundreds of people residing there, all of them Parashurama's students.At the ashram, Radheya was not immediately taught by Parashurama. He was required to learn from several senior students, progressing through levels until eventually, he would be taught directly by Parashurama. This would only happen if he reached the highest level, as Parashurama only taught at t
KARNA: Son of the Charioteer Chapter 11
Parashurama laughed and left Radheya.Honestly, Radheya didn't know whether to be happy after gaining that ability. He did want that power before. And now, it all felt meaningless to him. Four years in this place had worn away his desire. He didn't know the use of that power if all he wanted was to stay here.Learning the devastra abilities made him happy, but it also made him sad to think that the learning process would soon reach its end. Could it be that after all this, he would be forced to leave the ashram?Next, every day Parashurama would come and teach him a devastra ability.In a month, Radheya had learned all that his teacher could teach him. So much so that Parashurama didn't hesitate to tell his other students that Radheya had caught up and might even be greater than him.Radheya immediately prostrated himself before his teacher, not daring to accept those words. He took it as a warning not to be arrogant because it was a grave sin for a student to try to surpass his teach
KARNA: Son of the Charioteer Chapter 12
Radheya's heart was truly shattered into pieces. "Guru, thank you for your teachings. I have nothing to offer you as my guru dakshina. Ask for something, and I will give it to you."Parashurama smiled, "Walk the path of truth in your life and never turn away from it. That's all I ask of you.""I promise to live by it with my life." Radheya's tears flowed freely."Accept this," said Parashurama, handing over his personal bow and arrow named Vijaya.The bow and arrow were crafted by Vishwakarma, the god of architecture and weaponry, for Lord Shiva. Once received by Parashurama from Lord Shiva, it had accompanied Parashurama in his conquest of the world twenty-one times.Vijaya was an unparalleled bow and arrow in the world, surpassing any other weapon. Parashurama then recited an incantation and shot an arrow into the sky, which then fell in an incredible amount exceeding the capabilities of the divine weapon known as indrastra."Bhargava astra," said Parashurama, "The only divine weapo
Latest Chapter
- KARNA: Son of the Charioteer
Chapter 43
The battle between Bhima and Duryodhana lasted so long. Duryodhana was seen desperately defending himself so that Bhima could not make a real attack.Not long after, Bhima swung his mace at a place that was not protected by Duryodhana at all. His groin. A startled Duryodhana tried to dodge, but the mace quickly struck into Duryodhana's inner thigh, shattering his flesh and thigh bone.In a mace battle, it is strictly forbidden to attack the lower body, let alone the groin. However, Bhima was driven by the desire to win and struck that area. Duryodhana's body immediately fell to the battlefield with blood flowing from his thigh.Duryodhana smiled and laughed, then he shouted, “Alright, I lost. How foolish I was to desire this kingdom when this world itself is false and temporary. Listen, Pandavas, I have been a good king to my people. I have been a formidable enemy to my foes. I have fought as an honest warrior to my last battle. I will die as a warrior and reach heaven, joining my fri
- KARNA: Son of the Charioteer
Chapter 42
“What happened?” Arjuna asked Krishna, puzzled. “Why didn’t any of my arrows reach his neck? I have aimed at him repeatedly with my arrows. It’s as if something is protecting him.”“That is Dharma,” Krishna said, gazing into the distance. “Karna continues to perform good deeds and uphold dharma, so all those virtuous acts come together to protect him from death.”“If that’s the case, what should I do to kill him?”“Wait here,” Krishna said, stopping his chariot and dismounting, walking towards Karna who was leaning helplessly against the wheel of his chariot.“The day has reached noon. It is the time when you usually worship the Sun God,” Krishna said. “Will you perform that worship this time as well?”Karna smiled, feeling his chest tight from the arrows that had pierced his lungs. “I would like to if I can.”“Then close your eyes.”As Karna followed Krishna’s command and closed his eyes, he suddenly found himself by the banks of the Ganges, right near the house of Adhiratha and Radh
- KARNA: Son of the Charioteer
Chapter 41
Yudhisthira was forced to advance Arjuna because the damage caused by yesterday's battle was truly devastating. During Bhisma's ten days of leadership, it was reported that Bhisma killed as many as 1.27 Akshouhinis of the Pandava army, Drona, during his five days of leadership, killed 1 Akshouhinis, and Karna, who had just led for one day, killed 2.37 Akshouhinis of the Pandava army."You will not be able to kill Arjuna. He, along with Yudhisthira, defends the Dharma of truth. Meanwhile, you and Duryodhana are on the side of evil, and you will soon be destroyed," said King Shalya to Karna.All this while, Karna had been bombarded with insults by King Shalya, who actually felt deceived by Duryodhana's actions. Being the brother of Madri, Pandu's wife, he was still an uncle to the Pandavas. He leaned more towards supporting the Pandavas.Karna did not want to respond to those words and remained silent. When the war drums sounded, Arjuna's chariot sped towards him, and Shalya began to mo
- KARNA: Son of the Charioteer
Chapter 40
That translates to:"Not wanting to disappoint Vrushali, that night Karna also didn't say anything to her.Karna couldn't sleep because of his restless feelings. Tomorrow, he would face Arjuna, where Krishna was the protector who could never be defeated.That night as well, a soldier from the Kauravas approached his tent and said someone had left two items for him to be given to Karna.Karna went out and found the two items to be a shining short knife and a copper pot. Both items were given to Draupadi.He took the two items and looked across to where the Pandavas' camp was, feeling an indescribable anxiety."What makes you have such a sad expression?"Karna looked towards the voice and found his wife there."You haven't slept yet?" Karna asked.Vrushali shook her head and said, "I couldn't sleep. Something makes me want to see you."Karna took a deep breath. "I also have something to tell you."Karna invited Vrushali into his tent and said, "There shouldn't be secrets between husband
- KARNA: Son of the Charioteer
Chapter 39
Then he shot at the crown hanging above Yudhishthira's head, causing the crown to be thrown away. Without a weapon in his hand and an arrow aimed at him, Karna approached him and said, "Be a good king." Karna then left Yudhishthira without harming him.Karna's chariot continued to move around the battlefield, and when he found Nakula, he shot arrows at Nakula's chariot and the horses. This forced the man to leave his chariot, and Karna passed by, saying, "Practice again."Next, Karna encountered Bhima. His fierce brother tried to attack him. Karna shot dozens of arrows that broke Bhima's bow and the mace thrown by Bhima. However, Bhima continued to chase him with his chariot until Karna had to destroy the chariot's wheels with his arrows.After his chariot was damaged, Bhima quickly left it and chased Karna on foot. Karna shot arrows that stripped Bhima of his armor, causing his brother to run bare-chested, hoping Bhima would stop chasing him. However, Bhima, consumed by anger, seemed
- KARNA: Son of the Charioteer
Chapter 38
"Karna!!!" Duryodhana exclaimed, "Starting tomorrow, lead the Kaurava army to victory. Do not disappoint me."Karna saluted deeply, "I promise, tomorrow I will bring your enemies before the god Yama. I will not let you down."That very night, after the large meeting, Karna sat until late into the night and slipped out of his camp. He walked silently to the middle of the quiet battlefield. In one place, arrows filled a lifeless body. Karna walked in silence towards the fallen great Kuru warrior lying there.Karna knelt under his feet and wept silently. His tears touched Bhisma's feet.The old man woke up and asked, "Who is there shedding tears on my feet? Their warmth stings me sharper than arrows.""It's me, Karna," Karna's voice cracked due to tears. "Truly, I did not mean to wake you. I came here only to pay my long overdue respects. It is my misfortune to not have received your attention and affection. I waited until late at night because I feared you would dislike my presence and
- KARNA: Son of the Charioteer
Chapter 37
Bhisma's fall surprised everyone, including Duryodhana."I never expected Arjuna, the revered hero, to use a woman as an archer and shoot Bhisma, who had laid down his arms!" exclaimed Duryodhana. "What kind of hero is that!"Nevertheless, Duryodhana had to accept the outcome. Although Bhisma hadn't died—because he had vowed not to die until he saw the end result of the battle—he could no longer lead the Kaurava army. He immediately called upon Drona to take command of the Kaurava forces.In the battle led by Drona, Karna was once again denied permission to join by Drona."I don't want my victory to be because of him. I don't need him," replied Drona.Karna understood the clear animosity between them, so he agreed and did not participate in the battle.Drona displayed impressive prowess, and the Pandavas could not withstand him. However, Drona still showed affection for his disciples, the Pandavas, and did not unleash his full strength against them.As a result, the battle ended with
- KARNA: Son of the Charioteer
Chapter 36
Before the day of the war, Duryodhana asked Bhisma, his grandfather, to lead the entire army. Bhisma looked at Duryodhana and said, "As the protector of the Kuru kingdom, I am willing to accept it."Bhisma accepted the position because it was his duty to protect the Kuru kingdom. The first step taken as the leader was to kick Karna out of the entire army and not allow him to participate in the war.Duryodhana, upon learning of this, immediately asked for an explanation."I find myself in disagreement with that boy. If you insist on using him, then I will not hold the position as the leader of the army," Bhisma replied.Duryodhana reluctantly accepted this, and Karna was not allowed to join the battle at all.On the day of the battle, both armies gathered at Kurukshetra. As far as the eye could see, armed soldiers stood in formation, filling the entire land.The kingdoms that supported the Pandavas were Panchala, Dwaraka, Kasi, Kekaya, Magadha, Matsya, Chedi, Pandya, Telinga, and Yadu f
- KARNA: Son of the Charioteer
Chapter 35
On a night after Krishna's return from the kingdom of Anga and his promise not to reveal Karna's true identity to the Pandavas, Karna dreamt of being visited by a knight who was very gallant and radiant."Karna," the knight smiled, "Do you know? In truth, Lord Indra has interfered greatly in worldly matters for his son, Arjuna.""I did not know," replied Karna."He once disguised himself as a scorpion to sting you while you were with your guru Parashurama, causing you to receive a curse.""...,"The knight looked at Karna's reaction and continued, "He also transformed into a large bee that stung a gentle cow to attack you in a forest. That's how you killed the cow and received a second curse."Karna fell silent, realizing the reason the cow suddenly turned wild and attacked him."Are you angry?" the knight asked. "Lord Indra has done many things to support his son, Arjuna, while your father, Lord Surya, has not helped you at all.""What has happened, let it pass," Karna said. "And you
