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.
Ekalavya tried to sit up and then looked towards the military school in the distance. "I gave the gurudaksina To my Teacher."
"Drona's statue?" Radheya asked in astonishment. As far as he remembered, Ekalavya's teacher was a poorly made clay statue that couldn't teach him anything.
Ekalavya shook his head and explained that he met Drona and gave him his thumb. Radheya stood up immediately. "Damn it. I'll settle this with him right now."
"Radheya," Ekalavya shouted, pulling on Radheya's leather clothing. "I learned archery from him, and it's his right to ask for whatever he wants."
"What did you learn from him?" Radheya replied, losing his patience. "You and I, we've been using arrows to hunt wild animals even before we were ten years old. Everything that Drona taught those lazy princes couldn't even be used to hunt wild animals. What knowledge can you gain from watching their training that we could already do before we were ten? We train with our own abilities. Even his smartest student is still far behind us. How can you be so stupid!"
"Radheya..." Ekalavya sighed sadly.
"Ekalavya, realize that you didn't learn anything from Drona." Radheya's tears flowed. "Why were you so foolish to consider him your teacher to the point of cutting off your thumb? How will you shoot arrows after this?"
Ekalavya fell silent.
Radheya sobbed and stood up. "I will go down and challenge his archery skills right now. He shouldn't have taken your thumb."
"Shhhhhh...... BOOM!!!!"
The sound startled Radheya and Ekalavya. They looked towards the sound, which came from the military school training ground. An arrow soared into the sky with a bright light and then pierced through the clouds. Shortly after, thunder roared from the clouds.
"What is that?" Radheya asked, shocked to see such a powerful arrow.
"Devastra," Ekalavya replied.
Deva means god and astra mean weapon. It is a weapon of god.
From a distance, Radheya saw Drona draw his arrow and then shoot one that turned into fire and struck a large tree. Instantly, the tree burst into flames, engulfing all its leaves in a flash.
Drona's second arrow aimed at another tree, causing a powerful swirling wind to uproot and send the tree flying, roots and all.
Radheya's eyes widened, and his mouth gaped in awe at the mastery of archery he witnessed. His body trembled; he knew that the prowess of archery called devastra was beyond his reach, even if he spent thousands of years trying to learn it. And he would never defeat Drona.
"Is there no other way to learn the skill of devastra?" Radheya asked Ekalavya.
"No," replied Ekalavya. "The skill requires initiation from a teacher or the previous owner of devastra to be passed down to their student. The only other way to obtain devastra besides from a guru who already possesses it is to directly appeal to the gods to ask for their weapons. This requires decades of penance, and even then, the gods may not grant it to you."
"Meeting the gods?" Radheya asked, slightly puzzled.
"The weapon that burned the trees earlier is Agneyastra, a weapon from the fire god, Agni. The weapon that caused the swirling wind is Vayvayaastra, a weapon from the wind god, Vayu. Besides these, there are many devastras like Varunastra, which is a water attack from the sea god, Varuna. Vajra is lightning from the god Indra, and so on. However, the most famous is Brahmastra, from the god Brahma. Its power unleashes thousands of arrows that never miss their target, along with powerful fire that can destroy anything. Radheya fell silent, unable to respond.
Ekalavya sat leaning against a tree and sadly looked at his right hand, which had lost a thumb. "Honestly, I had hoped to become Drona's disciple because of the devastras. But now, Drona has asked for my guru dakshina, which means my learning period is over, and he won't teach me anything else."
Tears fell from Ekalavya's eyes. "What is the meaning of my struggle all this time? What is the meaning of my dedication all this time? Now, I can't even draw a bow."
Radheya struggled to find words to comfort his friend. That night, when he returned to Ekalavya's place, he found it empty. His friend had left the forest. Radheya gazed at the military training ground and let out a sigh.
After witnessing Drona's display of power, he knew one thing for sure, no matter how hard he trained on his own, he would not reach that level. He needed a teacher. Someone who could lead him to that level.
This was not something he could learn by seeing and practicing; it was a secret reserved for the top warriors, and not many people were given the privilege, especially for a son of a suta or a slave like him. Life really isn't fair.
In the end, Radheya resolved in his heart and decided to embark on a long journey to find someone who could teach him the skill of devastra.
Radheya appeared wearing a white cloth that covered him, like a Brahmin on a holy journey. He walked towards Mount Mahendra.
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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
KARNA: Son of the Charioteer Chapter 13
A few years later, Drona held a celebration and a competition among the most prestigious princes throughout the Kingdom of Kuru.He organized the race as a celebration of the completion of all the princes' learning from his military school. Also, to determine his best student, which he already knew for sure who would be the winner.The race was attended by the princes from the Kauravas—descendants of King Dhritarashtra—numbering one hundred people, and the princes from the Pandavas—descendants of King Pandu—numbering five people.In short, the Kingdom of Kuru originated from a king named Kuru. From the lineage of King Kuru, the eldest son was born, Dhritarashtra, and his younger brother, Pandu. Because Dhritarashtra was born blind, the royal rights that should have been his were transferred to Pandu, his younger brother.One day, while hunting in the forest, King Pandu mistakenly shot a sage named Kindama, who was disguised as a deer with his wife and making love in the forest. By Kin
KARNA: Son of the Charioteer Chapter 14
Arjuna, the son of the king of gods, appeared captivating. With his handsomeness and abilities, thousands of spectators were enchanted by him in an instant.Arjuna could shoot arrows precisely at a remarkably distant target. In another competition, he shot a moving target with his eyes closed. All of this made people cheer his name.Arjuna then demonstrated his divine abilities, unmatched by anyone from the Kauravas. This made Duryodhana extremely jealous because Arjuna made the Kaurava princes look like children. Arjuna showcased all his strengths without diminishing his power in front of his brothers.The son of the god Indra shot an arrow into the sky, which then appeared like fire striking like a dragon chasing the sun, and his second arrow created a strong wind that brought together the clouds in the sky.The entire audience was amazed, exclaiming, "Oooohh..... Wooowww...."Arjuna's third arrow turned into thousands of arrows that destroyed a shooting target. In the end, one of A
KARNA: Son of the Charioteer Chapter 15
"I am Radheya, from Hastinapur," Radheya answered."Radheya? Is that your name?"Radheya smiled, understanding the question. Radheya, which means son of Radha, was not a personal name at all."I am Karna, son of Adhiratha and Radha, a charioteer." Radheya never felt ashamed to hide his origins; he just hated seeing people judge someone based on birth rather than actions.It was as if his archery skills displayed earlier were worthless and immediately lost along with his lineage.Duryodhana also despised Drona, his biased teacher, and the Pandavas who had everything. "You are my friend; indeed, you are not fit to be a prince. You deserve to be a king. With my power, I will grant you the kingdom of Anga."Duryodhana left the arena and went to his father's place, King Dhritarashtra. "Father, someone who shows his qualities as a king has emerged. Let the kingdom of Anga that you wish to give me, with your permission, I shall hand it over to him."The kingdom of Anga was a kingdom divided
KARNA: Son of the Charioteer Chapter 16
Some soldiers were already crying beforehand, while Karna just stared at them without saying anything. The sky was blue without a cloud, and the sun was right above their heads. Karna walked alone towards the middle of the battlefield. King Jarasandha soon approached him."What terms shall we fight on?" asked Karna. It was the duty of the leaders of the armies to determine the rules of engagement before the battle commenced."I see your soldiers don't match up to even a fraction of mine," Jarasandha said, laughing, feeling like victory was already in his hands. "We will use all our soldiers and strength in this battle.""I agree," Karna said without hesitation, his face serious. "Tomorrow morning, we will commence the battle after each army sounds the gongs five times."King Jarasandha was surprised by Karna's agreement. He thought the King of Anga should be starting to feel fear and fleeing. "Aren't you afraid? Are you hiding more of your troops? That's against the rules."Karna smil
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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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Chapter 36
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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