| Username |
Post |
| Biswo |
Posted
on 19-Jul-02 09:38 PM
Probably the best serial ever aired on Durdarshan was Mahabharata. However,
it was not a seminal effort, the success of Ramayana TV serials were primary
impetus in its making, but Mahabharata definitely was a superb
presentation, its taut story line, its select dialogue, and its
technical eminence made millions glue to TV set for that hour of sundays
for years..
But the serial did one great injustic to Karna, my favorite
character in Mahabharata after Bhishma. Karna was a hero of
Mahabharata, but the serial depicted him as somewhat a villainous
character who revelled at the de-sariing of Draupadi and who
befriended an absolutely irredeemable character,Duryodhan.Was he a
bad person? No. Karna was an abandoned son of a princess,Kunti,
who was raised by a poor chariot driver, but his strength and
masterful markmanship (in arrow ) made him a friend of
Duryodhan, while his own brothers(Pandava) and the eminent
Gurus of Kaurava court always ridiculed him as a son of non-royals.
Karna was lured by thousands of people to join Pandava camp, he was
even given the kingship(because he was the eldest), but he
steadfastly befriended the person who gave him all. Dr Rahi
Masum Reza, who otherwise wrote an excellent script and dialogue,
just did a great unjustice to Karna in the serial.The writer
of Mahabharata didn't make a villain the third senapati of
Mahabharata from Kaurava side.It was not a Mahabharata story.
The following dialouge impressed me most. Based on a few
Mahabharata books, but mainly the one written by Gauri Shankar
Bashishtha and published by "Jaya Nepal Prakashan, Kachaudi Gali,
Baranasi".
--------
Date: 10th day of Mahabharata war
Place: a corner of Kurukshetra, where Bhisma was lying in the bed
of arrows. He was denied a fair chance of fight by Shikhandi
and Arjun pair who deceived him big time.
Bhisma is lying and somnolent. Karna first inspects him, becomes
distraught to see him lying supine in that way,and then bows
his head to his feet. Bhishma wakes up.
KARNA:: Devbrat, the greatest among Kurus, I am the same Karna whom
you rarely liked.
Bhisma caresses Karna with his hands, but with great difficulty
and pain.
BHISMA:: I welcome you, Kuntisuta. You know you are neither the son
of Radha nor Adhiratha. Your parents are Kunti and Ravi.
Narad and Vyasa will also confirm this.
KARNA :: I know that Devbrat.
BHISMA:: You are the expert of all of weapons, you are the most
philanthropic one in character, and you are the most
admired person around. Whenever you want to show your
strenght, you can do that. But Pandavas are your brothers.
You change side now,that is the best for all our clans rightnow.
I wil surely die soon, but I will die happily if this
happens, and peace,not war, is the best thing for our citizens.
If you do that,this war will be over, Duryodhan will
plainly walk out.
KARNA:: You may be right, Devbrat, but you know when my parents left
me, all I got were the persons I now call my parents.And from
my childhood, I received love by Duryodhan. Rightnow, he
has great hope from me. I just can't do that even if I get
everything.
This war, this destruction is inevitable now. Nothing is
going to stop it. I know Krishna and Arjuna are the strongest
two people in the earth now, but I will try my best to defeat
them. Give me blessing for the victory.
Devbrat, I always respected you very much. You are the
greatest one among our clan. Because of my immaturity, or
because of my age, may be I was arrogant at times and may
be I said something in the past that was disrespectful to
you, but I apologize for that right now. I know you are the
best person in our clan. We will always be pround of you.
BHISMA:: If that is how you think,then Karna, please go ahead with
my blessing. And I remember I told a lot of negative things
about you, and I also want you to forgive me for that.
After talking for a few more minutes, Karna leaves the place.
------
After the fall of Bhisma, Drona was made senapati, and he was killed
on the 14th day of war. On the 15th day, Karna was made senapati. He
died the next day. Mahabhara concludes with a chapter in which Karna
was seen by Yudhishthir in heaven, residing happily with his father,
Ravi.
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| NepaliChora |
Posted
on 19-Jul-02 09:54 PM
Among other favorite characters in Mahabharata, I also like Karna. It was troubling to see him die. This is how I came to terms for Karna's death.
1. He took the side of injustice and arrogance.
2. He was edited by the favors. He cared more to return his favors to Duryodhan more than the benefit of the people or anything else.
3. He was a great person, great personality, great warrior but what makes the greatest of them all is the justice and he was against it.
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| biruwa |
Posted
on 19-Jul-02 10:06 PM
Mr. Biswo, excellent piece.
You write very eloquently. Yes one of my favourite characters is Karna too.
MahaBharat correctly dipicts the world as it is, with all its injustices. The tv serial was indeed mesmerizing. I watched both "ramayan" and "mahabharat". Later I watched the serial about "Kautilla" and that too was interesting. "Biswamitra" was along the same lines.
returning to "mahabharat", I did not like "Arjun" and "Dron's" characters very much. I always felt they were they are the ones who commited the injustices specially agains "yeklabya".
I grew up watching those serials. And for all its worth I think I have turned out to be better person than if I didn't have the opportunity of watching those serials. Of all the other programs that came on tv those were the only programs which all the family watched (except "Kautila"). My sister never liked the Kautila character. She said he appeared too arrogant. But all the same I enjoyed that too.
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| Biswo |
Posted
on 19-Jul-02 10:18 PM
I support your position, and I am not a radical to go against the main message
of Mahabharata, but the story of Mahabharata can be seen the other way too.
Karna was denied justice first by his mom who disowned him. He was cheated
frequently by pro-Pandava people. Yes, Pandava were cajoled to gamble,
but Karna probably didn't notice that very much because he sufferred more,
Pandavas were also the same people who always ridiculed Karna as Sutaputra,
(sth less than royal so clearly inferior, in today's term it is like disregarding
a poor student who goes to elite school. If you went to , for example, Budha
Nila Kantha and you were regularly tormented by Dipendra Shah etc, you are
not likely to side with Dipendra when you grow up), and it was Indra who
cheated Karna to give up his innate armore (kawacha-kundalai)so that
Arjuna could win the future war if it happens. Finally, I think it was a very
shameful act by Arjuna-Krishna duo to kill Karna exactly when he was
unarmed and was lifting the wheels of his chariot that went inside the earth
making Shalya unable to drive the chariot around.(Karna actually pleaded
for the halt of fight for that brief period, but his plea was denied and he
was beheaded.)
I think Mahabharata(as it has evolved and told today ) focuses too much on
Draupadi and Pandava and gives their side of story. Karna similarly suffered
a lot, and had Mahabharata been written as a biography of Karna, we would
have perceived the whole story different way. But my message is,
Mahabharata didn't intend to make Karna a villain. He was a hero, in the league
of Bhishma Drona and Shalya. But the teleserial just didn't convey that message.
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| ? |
Posted
on 19-Jul-02 10:31 PM
In its truest form, mahabharata probably intended to depict that there are good and bad people on both sides of a war. So you have a flow of ambiguous characters on both sides. Right people who were just in the wrong place or better wrong sides. Gita speaks much about this issue. You've got to do what you've got to do. There is no compromise about that.
More than Karna, I believe Bhisma suffered more and, the serial did give him(bhisma) enough credit unlike Karna who was shown as an egoistic, self-conceiting, vengeful fellaw.
For me, Bhisma was the hero on one side and Krishna the other.
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| Biswo |
Posted
on 20-Jul-02 12:24 AM
Hi ?ji,
Bhishma definitely was a hero, I concur with you. The tale of Mahabharata actually
starts with circumstances that lead to the birth of Bhishma. He presides over every
instances of the epic, often watching helplessly as his progeny indulged in
internecine bickering, and the epic moves very fast and concludes after the
demise of Bhishma. And the serial does a great justice to the character of Bhishma.
Two people played the role, both were just phenomenal. A dashing, tall, silvery
haired prince, played so magnificiently by an actor probably called Mukesh Khanna,
was a great sight.
But Karna, who was shown as a Duryodhan hanger-on through out the serial,
was very unfairly portrayed. Even the part in which Karna donated his 'Kawacha
Kundala' failed to make Karna very attractive. Acc to the scripture Mahabharata,
Karna knew before hand (told in dream by his father Ravi) that Indra would be
coming to ask for this. He also knew that Indra wasn't a Brahmin, but yet he
gave his Kawacha Kundala. A man without principle wouldn't do that. And the
giving up of leadership of Pandava even when he knew he wasn't winning the
war was another ultimate selfless act.
Mahabharata is , as you said, not about totally good and bad. It is a very complex
epic, each character has his own principle. Bhimsen, who was kind of cannibal (he
drank blood of brothers of Duryodhan after killng them), was on the right side,
while Bhishma fought with wrong side. Even after the fight concludes, the story
remains suspense and able to hold the readers together. Gandhari wants to burn
all Pandavas alive, Dhritarashtra wants to break Bhimsen apart, and Bhimsen ,
when Dhritarastra asked for some money to perform yagya and shradhdha for
his deceased relatives, would oppose giving him a single penny (later to be
overruled by Yudhishthir).
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| ? |
Posted
on 20-Jul-02 01:05 AM
All things said and done, Mahabharat is one of the greatest literary masterpiece, which I'd like to associate more with our civilization/culture/history than merely a book of religion. It gospels not only about virtues and vices but ambiguity and at the same time sophistications, also demonstrates the principles and the reasonings/mentality behind the people(aptly our ancestors) who wrote it.
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| suman r dhakal |
Posted
on 20-Jul-02 03:58 PM
I still find myself watching certain parts of mahabharat. Cost me a fortune to by all those tapes but money was well spent.
I have a soft corner in my heart for karna. I think he was a creature of circumstance just like many other characters from mahabharat. people such as bhisma and drona fought for duryodhan knowing full well that they were on the side of "evil" beacuse their hands were tied by circumstance. Same goes for karana. so i don't see why karna should be seen as a villian. yes, he might have been arrogant at times, but so was arjun and many other people. Considering all the things leading up to his death, i do not see him as a villain. he was simply doing his duty like bhisma and drona.
i think these vary complexities make mahabharat so intresting. one can easily relate to this epic. the fued between brothers is one such example. Almost all of the characters in mahabharat had some sort of character flaws. even udhistir "lies" under pressure. just like many of us do. it shows how even the greatest of characters go through the troubles that life sometimes throws at us. Each character has a story to tell. and the intriciate ways all the chracters fit in the over all scheme of things is just amazing. i think mahabharat has survived to this day beacuse of its social relavence.
Suman Dhakal
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