Myths, tales & more...

Karna is perhaps the most skilled and valiant warrior in the Kurukshetra war fought between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. Having said that, Karna was also undoubtedly the most ill fated or unluckiest character in the epic Mahabharata. Bad luck struck him right from the time of his birth. Karna was in fact the eldest of Kunti's (Mother of Pandavas) sons. The story of his birth goes like this - When Kunti was young and still unmarried, the sage Durvasav happened to visit her father's palace. She served the sage with utmost care throughout his stay at the palace for an entire year. Pleased at her hospitality and foreseeing her future that she wouldn't have children after her marriage to Pandu, Durvasav granted her a boon to call upon any God of her choice and beget a child. The sage advised her to use the boon only after her marriage. But out of curiosity and the enthusiasm of her young age she invoked the mantra and called the Sun God. And thus Karna was born. Being the so...

Abhimanyu is a tragic hero in the Hindu epic Mahabharatha. Born to Arjuna, the best archer and one amoung the Pandavas, and Subhadra, the half sister of Lord Krishna, Abhimanyu is said to be the partial incarnation of the Moon. Legend has it that he, if he had lived enough, would have eclipsed his father as an archer. However, the young lad met with one of the most tragic deaths in the battle of Kurukshethra between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. As an unborn child in his mother's womb, Abhimanyu learned the technique of entering the deadly and virtually impenetrable Chakravyooha from his uncle, Lord Krishna. It is said so that he overheard Lord Krishna discussing this with Subhadra from the womb. Lord Krishna explains to Subhadra in detail, the technique of attacking and escaping from various vyoohs (an array of army formation) such as Makaravyoha, Kurmavyooha, Sarpavyuha etc. After explaining all the vyoohs, he explains about the technique of cracking Chakravyooha, which is the...