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Merits of good company

CHENNAI: The Mahabharata is a compendium of the entire range of human values, culture and tradition and thereby explains the relationship of the individual to society, world and the working of karma. It discusses the human goals, Artha (wealth, purpose), Kama (pleasure, desire), Dharma (duty, righteousness) and Moksha (liberation). In a lecture on Karna, Pulavar Sri R. Ramamurthy pointed out that his life exemplifies the truth that while one’s attainments are more important than one’s birth or status, one’s association with people good or bad will certainly influence one’s course of life. While the company of the good is likely to augment one’s spiritual progress, bad influences from the evil minded further one’s downfall.

Karna was a good natured person, noble-minded and noted for his generosity. But he was most unfortunate because of his unique fate. Though he was born as the son of the effulgent Surya when Kunti tested the mantra imparted to her by sage Durvasa, this truth was destined to remain a secret during most of his life time, and he never had an opportunity to savour his parentage and family ties. Instead the circumstances that drew him to the company of Duryodhana built a bond of friendship between them. Karna’s nobility and good nature, physical prowess, intellectual abilities, etc., got subdued in the company of people such as Duryodhana, Sakuni and Dussasana. Duryodhana showed his concern for Karna at a crucial time when his valour was rated against his birth. The timely generosity of Duryodhana saved his face and he remained ever grateful to him on this count.

On the eve of the war of Kurukshetra there is an attempt to woo Karna over to the side of the Pandavas, by Lord Krishna and Kunti. Karna refuses to change sides. Karna condemns his mother’s desertion of him as a helpless baby. He actually offers Kunti the consolation that he will not kill all her sons: he will either kill Arjuna or be killed by him, so that she will still remain the mother of five sons. He is, of course, eventually killed by Arjuna.

A person’s greatness is thus established by one’s moral integrity, rather than by any other criteria.

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