The story of Karna's birth

When Kunti Devi was young, long before the swayamvara in which she would choose the Bharata king Pandu , the sage Durvasas visited the kingdom of Kunti and stayed at the king's palace.

He was served there by the the young princess who had been the first to welcome him. He was so taken by her kindnesses to him that he taught her a splendid mantra.

``If you use this mantra,'' he told her, ``and call upon a god, the god will come down and lie with you for a night. The very next day, you shall have the god's son.''

Kunti dutifully learnt the mantra but the curiosity of youth was killing her. She yearned to use it. Sometimes, she even thought the old sage was leading her down a garden trail. ``It won't work,'' she thought to herself as she stood in the sun and chanted the mantra silently in her mind.

Or would it?

That night, Kunti went to her window and softly mouthed the mantra. In a blaze of light, the sun god himself appeared. He was resplendent and his form so lit up the room that there was no darkness anywhere. He came close to her and Kunti shut her eyes, so bright was his presence.

``You called,'' said the sun god, ``and I have come.''

``But,'' stuttered Kunti, ``I was only testing the mantra. I don't wish to have any children now. I am not married, yet.''

``I can leave now,'' said the sun god, ``if you do not wish me to stay.''

Yet, yet, the sun god was tall, jewels fell across his bare chest and his golden hair framed his face. ``Stay,'' whispered Kunti.

The next day, the son of the sun god was born to Kunti. He wore gold earrings and a gold armor and his very body shone. Kunti placed the baby in a basket and sent it floating down the Yamuna.

The basket floated down the Yamuna into the Ganges which washed it ashore in the land of Anga where it was found by the charioteer Adhiratha.

Adhiratha took the child to his wife and said, ``the gods have given us this child, who wears golden armor and earrings. We shall raise him a warrior, even though I am but a lowly charioteer.''

They named this child Karna. And Karna would prove, in the exhibition that Drona held to showcase Arjuna and his other pupils, that he was a better warrior than them all .