Karna's Status Anxiety

How difficult it is to be good,

To follow the path of dharma,

To always do what one should

And reverse one’s bad karma.

We’re faced with so many choices in life,

And the path that we tread,

Decides the direction of our strife,

Whether we stay, or forge ahead.

But Karna was a victim of fate,

He was born a prince, but lived a pauper,

His desire to excel never did abate,

Nor his yen to go from common to super.

Son of the Sun God and Kunti,

He was born with protective armour,

And earrings of immortality,

That made his ears shine with splendour.

By dint of perseverance, and a strong will,

Karna sought to be a champion warrior,

He trained in martial arts and skill,

But, his ambition is what took him even further.

But, when he was denied Draupadi as a wife,

It was a blow to his ego, to his plans of being accepted,

When she refused to be part of his life,

Karna, a mere charioteer’s son, was dejected.

He lived his life not knowing his true lineage,

That he belonged to the Pandavas,

But, even when he acquired this knowledge,

He did not abandon the Kauravas.

He was offered the greatest of wealth, respect and awe,

And even a chance to share Draupadi,

Knowing his devotion to her was his one flaw,

Along with the chance to be the King, to be Royalty.

But, all these worldly temptations he declined,

He knew his duty to those who had appreciated him first,

His loyalty towards them, and his conscience, when combined,

Gave him enough reason to quench his greed and thirst.

But Karna, despite his many great qualities,

Was imperfect, and seriously flawed-

His pride and false notion of his own greatness,

His blind devotion to the Brahmins, whom he saw as close to God.

So deep his desire to get fame and recognition,

That he made a vow to never refuse the upper caste.

So unconditional was his reverence, in every situation,

He was willing to sacrifice his life if it meant glory that would last.

In life there are several of his kind,

More characters like Karna than we would expect,

For there are many of us still looking for what we cannot find,

There are many of us still searching for that elusive respect.