Ishwa helper Reged: 03/03/02 Posts: 553

Re: Karna [Re: jesuslovesyou] #28031 - 03/12/03 06:00 AM Edit Reply Quote

There's something strange with Karna being of low-caste descent. If one can be proclaimed as king of a region, just by the words of another king, one has to wonder about these questions: 1. Anga was either non-existent as a kingdom or 2. Anga didn't have a king or 3. The ruler of Anga could have been taken of his office by another king of another area. No information about this. Another point is, that as the original Bharata was composed close to the compilation of the Samhitas, there was no issue about being low or high caste. Kunti had a child with Surya, and after Surya gone (=passed) away others with Pandu. Satyavati had first Vyasa with Parashara, and after this relation had two princes with Shantanu. Draupadi had 5 husbands, according to the hilly Panchali rules. Thus the whole matter would have had no place in the original Jayam or perhaps even in the first extension called Bharatam. Kunti had a child, named Karna, with a character named as Surya. The Surya tribe is known to have been at some time in the west of India. (Vedic Raja-Rshis of the Saura clan) The most logical explanation is that Karna's father was a king of the Saura clan. It would be interesting if Adhiratha was indeed his real father, and employed as Suta (has also the meaning of a bard!) in the court of Duryodhana. One mustn't forget that Sutas were attached to Anga, as Magadha bards to Magadha. I have to found out whether the Sutas were royal too. I believe so. The Dharma colouring (in relation to profession) of an epic chronicle, came from Sauti's extended edition on, with the Bhrguisation of the older epic material. One wonders how much of the character of Krshna and other heroes is affected by the colourings from Sauti on.