A few days back, I was checking out a website when I found out that a local doctor, who is also a connoisseur and a aficionado of Marathi literature, has donate 250+ Marathi books to the regional library. A quick glance on the list and I jumped our of sheer excitement... There were so many Marathi books which I had virtually given any hope of reading... There were many other books which I had wanted to read once again... There are a few things that can get me really excited and finding
The first one was Radheya, suggested by a very good friend... This book is Mahabharat from Karna's point of view... After having read this and this, I wanted to read Mahabharata from Karna's point of view... Karna is the most tragic character of this epic and one of the most illustrious of the lot, so it made it so much more necessary to see this story from his point of view...
And though it was not great, it was a very good perspective... Someone who has always been on the misunderstood side of life, someone who has always been defaulted to be at fault, someone who was always doomed to be slapped with the blame... Thats Karna for us...
He was the bravest of the lot, but he was also the most loyal of them all... He was the most talented of the lot, but he was the most fateful of the lot... He was the most understanding of the lot, but he was the most misunderstood of the lot...
How he was insulted umpteen times by different individuals... how he was denied what he deserved at crucial junctures of life... How he justified his righteousness to each one of those plaintiffs...
There were umpteen memorable such passages in the book, but the one which really captured the essence of Karna was -- when Kunti comes to Karna and tells him how she wants her eldest son back more than anything... and how he can be the king if he defects to the Pandava side... At that time, Karna rejects the offer stating that he craves Duryodhan's friendship more than the kingdom... And as far as Kunti needing her eldest son, she can get it if she defects to his side...
This is quintessential Karna... Someone who chose righteousness over comfort...
Radheya, the book, is all about this choice... Dont miss it...
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