Roshan Kumar: How do you react when people say you are so unlucky whereas Arjuna was lucky?
Karna: I would say one has to make his own destiny with his sincere efforts. There is no point in crying over fate or on others for our situation, that is not going to help us. Self-pity is one the most undesirable qualities. Yes, I was left as an orphan but God compensated for that by ensuring I got adopted by such loving people like Radha Maa and Adhirath Baba. I got a loving family, good education, comfortable living, weapons training, acquired divine astras and finally I was made king of Anga. After I was made king of Anga, I lived in great luxury and was virtually the most influential person in Duryodhan's circle along with Shakuni mama.
With regards to Arjuna, he lost his father in his childhood, lived in the forests, worked hard as a sincere student and only after passing out in a series of steps was blessed with brashmastra by Guru Dron, then had to survive the plans of wiping them out, were cheated, humiliated and exiled, had to do great tapasya to get the blessings of Mahadev, had to win the terrible war against asuras on behalf of Gods to get their divine weapons. So, Arjuna had got nothing for free, he put in his sincere efforts and was rewarded accordingly. There was never an instance where Arjuna cribs about his fate or indulges in self-pity. That is what one should learn to be, try to make the best of the situation and never lose hope or blame others/situations.
Roshan Kumar: Thanks for clearing that out. What are some of your most memorable moments of life?
Karna: I would say showcasing my skills in Rangabhoomi was one of my most memorable moments where I proved that anyone with great dedication can do wonders, meeting Keshava prior to the Kurukshetra battle and feeling his aura and seeing his brilliance from close quarters was definitely a cherished experience, meeting my mother Kunti and sleeping as a child for a little bit of time in her lap, donating kavach and kundal to Devraj Indra.
Roshan Kumar: What are some of your most disappointing moments of life?
Karna: I would say quite a few incidents in my life were very disappointing, if given a chance would erase them within a blink of the eye. The foremost one undoubtedly was the insulting words I spoke to Draupadi, my active participation in all of the plans by Duryodhan and Shakuni to sabotage Pandavas, my involvement in the cruel killing of my nephew Abhimanyu, killing of my nephew Ghatotkach, my lifelong mindless and reckless pursuit of besting Arjuna, my consistent disobedience and disrespect to elders like Pitamah Bhishma, Guru Dron, Kakashree Vidur.
Roshan Kumar: What are some of the lessons that can be learned from your life?
Karna: To have ambition is very important but if it turns into mindless competition then it will lead to dangerous situations. To have loyalty is wonderful but failing to provide wise counsel when it is needed will nullify that loyalty. Generosity is great but it has to be balanced else will it lead to disastrous results.
Roshan Kumar: Now, we will turn into the final segment, where you can describe in a word or few sentences each of the below characters from Mahabharat?
Karna: Sure, below are my answers for some of the major characters of Mahabharat.
Krishna: God
Bhishma: Great person
Drona: Great teacher
Dhritarashtra: Overly ambitious, and unwise king.
Shakuni: Master schemer, and destroyer of peace.
Duryodhan: Great friend. Even though initially his intention to make friendship with me might have been that I could act as a counter to Arjuna, but overtime our friendship flowered into something great and deep. The only regret I have is, I failed to counsel my friend wisely and that resulted in shattering all of us. If given another chance, I will definitely correct my mistakes and counsel my friend wisely.
Yudhisthira: A great and just king who was magnanimous to forgive even the staunchest of enemies. He had a big heart which could accommodate even the vilest conspirators like his cousins. His rule as an Emperor of Aryavrat was one of the most celebrated periods in history, as during that time, people lived with prosperity and with peace. During his reign, there was rule of law, sense of justice and respect for the people. One of the greatest emperors in the history.
Bheem: A great protector of family and friends. I would like Bheem to be my brother in every life, as his love for his family had no bounds. Even though during our lifetime we did not have friendly encounters but my immensely strong brother has a heart of gold for his loved ones.
Arjuna: He was near perfect as a man and possessed many diverse skills and qualities. He was not only a feared warrior but also great exponent of music and dance, a learned individual, a nature lover, a compassionate man, a great Mahadev/Narayan devotee, and overall a magnificent all-round charismatic personality. I was jealous of him because he was favourite of many important characters of Mahabharat like Keshava, Acharya Dron, Pitamah Bhishma and also was the beloved for some of the most beautiful women of Aryavrat.
Nakul: The most good-looking man of Aryavrat and an easy going and lovable person.
Sahadev: One of the wisest people of Aryavrat with humble attitude. A person who spoke less but when he spoke it made an impact.
Draupadi: Most beautiful woman of Aryavrat. Courageous, intelligent, and compassionate.
Roshan Kumar: If given a chance, would you like to make any changes in Mahabharat?
Karna: Yes, of course. I would strive to contain my friend Duryodhan during the initial phase itself and make him accept to live on friendly terms with the Pandavas. After establishing friendly relations, there will not be any more plans to wipe out Pandavas, or game of dice, or Ghosh yatra and finally the war itself. So, that way everything destructive could be avoided which caused so much pain for everyone. With cordial relations both the kingdoms would prosper for long and everyone would live happily. I would still like to nominate Yudhisthira only as an Emperor of Aryavrat because he alone deserves that and not my dear friend Duryodhan.
Roshan Kumar: Finally, one last question is there a God?
Karna: Laughing loudly ... You would know him only when you experience him, no amount of holy books will make you feel him, if you don't have faith. Anyhow, just think and feel on the concepts of karma and reincarnation and try to map, if there is some power to which we are all accountable.
Roshan Kumar: Thank you so much Mr.Karna for your precious time and it was an honour and privilege to interview you.
Karna: No problem, you are most welcome.
