Why is Karna called Daanveer?

Though Karna fought for the Kauravas in the Mahabharata who were pitched against Pandavas representing Dharma, he is always considered as virtuous and valiant as the Pandavas if not more. In strength and skill he was considered at par with Arjun and if he did not have to bear the burden of several curses put upon him it would have been possible for Arjun to beat him.

WHO WAS KARNA?

Karna was the eldest son of Kunti so technically he was the eldest Pandava, however he born to Kunti before her marriage so she disowned him by placing him in a river. So unfortunate events started right from birth for him as rather than being brought up in a palace he was raised by an ordinary charioteer who found him crying in the river. Kunti had received a boon from Sage Durvasa that she could summon any God and beget a child with essence of that divine entity. Out of curiosity she decided to test the boon before her marriage and summoned Surya the Sun god. Karna was born as a result with golden armour and earring as a gift from Sun.

WHY WAS HE CALLED DANAVEER KARNA?

Karna is popularly referred to as Danaveer which signifies generous. Despite being one of the most skilled archers of his time and possessing several divine weapons the quality he is most renowned for is generosity. He used to give alms to the beggars and needy every morning after taking a bath. It is said he never made a person go empty handed who came to him seeking something. This also made him suffer on several occasions but his generosity never wavered. During his lifetime he showed at several instances why he was considered the most generous person of his era:

Tricked by Indra- Before the war started between the Kauravas and Pandavas, Indra who was the divine father of Arjuna got worried that Karna might prove too powerful an opponent for his son. He was aware that Karna never refuses alms to a beggar in the morning. One day he disguised himself as a poor Brahmin and asked Karna for alms just after he came out from the river bank after finishing his bath. Karna told him that as he had come for a bath he did not carry any money or valuables and if he can accompany him to the court he will be provided with necessary alms. Indra insisted that he was in a hurry and pointed towards his golden armour. Karna replied that this armour was with him since birth and was fused to his body. The beggar insisted that he was desperate for money as he had not had food in several days. Considering the beggar’s persistence Karna ripped off the armour from his body as blood started oozing from all over his chest. While holding the armour donated by Karna, Indra was amazed by level of his generosity and a sense of guilt came over him for having tricked such a virtuous man. He immediately presented his divine form to Karna and told him about his real intentions. He proceeded to say that to compensate for his trickery he will grant any boon to Karna that he wishes for. Karna asks for his weapon Amogha Shakti as Arjun did not possess any weapon to counter it. Indra grants it with the condition that Karna can use it only once.

Sandalwood to Brahmin- A poor Brahmin wanted to conduct a ritual to please the gods and as one of the prescribed ingredients he required sandalwood. However he was faced with a dilemma that due to recent heavy rains there was no dry sandalwood available which could be burnt to perform the ritual. He went across the city and approached everyone in the royal palace as well including the Pandavas and the Kauravas however everyone turned him away. Looking at his dismayed face one of the guards advised him to check with Karna who had the reputation of never letting a requestor go back empty handed. He went on to Karna and told him about his requirement and the problem he is having finding any dry wood. Karna thought about it for a while and then asked one of the guards to go and break the central pillar in his bedroom which was made of sandalwood. Krishna always gave this incident of Karna to exemplify how virtuous he was, as most people think of their comfort while giving alms whereas Karna never bothers about the discomfort that is caused to him while fulfilling a request

Final Test- After the battle between Arjun and Karna where Arjuna kills an unarmed Karna, Krishna tells him that Karna was one of the noblest warriors and Arjuna should never forget this. Arjun gets angered and says that why does Krishna always praise Karna so highly. Krishna tells him that he will show him a live example and takes him back to the battleground where a badly injured Karna is lying next to his chariot waiting for his imminent death. Krishna disguises himself as a beggar and asks Karna for alms. Karna thinks for a moment and then remembers that there is a golden tooth in his mouth. He takes a stone and breaks out the golden tooth and presents it to the beggar. The beggar replies that the golden tooth has blood on it so not suitable for an alm, therefore Karna should donate all his collected virtues which he has gained by the innumerable acts of kindness during his lifetime. Karna says so be it, and then Krishna proceeds to present his divine form to him as Karna’s soul departs from his body. Later Krishna approaches Arjuna and tells him that through the merit Karna had gained through his charitable acts it was impossible for him to die, that is why Krishna asked him to part with his virtues.

Karna’s life including the curses he received the suffering he had to go through the strengths and skills he possessed are also linked to his past life Karma while I will cover in a separate post.