Karna and Arjuna - in modern India
It is the college admission time in Hastinapur!
Every one in Hastinapur is nervous. It is well known that The College of Archery, taught by Dronacharya is the top in the country and admission into that college guarantee success in the warfare. But getting admitted there is no easy task. Among many other students - including Kuru princes, Dronacharya's own son Ashwathama, and a young boy Eklavya - Soot Putra Karna was desirous to learn archery from the celebrated and well regarded Guru Dronacharya.
Karna's adopted parents - Adhiratha and Radha - were keenly aware of their son's ambitions, but they also knew that there were many huge hurdles in his way. Not only there was a steep competition to get into the school but they also feared that they could not afford the high fees even if he got in. (And they sure did not have money to pay for that "extra weight" to his application). Karna, the ambitious, highly virtuous and talented young boy, wanted to hear none of this. They, like many other parents, were worried that Karna would get his ambitions crushed if he did not get in.
About a mile away from Karna's modest dwellings, in the palace of Hastinapur, Arjuna, a bit younger than Karna also had the same ambition. He had been training in the Hastsinapur palace for a couple of years already and he was confident that he would be able to get in. Arjun knew that both of them were equally good- actually great. Arjun had excellent skills and a very nimble hand - just like Karna - and he had taken some summer courses at the Dronacharya school where he had become favorite of the teacher already by displaying his abilities. Karna, on the other hand, was not able to take summer courses because he was a driver's son and had to work during his summer vacation.
The situation for Karna did not look very favorable and he was concerned that his dreams may get crushed. But then one day Eklavya walked over to visit Karna and his family. That is when he mentioned a special category of admission called "reservation" for Dalits and others. He proudly mentioned that under this category he and Karna had better chance that their arch rival Arjuna who was from higher caste of Kshatriya.
As the deadline for applications arrived, both of them dropped their applications along with Arjuna and other Kuru princes. Arjuna's application was specially blessed by recommendations from Bhishma Pitamaha. Karna's application had no such recommendation. Though all his life, Karna had endured insults and discrimination being a soot putra, for the first time, he was happy to be a soot putra. He was told that he would qualify to apply for the "reserved" seats.
The day of admissions arrived and lo and behold, it was Karna along with Eklavya who got in the school of Dronacharya while Arjuna and other princes was denied. Highly disappointed Bhishma Pitamah and the rest of the members of the Kuru family now realized that the new Mahabharat had just begun with different rules and worried as to where it would take them!
Every one in Hastinapur is nervous. It is well known that The College of Archery, taught by Dronacharya is the top in the country and admission into that college guarantee success in the warfare. But getting admitted there is no easy task. Among many other students - including Kuru princes, Dronacharya's own son Ashwathama, and a young boy Eklavya - Soot Putra Karna was desirous to learn archery from the celebrated and well regarded Guru Dronacharya.
Karna's adopted parents - Adhiratha and Radha - were keenly aware of their son's ambitions, but they also knew that there were many huge hurdles in his way. Not only there was a steep competition to get into the school but they also feared that they could not afford the high fees even if he got in. (And they sure did not have money to pay for that "extra weight" to his application). Karna, the ambitious, highly virtuous and talented young boy, wanted to hear none of this. They, like many other parents, were worried that Karna would get his ambitions crushed if he did not get in.
About a mile away from Karna's modest dwellings, in the palace of Hastinapur, Arjuna, a bit younger than Karna also had the same ambition. He had been training in the Hastsinapur palace for a couple of years already and he was confident that he would be able to get in. Arjun knew that both of them were equally good- actually great. Arjun had excellent skills and a very nimble hand - just like Karna - and he had taken some summer courses at the Dronacharya school where he had become favorite of the teacher already by displaying his abilities. Karna, on the other hand, was not able to take summer courses because he was a driver's son and had to work during his summer vacation.
The situation for Karna did not look very favorable and he was concerned that his dreams may get crushed. But then one day Eklavya walked over to visit Karna and his family. That is when he mentioned a special category of admission called "reservation" for Dalits and others. He proudly mentioned that under this category he and Karna had better chance that their arch rival Arjuna who was from higher caste of Kshatriya.
As the deadline for applications arrived, both of them dropped their applications along with Arjuna and other Kuru princes. Arjuna's application was specially blessed by recommendations from Bhishma Pitamaha. Karna's application had no such recommendation. Though all his life, Karna had endured insults and discrimination being a soot putra, for the first time, he was happy to be a soot putra. He was told that he would qualify to apply for the "reserved" seats.
The day of admissions arrived and lo and behold, it was Karna along with Eklavya who got in the school of Dronacharya while Arjuna and other princes was denied. Highly disappointed Bhishma Pitamah and the rest of the members of the Kuru family now realized that the new Mahabharat had just begun with different rules and worried as to where it would take them!
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