The Mahabharata of Palmira

8 Karna leaves home-2

A crowd of people, mostly sutas and shudras, gathered to send him off on the day he was due to leave. Radha and Adhi were both anxious, but Karna’s brothers were very excited. Vrisha had managed to convince everyone that he had to keep his father company on the lonely journey back. The other two, Sangra and Pra, looked forward to making the trip themselves to visit Karna once he had settled in.

Since Varanasi was on the way, the travellers had arranged to stop off for a day at Charvaka’s. This would also enable the rishi to give Karna some details to prepare him for his arrival in Hastinapura.

‘I have sent a message to Kripa saying that you are a suta seeking employment as a chariot driver to the princes.’

Charvaka and his pupil were taking a leisurely walk, partly so that they could be alone; partly so that the rishi could show off a new plough he had designed, which was being put to work in a field nearby.

In one of these respects they failed immediately. For Vrisha was following behind them, not so close, he felt, as to be actually with them; yet not so far as to be unable to catch their conversation.

‘I didn’t tell him anything about you,’ continued Charvaka. ‘All I said was that you were modest. Kripa values modesty. Now, my boy, when Kripa interviews you, make sure you are alone with him. If not, make some excuse to speak to him alone. Then, when you are sure there’s no one else around, just take your jerkin off.’

‘What, just like that? Without any... Should I crouch down and bite his knees as well?’

‘You then tell him,’ went on Charvaka, ignoring Karna’s remark, ‘that Charvaka thinks you should train with the princes, under Kripa himself, to become a warrior. The owl will tu-whit and the owl will tu-whoo. He will run his left hand through his hair, and then his right. Then he will accept you. It’s as simple as that, my boy.’

‘Won’t he want to ask me any questions?’

‘He might. But you must understand, Karna, that though Kripa is, shall we say, suspicious of me, he, unlike some of the other brahmanas there, does have some respect for me.’

‘Is Kripa a brahmana?’

‘Oh yes.’

‘And he is in charge of training the princes in the art of combat? Can he use the bow?’

‘The owl can most certainly use the bow! He is not so good in attack. But his defence is impeccable. Mind you, he is ageing. Not like the boar. Bhishma is amazing for his age. You would just not believe, if you saw him, that he is my age! Karna, you rather surprise me with your prejudice about brahmanas.’

‘It’s just that the brahmanas I’ve met, round home, well...’

‘My boy, there are as many kinds of brahmana as there are kinds of people. Even more, perhaps.’

‘How’s that possible?’ came Vrisha’s voice from behind.

‘Well...’ Charvaka answered without turning round or slowing his pace. ‘You see, there are some brahmanas who are hardly people at all... And may I remind you, Karna, I am, after all, a brahmana.’

‘Yes but I don’t think of you as one...’ With resignation in his voice Karna added, ‘I know, sire, nor should I think of anyone but as the one that they are... What should I say if Kripa asks me about my origins?’

‘As I say, I think you will find that Kripa will readily accept you. But if he enquires about your true parentage, if and only if he asks you, you may tell him about Surya. But to no one else, absolutely no one else. Do you understand me?’

‘Yes, sire.’

‘They would laugh at you, at best. Also, take care never to reveal your armour to anyone else. If by chance you have to, try to make nothing of it. You are probably expert enough at that by now. No, my boy, you must be the son of a suta. And why not? It is nothing to be ashamed of.’

‘Even when I train with the princes?’

‘Especially when you train with the princes. Let the princes worry about it. Don’t bow to them, or anything like that. But don’t try to conceal the fact that you’re a suta. Wear your sash. In any case, they’re still young. The Pandava twins may not even have started yet — they must be about Vrisha’s age.’

‘And what about that other person you mentioned, Bhishma. Who exactly is he?’

‘Bhishma! That old boar and I have known each other since... Since we were hardly older than you. Though we did not really become friends until later. As I said, he hardly seems to have aged. It’s remarkable. And yet he’s the oldest living member of the Bharata royal family. Now that his uncle Balhika has died. Bhishma is the eldest son of the great King Shantanu. Balhika was Shantanu’s younger brother. Shantanu also had another brother, Devapi, a year or two older. But I’m not sure what became of him.’

‘Is Bhishma the king, then?’

‘No, most definitely not. That’s a long story, my boy. He could have been king. But no, he is not. If he were to wish to, he could still be the most powerful Bharata alive. But he does not wish it... As a matter of fact, it is Bhishma who is officially in charge of the education of the Bharata princes, since he is ultimately in charge of all the military affairs of the kingdom. But I doubt you will see him much... If you do see him, my boy, just keep well out of his way, eh?’

‘Why?’

‘Well... For one thing, I’m not at all sure what he would be like with juveniles. I suppose he may have had more experience of them now, with all these royal princes... But just do as I say. Avoid him... And, whatever you do, make sure you never have to fight against him!’

‘Why?’

‘Why? Because, like the fish who never returned to tell tale of the heron, you would not live two seconds. Bhishma is the greatest ratha in the land.’

‘What does that mean?’ chirped the voice of Vrisha.

‘What it says,’ replied Charvaka without looking round.

‘Is he the biggest?’

‘No, the greatest.’

‘But what’s that mean?’ persisted Vrisha.

‘It means, my boy, that if anyone were foolish enough to engage Bhishma in single combat with the bow, Bhishma would defeat them. Is that sufficiently clear for you, or do you want me to elaborate on the nature of defeat?’

‘But I’ve got a friend whose father says that elephants are the greatest animals in the world. I know they can’t be the biggest, ’cos you’ve told me that whales are even bigger. Does that mean that if an elephant fought a whale the elephant would win?’

‘No, Vrisha,’ said Charvaka patiently, though still without looking round. ‘What your friend’s father probably meant was that of all the animals in the world, the elephant impresses him the most.’

‘Why didn’t he just say that, then?’

‘Because he was so impressed,’ explained Charvaka, ‘that he wished to dress the shapeless body of the subjective in the tailored clothes of the objective. Or in plainer words, Vrisha, he wished to draw a purple robe over a pig.’

‘But what about Parashu-rama?’ interrupted Karna. ‘I thought you said once that he was the greatest?’

‘Did I? Parashu is certainly the greatest teacher, which Bhishma is most certainly not, even if he were so inclined. And Parashu knows more; he is better all round with the bow. But when it comes to combat... It’s true that when they did fight each other they ended up defeating each other... But you see, Parashu had been Bhishma’s teacher. Bhishma was not out to kill him.’

‘Parashu is still alive, isn’t he?’

‘Oh yes.’

‘But he must be even older than Bhishma.’

‘Only by a few years.’

‘And were they young when they fought each other?’

‘No... Not what you would call young. It was about a year before you were born, Karna... But you’re right. If anyone could ever stand up to Bhishma, it was Parashu, the old mongoose. No, it will be some years before you should dare to engage the likes of them, even in practice. All in good time. Meanwhile, Karna, do try to be... shall we say, discreet about your own talent. With the princes, I mean. There is no need to antagonise them. Though I hear that young Arjuna is very promising. Do you understand me?’

‘Yes, sire. Charvaka... Why exactly can’t you go back to Hastinapura?’

‘You know I’m banished.’

‘Yes, but why? What are you guilty of?’

‘My boy, I cannot easily explain it to you. Not now. When you are older, perhaps... You see, according to them I am not only guilty of wrongdoing, I also double my guilt by trying to justify it, thereby inducing others to repeat it. Others, such as you.’

‘Tell me, sire... Vrisha!’ Karna looked round. ‘Try and walk more slowly... Go on, sire.’

‘Very well. In any case, I think it’s probably too late with you. Either I have already influenced you, or you yourself are naturally guilty... But it is not easy for me to explain how they see me... I think it’s this... You see, if the great Brahma himself were to come out of the ground and speak to me, I would take his words at their own merit, no more, no less. I cannot conceive a sentence whose authority is determined by the colour of its ink rather than the import of its meaning.

‘But the result’, continued Charvaka, ‘is these brahmanas think that because they can see no thing which I hold sacred, I indeed hold nothing sacred. And therefore, that I have no morality. They think that because I constantly raise objections to their views, I only wish to destroy, and have nothing to construct. What they don’t realise is that nothing lasting can be put up without first attempting to pull it down in the imagination. Otherwise, if like them you only seek to find support, you build a flesh of wishful evidence without the bones to stand the touch and test of exercise.’

‘But you do hold something sacred, sire. You hold your judgement sacred.’

‘Ah! But that is what they don’t like. I should at least hold sacred the judgement of my betters.’

‘But how can you judge who is your better without trusting your own judgement?’

‘My boy, I think for them judgement of any sort is too cold and fastidious a means of directing the passion of one’s reverence.’

‘But sire, how can anyone avoid it? Even if you accept something only because you trust and respect the person, it must be because at some point you’ve passed judgement on that person. Or at least you’ve passed judgement on whoever it was who told you to listen to that person. Isn’t it in the end only your own judgement that stops you just accepting anything? So in the end you’ve got to hold your own judgement sacred above all else. You must hold your own dharma sacred, above all.’

‘Is that not arrogance, my boy?’

‘Only if you shake your head, sire. They don’t call it arrogance when you nod humbly in agreement, do they? What’s the nod for if it’s not for passing judgement? It would be even worse to nod without passing judgement. Wouldn’t that be leaving dharma?’

‘Ah, Karna, I wish it were as simple as that...’

‘But were you banished for this?’

‘Well, this sort of thing. It’s not easy to explain a view which one cannot oneself see.’

‘They tortured you, sire, didn’t they?’

‘Well, they tied me down in the snow, up in the mountains. Yes, they put me out naked with no food, waiting for me to recant... But it was more uncomfortable for them than for me. They had to keep climbing up to see if I was ready to submit...’

They walked on in silence for a while. Then the rishi stopped.

‘Karna, you know that I have always preferred to give you knowledge, rather than what some call wisdom... I have always preferred to show you how you can satisfy your desires, your ambitions; rather than to tell you which of those desires to satisfy. I did not want to turn you, but to help you on...’

‘You have sometimes told me which desires it would be wise for me to satisfy.’

‘Yes, that’s true. But I hope never which desires it would be right for you to satisfy. If there is such a wisdom which can tell you this, I certainly don’t have it. To that extent, what little wisdom I do have admits of its own folly. Well, my boy, I’m sad... I don’t want to go on and look at this plough. Let’s go back.’

They walked back in silence.

The next morning they got up early so that Charvaka’s visitors could continue their journey to the big city. As they were making ready to leave, Charvaka presented Karna with two fine wooden bows. One was a little on the large side, for him to grow into. The rishi also gave Karna a pair of quivers containing an assortment of arrows.