Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c7.2099

c7.2099

8) Karṇa and the Kurukṣetra battle. The great battle of Mahābhārata lasted for eighteen days and some of the incidents touching Karṇa during that period are given below :
(i) Before the great war started Kuntī went alone to the shores of Gaṅgā and met Karṇa. She then confessed to him that she was mother and that the Pāṇḍavas were his brothers. She advised Karṇa to join sides with the Pāṇḍavas and the Sun god approved of it. But Karṇa refused to do so. He said he would never forsake Duryodhana who had brought him up from his childhood at a time when he was in peril. But he promised his mother that he would never kill any of her other four sons but would kill Arjuna in the battle-field. (Chapter 146 Udyoga Parva).
(ii) Karṇa started his fight against the Pāṇḍavas after taking blessings from Bhīṣma. (Chapter 3, Droṇa Parva).
(iii) Karṇa fought against the princes of Kekaya, Arjuna, Bhīma, Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Śātyaki in single combat. (Chapter 32, Droṇa Parva).
(iv) Abhimanyu defeated Karṇa in a single combat. (Chapter 40, Droṇa Parva).
(v) Karṇa made Bhīma unconscious. (Chapter 139, Droṇa Parva).
(vi) Karṇa once withdrew a bit when hit by the arrow of Arjuna. (Chapter 139, Droṇa Parva).
(vii) Karṇa insulted Kṛpācārya at one time. (Chapter 158, Droṇa Parva). (viii) Karṇa killed Ghaṭotkaca with the weapon Śakti which Indra had given him in exchange for the armour and ear-rings he had given Indra. (Chapter 180, Droṇa Parva).
(ix) Karṇa ran away from the battlefield when he heard that Droṇa was dead. (Chapter 193, Karṇa Parva).
(x) Karṇa was made the Generalissimo of the Kaurava army when Droṇa died. (Chapter 10, Karṇa Parva).
(xi) Śalya became the charioteer of Karṇa (Chapter 86, Karṇa Parva).
(xii) The beautiful headwear of Arjuna fell down to the ground by the snake-faced arrow of Karṇa. (Chapter 90, Karṇa Parva).