Karna - symbol of a paradox.
Karna - symbol of a paradox. Among all epics the world over, none displays the wide variety of characters, situations, human frailties and intense drama as the Mahabharata does. I recently read an admirable translation by Robert Fitzgerald of Iliad and odyssey; I loved it for its sheer energy and action, but I must confess that it does not equal the scope and breadth of Mahabharata. Even in condensed form such as in the work of Sir Rajagopalachari, at least a hundred characters are packed, a thousand stories and sub stories are woven, and million morals, ethics, wise idioms injected. What to speak then of its original length and breadth. In its rudimentary Sanskrit form, it runs into fifteen printed volumes. Legend has it that in its pages, one would find every character reflected, every psychological nuance explored and almost every human paradox mentioned or solved. This may be a true claim. I am not the best judge of it. But it is certain that it does contain some of the most in