MISCONCEPTION: Karna COULD HAVE KILLED GHATOTKACA WITHOUT THE VASAVI DART!

Illiterate blind Karna fans need to be taught a lesson again over here. As usual i will be posting reference links to the text Mahabharata and quotes of the text and the incidents that took place in it. You Karna fans of all people should know that killing is not the same as victory. Similarly Karna's killing of Ghatotkaca does not prove his superiority over Ghatotkaca. Lion's kill with their own strength. Karna was a hunter with a gun.

This thread is divided into 4 parts!
1) Karna fails to counter a weapon of Ghatotkaca.
2) Karna was defeated by even foot soldiers from Ghatotkaca's army.
3) Ghatotkaca defeats Karna many times. Karna fails to counter and destroy the illusions of Ghatotkaca. Karna even runs away from Ghatotkaca. Upon seeing Karna's repeated defeats his best friend Duryodhana calls in his demon comrades for support.
4) Why Karna used the Vasavi dart. As usual i will be posting quotes of Mahabharata and my own commentary/analysis.

• 1) Karna could not counter Ghatotkaca's weapons.
• Debroy

Quote:

Thousands of giant boulders fell down there, with thunder and lightning. There were hundreds of razor-sharp chakras. They manifested themselves, blazing like the fire. There were spears, rocks, battleaxes, javelins, vajras and extremely terrible bolts of thunder. That large and blazing shower descended. With his storm of arrows, Karna could not destroy these. Horses were struck by the arrows and fell down.

Analysis: 

It clearly says karna could not destroy it. And despite shooting storms of arrows, so his arrows were useless material against boulders.

Source: 

Drona Parva Section 154

• Kmg

Quote:

And large rocks fell from it, and thousands of thunderbolts with loud report, and many hundreds of wheels and razors of the splendour of fire. Karna shooting showers of shafts, failed to destroy that thick and blazing downpour of darts and lances and clubs.

Source: 

http://sacred-texts.com/hin/m07/m07176.htm

• 2) Leave aside Ghatotkaca, even his foot soldiers, infantry army etc was superior to Karna.
• KMG VERSION

Quote:

Then, thrown by the Rakshasas who had become more powerful in consequence of the night, there began to fall on the field of battle a thick shower of stones. And a ceaseless shower of iron wheels and Bhundis and darts and lances and spears and Sataghnis and axes also fell there. Beholding that fierce and awful battle, the kings, thy sons, and Karna, also exceedingly pained, fled away.

Analysis: Karna fled away, it was written that everyone fled away only Aswathama stayed their. And to this day people say that Karna never fled from any battles. Fleeing the battlefield is a trait of Karna. These Rakshasas had defeated Karna. By the karna was mentioned separetly from the sons of of Dhritarashtra and the kings, so it was indeed Suryaputra karna.

Source: http://sacred-texts.com/hin/m07/m07152.htm

• DEBROY'S VERSION

Quote:

Once twilight has passed, the rakshasas become even more powerful on earth. In every direction, they brought down a shower of boulders. Iron wheels, catapults, lances, javelins, spears, shataghnis and battleaxes showered down incessantly. On seeing the fierce and terrible state in the field of battle, the kings, your sons and Karna were distressed and fled in different directions.

Analysis: Once again karna is mentioned separately from the kauravas.

Source: Drona Parva Section 131

• 3) Ghatotkaca defeated Karna three times. Karna was never a match for Ghatotkaca. 

• First defeat of karna

Quote:

Aiming keen shafts and shooting them to the utmost measure of his might, the twang of Ghatotkacha's bow inspired both friends and foes p. 405 with fear. 1 At that time, O king, Karna could not prevail over Ghatotkacha. Seeing this, that foremost of all persons acquainted with weapons, invoked into existence celestial weapons.

Analysis: Karna could not prevail over Ghatotkaca, so he choose to save himself by utilizing celestial wepaons.

Source: http://sacred-texts.com/hin/m07/m07172.htm

• Second defeat of Karna

Quote:

They all offered a respectful welcome to Alayudha, During the progress of that terrible and superhuman battle between Karna and the Rakshasa at night,--a battle which though fierce was yet delightful to behold,--the Panchalas, with all the other Kshatriyas, smilingly looked on as spectators. Meanwhile, thy soldiers, O king, though protected (by their leaders) all over the field and Drona and Drona's son and Kripa and others, uttered loud wails, saying, 'All is lost!' Indeed, beholding those feats of Hidimva's son on the field of battle, all thy warriors were agitated with fear, and uttering cries of woe became almost deprived of their senses. Thy troops, O king, became hopeless of Karna's life. Then Duryodhana, beholding Karna fallen into great distress, summoned Alayudha and said unto him,

Analysis: Alayudh saved karna, karna's friends and all the spectators said all is lost, the proclaimed that he was defeated, they even thought that he was going to die. Even Karna was scared as he was a warrior.

Source: http://sacred-texts.com/hin/m07/m07174.htm

• Third defeat of karna

Quote:

With that weapon, the Rakshasa first slew the steeds of Karna and then the latter's driver. Having achieved that feat, Hidimva's son quickly made himself invisible.' "Dhritarashtra said, 'When the Rakshasa fighting by deceitful means thus disappeared, tell me, O Sanjaya, what the warriors of my army thought.' "Sanjaya said, Seeing the Rakshasa disappear, all the Kauravas loudly said, Appearing next, the Rakshasa, fighting deceitfully, will certainly slay Karna.'

Analysis: Theirs nothing decietful about it, karna should be skilled enough to fight agaisnt a rakshasa's maya. His horses were killed so were his driver.

Source: http://sacred-texts.com/hin/m07/m07176.htm

• 4) Karna could not have used any other weapon besides Vasavi shakti dart

Vyasa’s statement (As per Ved Vyasa Karna would have thrown the dart on Arjuna only once all his weapons got consumed, destroyed & baffled. Vyasa could see the future as he was the writer of the epic.)

"Vyasa said, By good luck, Phalguna liveth still although he had encountered Karna in battle. Indeed, Karna had kept his dart, desirous of slaying Savyasachin, O bull of Bharata's race, by good luck Jishnu did not engage in single combat with Karna. Each of them in that case challenging the other, would have shot his celestial weapons on all sides. The weapons of the Suta's son would have been destroyed by Arjuna. The former then afflicted by the latter, would certainly have hurled Indra's dart in that battle. O Yudhishthira! O foremost one of Bharata's race, (if this had come to pass), then great would have been thy grief. O giver of honours, by good luck the Rakshasa hath been slain in battle by the Suta's son.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m07/m07180.htm

Indra’s statement

And if, maddened by wrath, thou hurlest this dart, while there are still other weapons with thee, and when thy life also is not in imminent peril, it will fall even on thyself.'

Analysis: As you can all see Lord Indra told Karna that if he hurls the Vasavi dart while he has other weapons in his arsenal it will turn on him instead. Such weapons are intelligent. So the Bhargava, Brahma, Naga weapons could not have saved Karna against Ghatotkatcha.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m03/m03308.htm

Point (1) - So according to the man who gifted Karna this weapon Karna could not utilize this weapon until he used other weapons like Bhargavastra, Brahmastra, high Brahmastra, Nagastra, Aswasenastra etc were useless.
Point (2) - According to Lord Indra, Karna could not use this weapon unless his life was in danger/peril.
So Karna was clearly helpless against Ghatotkaca and Arjuna WITHOUT this weapon.

Karna himself accepting he will only use it when his life is in danger

Karna answered, 'As thou directest me, O Sakra, I shall hurl this Vasavi dart only when I am in imminent peril! Truly I tell thee this!'"

Analysis: Anyone who can read the above quote should know that Karna himself vowed that he would only use the Vasavi dart if his life is endangered. Karna made a vow a promise so he probably kept his promise right karna fans? Karna was weak without celestial weapons unlike arjuna who relied on his skills not weapons.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m03/m03308.htm

BORI'S VERSION

Quote:

Karna replied, “O Shakra! As you have told me, I will release Vasava’s weapon only when I confront supreme danger. I promise you this truthfully.”

Source: Page 378 of Mahabharata Volume 3, Debory's translation of BORI CE

CONCLUSION: Clearly (based on the above facts) Karna did not have any other choice other than to use the Vasavi dart on Ghatotkaca because Ghatotkaca had backed him into a corner. Ghatotkaca was a superior warrior to Karna. Karna was impotent without the Vasavi Dart for protection. Karna used all of his weapons and failed. He HAD TO resort to his last card the Vasavi Dart. It was the only thng that could save Karna that day.

Vyasa's statement, Indra's statement, Karna's own statement, these thing sprove karna only had one way to kill Ghatotkaca, and that was through the use of the Vasavi dart, would karna have been able to do anything with his kavach kundala? No, because the Kavacha kundala was torn apart by the vasavi dart.

KMG VERSION

Quote:

Vaisampayana continued, "Thereupon, O king, taking the blazing dart, Karna began to peel off his natural mail. And beholding Karna cutting his own body, the entire host of celestials and men and Danavas set up a leonine roar. And Karna betrayed no contortions of face while peeling his mail. And beholding that hero among men thus cutting his body with an weapon, smiling ever and anon, celestial kettle-drums began to be played upon and celestial flowers began to be showered on him. And Karna cutting off the excellent mail from his person, gave it to Vasava, still dripping.

Analysis: Weapons could cut the kavacha kundala of karna.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m03/m03308.htm
DEBROY VERSION

Quote:

He grasped his sharp sword and began to cut up his entire body. On seeing Karna cut up his own body, the gods, humans, danavas and masses of siddhas began to roar, because despite the pain, there were no distortions on his face. Celestial drums were sounded and divine flowers were showered down from above, at the sight of Karna, the brave man, smiling repeatedly as he cut up his own body with the sword. Having sliced off the divine armour from his body, while it was still wet, he gave it to Vasava.

Analysis: According to bori he used a sword instead of the vasavi dart. So the kavacha kudnala would break upon contact with a ORDINARY SWORD/BLADE.

Source: Vana Parva Section 294

Karna's kavacha kundala is indeed useless, it was not a good armor.