Karna's death

This post is meant to get to the truth about how Karna was killed off. All references/quotes are from Karna Parva of the authentic Mahabharata text by Dwaipayana-Vyasa.

Today everyone cries on the basis of one statement that Karna was killed unfairly. But in the Mahabharata no one ever barked in public saying that Karna was killed unfairly.

Dhritarashtra's claim:

That hero, having shot innumerable arrows, hath been slain in battle! What use have I of life, without that bull among men? Without doubt, the son of Adhiratha, afflicted with arrows, fell down from his car, like a mountain-peak riven by the fall of thunder! Without doubt, bathed in blood, he lieth, adorning the Earth, like an elephant slain by an infuriate prince of elephants! He who was the strength of the Dhartarashtras, he who was an object of fear to the sons of Pandu, alas, he viz., Karna, that pride of all bowman, hath been slain by Arjuna!

Analysis: Dhritarashtra says that Adhiratha's son (Karna) fell off his chariot but was wounded with arrows before he fell off. He also says that he was bathed in blood prior to his death. And according to Dhritarashtra this is the way it happened.
Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m08/m08009.htm

Krishna's plan:

Let foe-killing cloth-yard shafts, equipped with the effulgence of lightning, shot by thee, pierce his vital limbs and drink his blood! Let fierce and mighty shafts, of great impetuosity, sped by thy arms, penetrate the vitals of Karna today and despatch him to Yama's abode. Let all the kings of the earth, cheerless and filled with grief and uttering wails of woe, behold Karna fall down from his car today, afflicted with thy arrows. Let his kinsmen, with cheerless faces, behold Karna today, fallen down and stretched at his length on the earth, dipped in gore and with his weapons loosened from his grasp! Let the lofty standard of Adhiratha's son, bearing the device of the elephant's rope, fall fluttering on the earth, cut off by thee with a broad-headed arrow.

Analysis: Krishna states that Karna will fall down off his chariot due to the arrows of Arjuna. Not because of his chariot getting stuck in mud.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m08/m08073.htm
Arjuna's plan:
Quote 1

This is that battle in which Karna will be slain by me and of which all creatures will speak as long as the earth will last. Today, O Krishna, unbarbed arrows, impelled by my arms and sped from the gandiva, mangling Karna, will take him to Yama.

Analysis: Take him to death aka Yama. Over here no decapitating is mentioned, it is all just about mangling Karna and wounding him to a extent that he will die.

Quote 2

Today, beholding Karna cut in pieces by me with my arrows, like Vritra in days of yore by Indra in the battle between the gods and the asuras, let king Duryodhana call to mind the words thou hast spoken for bringing about peace.

Analysis: If we consider this quote then Arjuna wants to cut Karna into pieces, slice him like a knife slices up the body of a carrot.
Quote 3

O Govinda, slaying Karna with keen shafts I will dispel the long sleeplessness of Kunti's son. Today the royal son of Kunti, upon the slaughter of the Suta's son by me, shall be gratified and be of cheerful heart and obtain happiness for ever. Today, O Keshava, I will shoot an irresistible and unrivalled arrow that will deprive Karna of life.

Analysis: I assume that the irresistible and unrivaled arrow he is talking about is Anjalika, or maybe Arjuna had other such arrows and only made this statement because he knew he had a lot of such options of using such fatal arrows.
Quote 4

My keen shafts will falsify that speech of his. Like angry snakes of virulent poison, they will drink his life-blood. Cloth-yard shafts, of the effulgence of the lightning, shot by myself possessed of mighty arms, sped from Gandiva, will send Karna on his last journey.

Analysis: According to this quote Arjuna intends to kill Karna through the method of blood loss.
Quote 5

Today, cranes and other carnivorous birds will, O Keshava, sport over the limbs of Karna cut off into pieces with my shafts. Today, O slayer of Madhu, I will cut off in battle the head of Radha's son Karna, in the very sight of all the bowmen. Today, O slayer of Madhu, I will cut off in battle the limbs of Radha's son of wicked soul with keen vipathas and razor-faced arrows. 

Analysis: Once again Arjuna says that he cut off Karna's bones, it is not clear what he will cut off first the limbs (bones) or the head of Karna. But he claims that he will use the Vipatha arrows for this not the Anjalika.
Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m08/m08074.htm
Arjuna plans again:

"'Arjuna said, "My victory, O Krishna, is, certain. There is no doubt in this, since thou, O slayer of Madhu, that art the master of all the worlds, art pleased with me. Urge the steeds, O Hrishikesha, and my car, O great car-warrior! Today Phalguna will not return from battle without slaying Karna. Behold Karna slain today and cut in pieces with my shafts. Or, O Govinda, thou wilt today behold me slain with (Karna's) arrows. That terrible battle, capable of stupefying the three words, is at hand. As long as the earth will last, people will speak of it."

Analysis: Over here Arjuna said that Karna will be cut into pieces. Arjuna claims he will do this by using his shafts.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m08/m08086.htm
Arjuna makes a prediction:

Today, O Govinda, thou shalt behold Karna crushed by me like a tree with its load of flowers crushed by an infuriated elephant. Today, O slayer of Madhu, thou shalt, after Karna's fall, hear those sweet words, 'By good luck, O thou of Vrishni's race, victory hath been thine!'

Analysis: Arjuna says Karna will be crushed, literally. Meaning he intends to crush karna to death, not cut off karna's head.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m08/m08087.htm

• Statements after Karna's death

Incident 1:

Desirous of beholding the heroic Karna, pierced with arrows and bathed in blood, and stretched on the earth like the sun dropped from the skies at will, the warriors came there and stood surrounding the fallen hero.

Analysis: It is written in clear English that Karna was bathed in blood and pierced with arrows during his death.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m08/m08092.htm

Incident 2:

Even such was Vrisha who fell in single combat. All the wealth of that high-souled person had been dedicated to the Brahmanas. There was nothing, not even his life, that he could not give away unto the Brahmanas. He was ever the favourite of ladies, exceedingly liberal, and a mighty car-warrior. Burnt by the weapons of Partha, he attained to the highest end.

Analysis: The text states that he (karna) was killed in a solo fight. That Karna was burned to death by the weapons of Arjuna. No mention of unfair fight, any act of crookedness on Arjuna's part.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m08/m08094.htm

Incident 3:

When Arjuna, with that razor-faced shaft, struck off Karna's head adorned with a face beautiful as the moon, then, O king, loud cries of "Oh!" and "Alas!" were heard of creatures in heaven, in the welkin, and on the earth. 

Analysis: Over here it is mentioned that Arjuna beheaded Karna, which lead to the latter's death. The cries of oh and alas etc have been stated whenever great slaughter happens in the war Parvas of Mahabharata so it is not worth noting.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m08/m08094.htm

Incident 4:

Indeed seeing Karna overthrown, all the Kauravas fled away quickly, afflicted and anxious with fear, trembling, and with voices choked with tears. The mighty car-warriors of thy army fled away in fear, O chief of Kuru's race, some applauding Arjuna, some applauding Karna.

Analysis: Over here words like overthrown are clearly used. Some of them were applauding Arjuna so perhaps that means they were inspired and liked the way Arjuna fought & how he killed Karna fairly.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m08/m08095.htm

Incident 5

[Krishna to Arjuna]

Men will talk (in the same breath) of the slaughter of Vritra and Karna in awful battle. Vritra was slain in battle by the deity of great energy with his thunder. Karna hath been slain by thee with bow and sharp arrows.

Analysis: It just says that Karna was slain by Arjuna through the use of arrows, nothing about unfair, chariot-less, unarmed killing. It's worth noting that Krishna compared the actions of Arjuna as to how Indra killed his opponent Vritra, but their are no texts depicting the death of Vritra, so we don't even know how Vritra was killed.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m08/m08096.htm

Incident 6

[Krishna to Yudhishthira]:

The Suta's son Karna, possessed of great might and otherwise called Vaikartana, hath been slain. By good luck, victory hath become thine, O king of kings. By good luck, thou growest, O son of Pandu! The Earth drinketh today the blood of that Suta's son, that wretch among men, who had laughed at the dice-won Krishna. That foe of thine, O bull of Kuru's race, lieth today on the bare ground, pierced all over with arrows. Behold that tiger among men, pierced and mangled with shafts.

Analysis: Nowhere is it mentioned that Karna was not on his chariot when he died, and that Karna was killed unfairly, that Karna's head was cut off. On the contrary Krishna tells Yudhishthira that Karna is lying dead on the ground, pierced with arrows all over his body. Hinting that his death happened due to the wounds he suffered on his body.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m08/m08096.htm

Incident 7

(Yudhishthira to Arjuna & Krishna) - 

Conversing with those two heroes, viz., Madhava and Phalguna, the king beheld Karna, that bull among men, lying on the field of battle. Indeed, king Yudhishthira beheld Karna pierced all over with arrows like a Kadamva flower with straight filaments all around its body. Yudhishthira beheld Karna illuminated by thousands of golden lamps filled with perfumed oil. Having beheld Karna with his son slain and mangled with shafts sped from Gandiva, king Yudhishthira repeatedly looked at him before he could believe his eyes.

Analysis: The text states Karna was mangled with shafts. Probably his whole entire body was covered with such arrows shot from Arjuna's Gandiva bow.

Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m08/m08096.htm

At one point it is stated that Karna with his armor shines bright like the sun itself with great beauty, at another point (most points) the passages of text claim that Karna's armor was displaced from his body/corpse and he was disrobed by Arjuna.

With so many different portrayals of his death in the Mahabharata, it is impossible to know which one is the true correct and right version of Karna's death/fall. So i think it is best to leave the subject "death of karna" out of the whole Karna vs Arjuna debate. It will be more prudent and wise to do so. 

Their is only one reference that states Karna was killed unfairly. And the reference is outside of Karna Parva, it comes from Shalya Parva. It is uttered by Duryodhana who was himself a biased reporter (he was Karna's best friend after all). "When again the wheel of Karna's car sank in mire and Karna was afflicted with calamity and almost vanquished on that account, when, indeed, that foremost of men became anxious to liberate his wheel, thou causedst that Karna to be then slain!"

The biggest flaw in using Duryodhana's quote to support the statement of Karna's unfair/unarmed death is the fact that Yudhishthira says Duryodhana was already killed! "Reflecting on all this, O thou of Vrishni's race, I looked on with indifference! Having slain the covetous Duryodhana bereft of wisdom and enslaved by his passions, let the son of Pandu gratify his desire, be it righteousness or unrighteousness!" 

And this is from the previous section - http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m09/m09060.htm How can someone who is already dead, make a claim about Karna's death?!?

As their are proofs in the Mahabharata text of Karna Parva alone that he was not killed unfairly/unarmed but fairly and armed, that too while he was still on his chariot. Other references claim that he would be killed through excessive blood loss. Karna's death in my opinion does not even matter. The fact is that he was defeated before his death already. Even Duryodhana claims that he was close to defeat (in his interpolated quote).

This post was just to analyze the quotes that talk about his death, how it happened, how it will happen etc, and to give my commentary on it. I analyzed all the quotes, every single quote, except for the quotes of the actual fight that took place during Karna Parva sections 88, 89, 90 and 91.

And if you want to use further excuses to defend Karna like his curses then just know this that the curses Karna received were very useless curses.

1st curse was about Karna dying when he fights the man he always challenges. Well a easy way for Karna to protect himself from this curse, would be to just not challenge someone frequently. Challenge different people all the time instead.

2nd curse

Read this answer i made on quora - https://www.quora.com/Was-Karna-not-disadvantaged-during-the-final-fight-because-of-the-curses-of-Parashurama/answer/Maruti-Jai-Walia It proves that Parasurama himself gave Karna the formula for this curse and protected him form this curse. So the curse did not even affect him during the final battle.

All in all Karna himself was the reason for his own death. He was the biggest reason because he threw himself into this war. Using his death as a argument to say he was better than Arjuna is futile. It is a useless claim.