Karnan

Kunti invokes a boon from the sage Durvasa, asking for a child from any god. The Sun blesses her with a baby boy, whom she abandons in the Ganges to avoid embarrassment. The child is rescued by a royal charioteer, Adirathan, who raises him and gives him the name Karnan.

Adirathan raises the baby Karnan as his own, shielding him from knowledge of his royal birth. Karnan grows up unaware of his lineage and dreams of becoming a warrior rather than a charioteer.

Years later, Karnan learns that Adirathan is only his adoptive father and that he longs for a true warrior's life. He travels to a distant kingdom to train as a warrior, dedicating himself to archery and combat. After four years of hard training, he returns home as a skilled fighter.

Karnan returns to the capital during a royal tournament where princes showcase prowess. He is insulted for his low birth, but Duryodhanan saves his pride and crowns him as the king of Anga.

Karnan becomes a close ally of Duryodhanan and his wife Bhanumati, forging a strong bond at court. He enjoys royal favor in Anga while the Pandavas remain his rivals.

Disguised as a Brahmin, Indra asks Karnan for his armour and ear ornaments to weaken him. Karnan gives away the royal articles that made him invincible, earning Indra’s blessing and the gift of a powerful weapon, the Nagastra.

Karnan seeks Brahmastra training under Parashurama and becomes his student. Parashurama soon realises Karnan is a Kshatriya and, angered by the deception, strips him of the weapon's power and banishes him.

Karnan saves Princess Subhangi from an out-of-control chariot; the act wins her affection. They fall in love and marry, joining Karnan to Subhangi's realm and strengthening his status beyond his birth.

Krishna, a Pandava ally, informs Kunti that Karnan is her first-born son. Karnan himself also learns of his birth and the truth of his origins, changing how others perceive him.

Kunti meets Karnan and secures two wishes: he will not attack the Pandavas except Arjuna, and he will use the Nagastra against Arjuna only once. Karnan agrees to these terms, binding his actions to Kunti's wishes.

Karnan refuses to join the Pandavas and remains loyal to Duryodhanan, despite the revelation of his birth. He continues as a friend to Duryodhanan and an adversary to the Pandavas.

As war commences, Bhishma is appointed commander and Karnan is insulted for his low birth, being given only a low-rank infantry command. The battlefield status mirrors his outsider origin despite his prowess.

Karnan's son Vrishasenan fights bravely by his side but is killed by Arjuna. Karnan bears the blow and continues to fight, his resolve hardening in the face of personal loss.

Karnan attempts to kill Arjuna with the Nagastra, but Krishna intervenes to prevent harm. With the weapon exhausted and unable to be used again, Arjuna wounds Karnan with arrows. Karnan then donates all his virtues to a Brahmin, and Arjuna delivers a final blow that ends Karnan's life.

The Pandavas mourn Karnan's death; Kunti mourns the loss of her son, and Subhangi dies from heartbreak. Krishna reveals that curses from Indra and Parashurama contributed to Karnan's fate, and Karnan meets his divine father, the Sun, in the afterlife.