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Snippets of Information - Epics


Mahabaratham - Characters - Karna


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As per Vyasa Bharatha, Karna had multiple wives but their names are not mentioned anywhere. These stories about Vrushali, Urvi etc are all made up from imagination. His wives are only described as XYZ’s mother etc. There is no description of how he married, on whose instruction etc except that in Udoyga parva (Karna upanivada parva), he tells Krishna he was married as per Suta traditions.
Source: Bharathi V (Bharathi-V-63), quora.com


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There is no mention of Karna’s wives’ name in the entire Mahabharat. Additionally, there is hardly 2 or 3 mentions of his wives in the epic in Udyoga Parva and Stri Parva. Here too there is no direct mention of names.

Karna in Udyoga Parva tells Shri Krishna that he obtained wives from the caste Adiratha bought him up.

Madhava, that Adhiratha, O Janardana, from paternal affection caused all the rites of infancy to be performed on my person, according to the rules prescribed in the scriptures. It is that Adhiratha, again, who caused the name Vasusena to be bestowed upon me by the Brahmanas. When also I attained to youth, I married wives according to his selections. Through them have been born my sons and grandsons, O Janardana. My heart also, O Krishna, and all the bonds of affection and love, are fixed on them.

Section CXLI, Udyoga Parva,
Second mention of his wives occurs in Stri Parva, where Gandhari is moaning over Kauravas and Karna’s death in the battle field. She laments on their death. Gandhari mentions about Vrishasena's mother and Sushena's mother. Now we don't know if they both are same or two different persons.

My sons, those mighty car-warriors, from fear of the Pandavas, fought, placing Karna at their head, like a herd of elephants with its leader to the fore. Alas, like a tiger slain by a lion, or an elephant by an infuriated elephant, that warrior hath been slain in battle by Savyasaci. Assembled together, O tiger among men, the wives of that warrior, with dishevelled tresses and loud wails of grief, are sitting around that fallen her.
Source:  Aishwarya Raghunath (Aishwarya-Raghunath-2), quora.com


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Karna had 9 sons and no daughters.
Karna's sons were Vrishasena, Vrishaketu, Banasena, Chitrasena, Satyasena, Sushena, Shatrunjaya, Dvipata and Prasena. All except for Vrishaketu were killed in the war.
- Vrishasena was killed by Arjuna on 17th day. Chitrasena, Sushena, Satyasena were killed by Nakula on 18th day. Banasena was killed by Bhima on 16th day.
- Arjuna killed Shatrunjaya, Vrishasena, and Dvipata. Bhima killed Banasena. Chitrasena, Satyasena, and Sushena were killed by Nakula.
- The only remaining son of Karna was Vrishaketu was taken under the patronage of Pandavas after they knew about the truth of Karna's birth and it is said that Pandavas, especially had great affection for Vrishaketu. Vrishaketu also participated in the Ashwamedha Yagna of Yudhisthira where he was killed by his cousin, Arjuna's son Babruvahana and was later revived by Krishna. Vrishaketu later became king of Anga and Indraprastha.
Source: hinduism.stackexchange.com, (answered May 3, 2021 by user20919)