Reading Notes: Karna

(Boon of Indra To Kunti: Wikimedia Commons)

• King Juntibhoja adopts his niece Pritha.
• He gives her the new name of Kunti.
• There is a sage named Durvasa that stayed with the king for the year.
• He was known for his bad behavior, so many people avoided him. 
• Kunti was the only one who befriended Durvasa, so he granted her a mantra.
• The mantra was that Kunti could invoke any god and hear that god's son.

Bibliography

Karna by Anant Pai

Week 11 Story: Killer Kansa

(Krishna and Devaki: Wikimedia Commons)

Once there was a powerful king. A king that ruled over the sad city of Mathura. His name was Kansa. Kansa was a selfish, greedy man, and all who lived in Mathura despised his rule. All except his sister. Kansa and his sister, Devaki, had a very close relationship. Their bond was unlike any other. Kansa loved his sister so much that when it was time for her to be wed, he made it priority to find her the best suitor. He thought about his favorite noble, Vasudeva, and believed that they would make a happy couple. Kansa introduced Devaki to Vasudeva, and they had an immediate spark. Shortly after, Devaki and Vasudeva wedded, and Kansa was there to give his blessing. It was a happy day.

That night, Kansa went to sleep with the biggest smile on his face. He was so glad that he was able to witness the his sister's wedding ceremony. And with that peaceful thought his fell asleep.

"NO!", Kansa cried out.

Kansa woke up from his deep sleep, startled, disgruntled, and in panic. The guard outside his door came running in shouting,

"Are you alright, your majesty?"

Kansa reassured him, "Yes. I am quite alright."

But if fact, Kansa was not alright. What had awoken him was a voice. A voice that stated that Devaki and Vasudeva's eighth child was destined to bring Kansa his rightful fate. Unmerciful death. The voice echoed that this was Kansa deserved for his lifetime of tyranny and unforgiving nature. With that voice ringing in his head and making him nauseous, Kansa knew he had to do something. All his love for his sister and his noble shattered into a million pieces as he gave these orders to his guard.

"Tell the general to issue a unit to kill Devaki and Vasudeva. Tell him it needs to be done first thing in the morning."

And with that order, Kansa went back to peacefully back to sleep.

Authors Note
In the original story, Kansa throws Devaki and Vasudeva into prison and then kills each of their children individually. I did not really understand why Kansa went through the whole trouble of doing that when he could have just ordered their execution. And that is exactly what I did in my story.

Bibliography
Cradle Tales of Hinduism by Sister Nivedita

Reading Notes: More Krishna Part B

(Krishna Kills Kansa: Wikimedia Commons)

• Krishna returns to Mathura.
• He knows his destiny is to kill King Kansa.
• So he heads towards the palace looking for him.
• He meets Kansa and reveals himself.
• They begin battle, and Krishna kills King Kansa.
• Krishna is then the new king of Mathura.

Bibliography

Cradle Tales of Hinduism by Sister Nivedita

Reading Notes: More Krishna Part A

(King Kansa Kills The Baby Girl: Wikimedia Commons)

• There was a bad and evil king named Kansa
• He loved his sister, Devaki, and arranged a marriage between her and Vasudeva, one of his nobles.
• But a voice told Kansa that the eighth child of Devaki and Vasudeva will kill Kansa when he turns 12.
• Kansa did everything he could to prevent his fate.
• He threw Devaki and Vasudeva into jail and killed each of their children.

Bibliography

Cradle Tales of Hinduism by Sister Nivedita

Tech Tip: Word Count

I added this extension at the beginning of the semester, and I use it literally every time I need to write something that has a word requirement in this class.