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Karna (right) confronts Arjuna, who will later kill Karna, in the Kurukshetra war.

Karna (Sanskrit: कर्ण written Karṇa in IAST transliteration Tibetan: གསེར་ཁྲབ, Wylie: gser khrab) or Radheya is one of the central characters in the epic Mahābhārata, from ancient India. He was the King of Anga (present day Bhagalpur and Munger). Karna was one of the greatest warriors whose martial exploits are recorded in the Mahābhārata, an admiration expressed by Krishna and Bhishma within the body of this work.

Karna was the son of Surya (a solar deity) and Kunti. He was born to Kunti before her marriage with Pandu. Karna was the closest friend of Duryodhana and fought on his behalf against the Pandavas (his brothers) in the famous Kurukshetra war. Karna fought against misfortune throughout his life and kept his word under all circumstances. Many admire him for his courage and generosity. It is believed that Karna founded the city of Karnal.

Many believe that he was the greatest warrior of Mahabharata since he was only able to be defeated by Arjuna along with a combination of 3 curses, Indra's efforts and Kunti's request.

Mahābhārata[link]

The story of Karna is told in the Mahābhārata, one of the Sanskrit epics from the Indian subcontinent. The work is written in Classical Sanskrit and its development dates to a period broadly contemporary with the classical age of ancient Greece and Rome, c. 400 BC–400 AD.^[1][2] Like the poetry of Homer, however, this epic is attributed to a figure about whom little is known – Vyasa, via his scribe Ganesha – and is a record of material that was already in existence as an oral tradition before it was set down in writing. Its ultimate origins may date to the eighth or ninth century BC.^[2][3] Like the Iliad, the Mahābhārata concerns an ancient war, the Kurukshetra war; like the Odyssey, where Odysseus recounts his marvellous adventures to King Alcinous, it is a story within a story. It is, however, much longer than both the Iliad and the Odyssey combined. Karna was a great warrior in the Kurukshetra war and his story is contained within the Mahābhārata, as is the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred text of the Hindus.

Story[link]

Divine birth[link]

Karna's father was the solar deity Surya and his mother's name was Kunti. Karna was born before his mother's marriage to prince Pandu. The story of Karna's miraculous birth is this:

When Kunti was a young woman, a wise though irascible old man, the sage Durvasa, visited her father's palace, where Kunti served him with utmost care for an entire year. Pleased by her service and hospitality, the sage foresaw that Kunti would have difficulty having a child after her marriage to Pandu, and granted her a boon to overcome this difficulty. By this boon she could call upon any god of her choice, and receive a child through him. Out of curiosity, Kunti still being unmarried, she decided to test the power of the mantra and called upon the god Surya. Compelled by the power of this mantra, Surya appeared before her and handed her a son, who was as radiant and powerful as Surya himself. The baby was wearing armour ('Kavacha') and a pair of earrings ('Kundala'). Though Kunti had not physically given birth to the baby, she was unwilling to be accused of being an unmarried mother and so with the help of her maid Dhatri, she placed the baby Karna in a basket and set him afloat on 'Ashwa' a tributary of the holy river Ganges, the Ashwanadi, in the hope that he would be taken in by another family.

Childhood and education[link]

The child Karna was found by Adhiratha, a charioteer of King Dhritarashtra of Hastinapur. Adhiratha and his wife Radha raised the boy as their own son and named him Vasusena. He also came to be known as Radheya, the son of Radha. The name Karna, however, denotes 'ear', because Karna was born with divine earrings. The emotional bond between Karna and his foster parents would remain strong throughout his life, filled with love, respect and affection.

Karna happily performed his duties as their son, but as he grew up, he became more interested in the art of warfare than in merely being a charioteer like his father Adhirata. Karna met Dronacharya, who was an established teacher in the art of warfare. Dronacharya taught the Kuru princes, but refused to take Karna as his student, since Karna was a son of a charioteer and Dronacharya only taught Kshatriyas, or warriors.

After being refused by Dronacharya, Karna sought his brother Shona's help. But according to Indian culture, to learn an art you must have a guru (teacher), so Karna appointed the sun god as his guru, learned to wield his weapons during the day by gathering information about the various ayudhas (weapons) and practiced with them after sundown.

One day, when Karna came to Hastinapur, the seat of the Kauravas dynasty, after a month of holiday, he heard from his friend Ashwathama that the week before, the guru Dronacharya had decided to test his students in their skill at archery. He had hung a wooden bird from the branch of a tree and then summoned his students, asking the first one to aim for the bird's eye but to tell him first what he could see. The student replied that he could see the garden, the tree, the flowers, everything – of course! Dronacharya asked him to step aside and not to shoot. He asked a few other students the same thing, with the same outcome. When it was Arjuna's turn, Arjuna told his guru that the only thing he could see was the bird's eye. This satisfied Dronacharya and he allowed Arjuna to shoot at the bird. Arjuna successfully hit the eye of the wooden crow.

After listening also to his brother Shona's account of these events, Karna told him that if Arjuna could hit the one eye of the wooden crow then he could hit both eyes of it in a single shot. They practiced with their bows during the night, and Karna decided to shoot both eyes of the wooden crow there and then, with the help of some household illumination. Karna instructed Shona to suspend the wooden crow high in a tree and to hold the light underneath. Karna strung his bow with two arrows (slightly changed their position one after the other) and as soon as he got a signal from Shona, he successfully hit both eyes of the bird in a single shot.

Like the Irish mythological hero Cú Chulaind, who was possibly a young sun god,^[4] Karna was able to learn various martial arts in a very short time. But, Karna wanted to learn all the advanced skills of archery including the use of divine weapons. After being refused by Dronacharya, Karna decided to learn from Parashurama, Dronacharya's own guru, who was known to teach only Brahmins.^[5] He appeared before Parashurama as a Brahmin and requested that he be taken on as his student. Parashurama accepted him and trained him to such a point that he declared Karna to be equal to himself in the art of warfare and archery.

Curse[link]

As Karna's training came to completion, Parashurama learned the truth about his star pupil, in the following way. The legend goes that one afternoon Parashurama requested Karna to bring a pillow for him to lie his head on in the shade of a tree. Karna offered his teacher his lap, but while Parashurama was asleep, a giant bee stung Karna's thigh. Despite excruciating pain, Karna did not move, so as not to disturb his guru's sleep. As the bee bored deeper into Karna's thigh, the wound began to bleed. Parashurama was woken up by the blood and deduced at once that Karna was a Kshatriya and not a Brahmin, since only a Kshatriya could have endured such pain. Parashurama, who had sworn vengeance against all Kshatriyas, laid this curse upon Karna: that he would forget all the mantras required to wield the divine weapon Brahmastra, the most destructive weapon in archery, at the moment of his greatest need.

Karna pleaded that any student would have acted in the same way and that he was the son of Vasusena, a mere charioteer and not a Kshatriya. But while Parashurama regretted cursing Karna in a moment of anger, his curse was irrevocable. So he gave to Karna as a gift the celestial weapon called Bhargavastra, along with his personal bow called Vijaya, for being such a diligent student.

More curses[link]

According to the original scripture written by Vyasa, Karna was cursed by a Brahmin for killing his cow. One day, Karna was practising his skills with bow and arrows near the ashram of Sage Parashurama. One of his arrows accidentally killed a cow. The cow belonged to a poor Brahmana who had been making his living from the cow. The Brahmana got angry due to Karna's deed and cursed him that he would become helpless in the same way the innocent cow had become, by his chariot wheels getting stuck to his ground.

Andhra folklore further relates that Karna was riding his chariot in his kingdom of Anga once when he encountered a child who was crying over her pot of spilt ghee. On asking her the reason for her dismay, she stated that she feared that her stepmother would be angry over her carelessness. Being generous, Karna told the girl that he would give her some new ghee. But the child insisted that she wanted only the ghee that was mixed with the soil and refused to take the new ghee. Taking pity on her, Karna took the soil mixed with ghee in his fist and squeezed it with all his might, so that the ghee dripped back into the pot. During this process, Karna heard the agonized voice of a woman. When he opened his fist, he realized that the voice was that of Bhoomidevi, the Earth goddess. She furiously chastised Karna for inflicting enormous pain on Mother Earth for the sake of a mere child and cursed him that at a very crucial moment in battle, his chariot wheel would be trapped as tightly as he had held that fistful of soil.

These two curses play a prominent role in Karna's defeat in the Kurukshetra war. Though Karna is shown as an extremely competent warrior, sometimes more skillful than Arjuna, the timing of his curses in crucial moments of his battle with Arjuna brought him doom.

King of Anga[link]

The guru Dronacharya held a tournament at Hastinapur, to display the skills of the Kuru princes. His student Arjuna was shown to be a particularly gifted archer. Karna arrived at this tournament, however, and after surpassing Arjuna's feats, challenged him to a duel. Kripacharya refused Karna his duel, asking first for his clan and kingdom; for according to the rules of duelling, only a prince could challenge Arjuna to a duel since he was a prince of the Kuru house. Duryodhana, the eldest of the one-hundred sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra, knew that the Pandavas, the five sons of King Pandu, younger brother of King Dhritarashtra, were better than he and his brothers at warfare and saw Karna as a chance to get on even terms with them. He immediately offered Karna the throne of the kingdom of Anga, making him a king and hence eligible to fight a duel with Arjuna. When Karna asked him what he could do to repay him, Duryodhana told him that all he wanted was his friendship.

This event establishes key relationships in the Mahābhārata, namely, the strong bond between Duryodhana and Karna, the intense rivalry between Karna and Arjuna, and the enmity in general between the Pandavas (the sons of King Pandu and Madri and Karna'a mother Kunti) and Karna himself.

Karna was a loyal and true comrade to Duryodhana. He helped him to marry the princess of Chitragandha. Following his accession to the throne of Anga, Karna took an oath that anyone who approached him with a request at midday, when he worshiped the sun, would not leave empty-handed. This practice contributed to Karna's fame as well as to his downfall, as Indra took advantage of it. Ultimately, Karna's unfailing generosity resulted in his death on the Kurukshetra battlefield.

Deepening hostilities[link]

Karna was a suitor for Draupadi at her swayamvara, or her choosing of a marriage partner. Unlike most other contenders, he was easily able to wield and string the bow, but Draupadi refused to allow him to take part. She rejected him for being a "suta-putra" - son of a charioteer. The Pandavas were also present in the swayamvara, disguised as Brahmins. Following the failure of the other princes, Arjuna stepped into the ring and successfully hit the target, winning Draupadi's hand. When Arjuna's identity was later revealed, Karna's feelings of hostile rivalry with him further intensified.

After Shakuni won a game of dice by trickery, Draupadi, now queen to all five sons of King Pandu, including Arjuna, was dragged into the court by Dushasana. Duryodhana and his brothers attempted to strip her. Karna insulted Draupadi by saying that a woman with more than four husbands is nothing but a whore and that the Pandavas were all like sesame seeds removed from the kernel and she should now find some other husbands.

On the spot, Bhima, another of the Pandava brothers, vowed that he would personally slaughter Duryodhana and his brothers in battle. Arjuna subsequently swore to kill Karna.

Military campaign[link]

The Pandavas were exiled, and during this time, Karna took upon himself the task of establishing Duryodhana as the Emperor of the World. Karna commanded an army that marched to different parts of the country to subjugate kings and made them swear allegiance to Duryodhana, the king of Hastinapur or else die in battle. Karna succeeded in all the battles. In this military adventure, Karna waged wars and reduced to submission numerous kingdoms including those of the Kambojas, the Shakas, the Kekayas, the Avantyas, the Gandharas, the Madarakas, the Trigartas, the Tanganas, the Panchalas, the Videhas, the Suhmas, the Angas, the Vangas, the Nishadas, the Kalingas, the Vatsa, the Ashmakas, the Rishikas and numerous others including mlecchas and the forest tribes.^[6]

Karna and Krishna[link]

Following failed peace negotiations with Duryodhana, Krishna approached Karna, who was acknowledged as Duryodhana's finest warrior. Krishna revealed to Karna that he was the eldest son of Kunti, and therefore, technically, the eldest Pandava, and asked him to change sides. Krishna assured him that Yudhisthira would give the crown of Indraprastha to him.

Karna refused this huge offer because he had sworn fidelity to Duryodhana, and as such, was compelled to stay by his side despite his blood ties to the Pandavas. He said that Yudhisthira was a righteous man, and knowing that Karna was older than he was, Yudhisthira would immediately give up his crown to him, he knew. However, to repay his debt to Duryodhana, Karna would have to confer the crown of Indraprastha immediately onto Duryodhana, which Karna thought was against Dharma. Krishna was saddened, but appreciating Karna's sense of loyalty, accepted his decision, promising Karna that his lineage would remain a secret.

However, Krishna's purpose - that of making Pandavas victorious - was served, as this revelation weakened Karna's hatred towards the Pandavas, his own younger brothers.^[7]

Karna and Indra[link]

The Pandavas were exiled and eventual war seemed certain. Indra, the king of the gods (Devas) and the father of Arjuna, realized that Karna would be invincible in battle and unable to be killed as long as he had the golden armour and earrings that he had been born with, so he conceived a plot to weaken Karna. He decided to approach Karna as a poor Brahmin during Karna's midday sun worship. Surya warned Karna of Indra's intentions, however, exhorting him not to give away his armour and earrings. Karna thanked Surya but explained that he was bound by his word and could not send anyone from his door empty-handed, even if it meant his death.

As Surya had warned, a disguised Indra approached Karna and asked for his kavacha (body armour) and kundala (earrings) as alms. Karna readily gave them away, cutting the armor and earrings off his body. Indra, shamed into generosity by Karna's gesture, reciprocated by giving Karna the boon to use his most powerful weapon, the Vasavi shakti, but only once. It was then that Karna earned the name Vaikartana, as he cut the armour off his body without flinching.

Kunti speaks with her eldest son[link]

The story relates that as war approached, Kunti met Karna to reveal to him that she was his mother. Both of them shared a touching moment together but when she asked him to call himself Kaunteya (son of Kunti) instead of Radheya, Karna replied that he wanted the entire world to recognise him as a Radheya and not as a Kaunteya. Kunti asked Karna to join the Pandavas, but Karna refused. He told his mother that, had she been willing to acknowledge him all those years ago when he appeared at the tournament, then things might have been very different. But it was too late now. He could not betray the trust of his friend. However, he promised his mother that he would not attempt to kill any of the Pandavas except for Arjuna.

Karna knew that Arjuna was under the divine aegis of Lord Krishna and hence would be invincible. But he knew that because of this he would be able to pay off Duryodhana's debt while performing the duties of an elder brother. He told Kunti that she could only keep five sons – the fifth would either be himself or Arjuna. Karna requested his mother to keep their relationship and his royal birth a secret until his death.

The Great War: Kurukshetra[link]

A quarter of the whole length of the Mahābhārata is devoted to an account of the Kurukshetra war.

The story relates how, before the war began, Duryodana requested Bhishma, the commander-in-chief of the Kauravas, to consider Karna under his leadership. Bhishma refused, saying that Karna had insulted his guru Parshuram by insulting Draupadi and nobody disrespecting his guru can fight under his leadership. Bhishma secretly knew about Karna's true ancestary and did not want him to fight against his own brothers. Consequently, Karna entered the battlefield only on the eleventh day, after the fall of Bheeshma. We pick up the story on the thirteenth day.

Thirteenth day[link]

Karna Slays the Kaikeya Prince Vishoka-Razmnama

The guru Dronacharya (Drona) had organized a special formation called the Chakravyuha/Padmavyuha to challenge the Pandavas. Only Krishna and Arjuna on the Pandavas's side knew how to combat this, but they had been purposely drawn far away from the field of battle.

Abhimanyu, Arjuna's son, however, had heard about the formation while he was in his mother's womb, when Krishna was narrating the Chakravyuha arrangement to his sister Subhadra. Subhadra had paid attention only to the first part of the narration and then fallen asleep, so Abhimanyu only knew how to enter the formation, and not how to extract himself from it. Notwithstanding this, the four Pandava brothers decided that Abhimanyu should lead them to enter the Chakravyuha in the absence of Arjuna and Krishna.

But, as soon as Abhimanyu entered the Chakravyuha, Jayadratha, a Sindhu king from the Kaurava army blocked it, thereby preventing other Pandavas from entering the formation. Abhimanyu was left all alone in the middle of the enemy formation. Once inside, he fought valiantly and held back all the best warriors of the Kauravas single-handedly, including Karna, Dronacharya and Duryodhana. Duryodhana and Karna chose to assist in the elimination of Abhimanyu under Dronacharya's guidance. Karna shot arrows from behind that broke Abhimanyu's bow and the reins of his chariot, while the Kauravas overwhelmed him. The battle ended in Abhimanyu's death.

Arjuna, on learning of the death of Abhimanyu at the hands of the Kauravas, pledged to kill Jayadratha before sunset the next day, failing which he would immolate himself in a fire.

Night of the fourteenth day: Krishna sacrifices Ghatotkacha to Karna to protect Arjuna[link]

Karna (left) kills Ghatotkacha (centre) as Arjuna (right) watches

Uncharacteristically, the battle next day extended into the hours of darkness. Ghatotkacha, the half-asura son of Bhima, began to destroy the Kaurava forces. It was a characteristic of the asuras that they became extraordinarily powerful at night. Duryodhana and Karna bravely stood and fought him. Finally, when it seemed that Ghatotkacha would destroy all the Kaurava forces that very night, having already badly-wounded Dronacharya, Duryodhana called upon Karna to use all means necessary. Karna engaged him in a ferocious duel, with every single warrior from both sides watching in silent awe. As Ghatotkacha began to use his skills of dark magic, Karna had to use the Vasava Shakti, which had been gifted to him by Lord Indra in return for his divine armour. Using this weapon, Karna killed the Asura Ghatotkacha.

Although his death was a major disappointment to the Pandavas, there was a serene smile on Krishna's face. Krishna knew that, because Karna had now expended this fearsome weapon, Arjuna was no longer vulnerable to it.

Sixteenth day: Defeating and sparing the lives of all Pandavas[link]

Yudishthira wrestling with Karna

Karna Parva is the name given to the Eighth Book of the Mahābhārata, describing days 16 and 17 of the Kurukshetra war. Karna is now the commander of the Kaurava army. Anticipating a likely battle to the death between Karna and Arjura, Lord Krishna spoke to Arjuna:

"Hear in brief, O son of Pandu! I regard the mighty car-warrior Karna as thy equal, or perhaps, thy superior! With the greatest care and resolution shouldst thou slay him in great battle. In energy he is equal to Agni. As regards speed, he is equal to the impetuosity of the wind. In wrath, he resembles the Destroyer himself. Endued with might, he resembles a lion in the formation of his body. He is eight ratnis in stature. His arms are large. His chest is broad. He is invincible. He is sensitive. He is a hero. He is, indeed, the foremost of heroes."^[8]

Karna single-handedly defeated all but one of the Pandavas on this sixteenth day of the Kurukshetra war, as related in the Mahābhārata. He overcame Bhima but left him alive, saying that as Bhima was younger than he was, he wouldn't kill him. He defeated Yudhisthira and also left him alive, saying that: "It seems that you have forgotten all the teachings which your guru has taught you, so first go and practice them and then come to fight". Karna then defeated Nakula and Sahedeva but didn't kill them, since he had promised his mother to spare the lives of all the Pandava brothers except for Arjuna.

After defeating all of Arjuna's brothers, Karna asked his charioteer, Shalya, to drive his chariot to where Arjuna was standing. Karna took his powerful weapon, Nagastra and shot it at Arjuna. Krishna saved Arjuna from certain death by his divine powers; by subtly lowering Arjuna’s chariot into the earth, through a gentle pressure of his feet. An angry Arjuna showered all his arrows on Karna, but Karna neutralized them all with his own. Karna then shot more arrows which incapacitated Arjuna and made him weaponless. But the close of the day spared Arjuna's life, since both sides observed the codes of war and stopped fighting.

Seventeenth day[link]

Death of Karna

The much-awaited duel between Karna and Arjuna resumed. Both these warriors matched each other weapon for weapon. This famous duel was witnessed by the gods from the heavens.

Karna cut the string of Arjuna's bow many times. But at each instant he found Arjuna able to tie back the bowstring in the twinkling of an eye. Karna praised Arjuna for this and remarked to Shalya that now he understood why people called him the greatest archer in the world.

Although the duel was evenly-fought for a long while, Karna was suddenly stricken by the playing-out of the curses that had been thrown at him and which would now put him in grave danger. Hampered as his chariot wheel sank into the ground in loose, wet soil, he found himself unable to remember the incantations for his divine weapons, as his teacher Parashurama had foretold. Descending from his chariot to remove the wheel, he requested Arjuna to wait, as the etiquette of battle allowed; but Krishna told Arjuna that Karna has no right to refer to etiquette at this point, having violated those same rules himself when killing Abhimanyu, participating in the laksha-griha conspiracy, assisting Duryodhan in the game of dice and insulting Draupadi in the Hastinapur court. Lord Krishna told Arjuna that it was not adharma to kill a man who had supported evil all his life, and urged Arjuna to kill Karna while he could.

Arjuna shot many arrows at the helpless Karna, severely wounding him, but was curiously unable to kill him. Lord Krishna told him that the great Dharma of noble charity that Karna had performed during his lifetime was protecting him. Lord Krishna ordered Arjuna to redouble his efforts. Arjuna complied and Karna was killed.

After Karna's death[link]

Following the Kurukshetra war, Tarpan vidhi were performed for all the fallen. Kunti then requested her sons to perform the rites for Karna as well. When they protested, saying he was a Sūta, she revealed the truth of his birth. The brothers were shocked to find that they had committed fratricide. Yudhishtira, in particular, was furious with his mother and laid a curse upon all women that they should never thereafter be able to keep a secret.

According to Karna's dying wish, Karna's Antim Sanskar was performed by none other than Lord Krishna himself. This was the honour given to him by Lord Krishna. Karna is the only person in the Mahābhārata epic who receives this great honour. (This is not mentioned in the original, but is a popular addition made by later authors)^[9]

Lord Krishna went to Gandhari to tell her that Karna had died. Gandhari told Lord Krishna: "You knew what was going to happen and you could have prevented the war." Gandhari cursed Lord Krishna for this. "Just as my entire family perished, your family will die the same way."^{[citation needed]} Lord Krishna smiled as he accepted Gandhari's curse and reminded her that she herself used to pray for the victory of the "righteous". Shri Krishna also gently reminded Gandhari of her own responsibility in this carnage.^[10]

Karna's family[link]

Karna's wives were Vrushali and Supriya. The names of nine of Karna's sons are mentioned in the Mahābhārata. Of these nine, only one survived the Kurukshetra war, and his name was Vrishakethu.

The nine sons of Karna were Vrishasena, Sudaman, Shatrunjaya, Dvipata, Sushena, Satyasea, Chitrasena, Susharma alias Banasena and Vrishakethu. Sudaman died in the melee that followed Draupadi’s swayamvara. Shatrunjaya and Dvipata died in the Kurukshetra war at the hands of Arjuna, during the days when the guru Dronacharya commanded the Kaurava forces. Sushena was killed in the war by Bhima. Satyasena, Chitrasena and Susharma died at the hands of Nakula. Karna’s eldest son Vrishasena was killed by Arjuna during the last days of the war, when Karna commanded the battle forces.

Vrishasena[link]

Vrishasena’s death illustrates some gruesome battle detail in the Mahābhārata. Karna's son, angered at the death of his brother Chitrasena, rushed at Nakula. A fierce battle ensued and Vrishasena managed to kill Nakula's horses and pierce him with many arrows. Descending from his chariot and taking up his sword and shield, Nakula severed the heads of two thousand horsemen as he made his way toward Vrishasena. Vrishasena, seeing Nakula coming towards him whirling his sword, shattered it with four well-aimed crescent-shaped arrows. Nakula then quickly ascended Bhima's chariot and, as Arjuna came near, asked him for help.

Arjuna in turn sought Krishna's help and vowed to kill Vrishasena. Vrishasena, however, was able to release many different kinds of arrows against them both, piercing Arjuna's arm and Krishna also. Arjuna became enraged, and after threatening Karna with what he would do to his son, he struck Vrishasena with ten arrows and then with four razor-headed arrows, cut off his bow, his two arms and his head, adorned as it was with beautiful earrings. It was this killing that prompted Karna to challenge Arjuna to fight.

Vrishakethu[link]

Vrishakethu was the only one of Karna's sons to survive the horror of the Kurukshetra war. He later came under the patronage of the Pandavas. During the action that preceded the Ashvamedha, Vrishakethu accompanied Arjuna and participated in battles with Sudhava and Babruvahana. During that campaign, Vrishakethu married the daughter of king Yavanatha, perhaps a king in the west. It is recorded that Arjuna developed a great affection for his nephew Vrishakethu and trained him to be one of the best archers in the world.

Reasons for Karna's death[link]

Karna's death in the Mahābhārata is brought about by a number of factors. The first and foremost contributor was the sage Durvasa himself. While blessing Kunti with a mantra by which she could call upon any god of her choice, he did not tell her the likely consequence of this incantation. Karna's upbringing by the charioteer Adiratha denied the young warrior his rightful recognition as a man of Kshatriya status. And it was Lord Indra, in fact, who, in the form of a giant bee, stung Karna's thigh and caused the guru Parasurama to curse Karna with such a significant curse, for lying about his caste. It was later revealed that Parasurama knew about the impending massacre at Kurukshetra; he explained to Karna in a dream, on the night before Karna's battle with Arjuna, that he purposely cursed him in that way so as to ensure the defeat of the Kauravas. In this dream, he blesses Karna with everlasting glory after his death, because of his humble acceptance of the curse.

Having embarked upon the fateful battle, the curse of the Brahmin who owned the cow and the curse of Bhoomidevi provide the opportunity for Karna's defeat. His giving away of his armour and earrings as alms to Lord Indra, this time disguised as a beggar, left him vulnerable. His generous nature and faith in keeping his word also contributed to his downfall by the two promises he made to his mother Kunti, not to kill his four half-brothers and to use the Nagastra only once.

Karna's hatred towards the Pandavas lessened when he learned from his mother that they were his half-brothers. But, to be loyal to Duryodhana, Karna decided to fight against Arjuna in the war. Karna supported Duryodhana in all his wrongdoings even though he knew the difference between good and evil perfectly well. Lord Krishna tried to persuade Karna to switch his allegiance, knowing that without his support, Duryodhan would not fight the war and millions of lives would be spared. But Karna refused to do so because of his personal honour and his debt to Duryodhana. The resulting animosity of Lord Krishna towards Karna led ultimately to his fatal instruction to Arjuna to kill him without mercy.

Karna as a figure of adulation[link]

Even though Karna devoted his services to the evil Duryodhana, in the epic story told in the Mahābhārata, he remains a figure of adulation for millions of Hindus and Indians, who regard him as the greatest warrior of all time. Many Hindus consider Karna as a man who fought against his misfortunes throughout his life without a single pause. He never got his due, but never gave up his efforts, his courageous spirit led him to brave impossible odds in his life and he died with unique courage, valour and honour. In the Mahābhārata, Bheeshma and Lord Krishna concede that Karna was a noble spirit who rarely appears in the human race. Karna is especially adored for his generosity. He is idealized as an inspiration for struggling humanity not to lose heart. He is also considered an example of how misjudgment can render all the finer qualities of an individual futile.

Karna's might is praised even by Krishna in the Mahābhārata. During his battle with Arjuna, when Arjuna questions the reason for this praise, Krishna reminds Arjuna that, by having Krishna as his charioteer, Arjuna's chariot contains the whole weight of the universe and yet Karna is still able to rock it by the force of his arrows. When the battle is ended and multiple levels of divine protection are removed from Arjuna's chariot, it explodes into dust through the blows it has received. Arjuna realizes his mistake and praises Karna as well.

Karna's ethics are admired. During his duel with Arjuna, when, by a blow from one of Karna's arrows Arjuna is rendered unconscious, the cobra king Ashwasen creeps out of hiding from Karna's chariot and asks Karna if he may use his poison against Arjuna, because Arjuna had burnt his forest to the ground. Karna refuses. He will not use a snake against any human, because it would be treachery towards humanity.

Karna is still a popular name amongst Hindus.

Karna the Vain[link]

Adulation of Karna is tempered by the number of people who considered him to be vain and boastful. He was particularly dismissive of grand-sire Bhishma's vow of chastity and ridiculed it on a number of occasions. He was also rude enough to interrupt the Kuru elders in open court, earning him their ire and regular reminders of being a "suta-putra".

Grand-sire Bhishma, Guru Drona, Kul-guru Kripa, Krishna and the Pandavas considered Karna's boasts of being a "world conquering hero" empty and meaningless. Grand-sire Bhishma lost no opportunity to remind Karna of his losses at the hands of Arjun during the swayamvar of Draupadi, Ghosh-Yatra and later during the battle while abducting the cows of Matsya kingdom. Karna used to smart when he was reminded that he lost to Chitra-rath, allowing Duryodhan to be carried away by the Yakshas.

At the outset of the battle, Grandsire Bhishma, as the chief general of the Kaurava army, counted Karna as a half-rathi because he had now lost his celestial armor. Angered by the insulting demotion, Karna refused to fight while grand-sire Bhishma was in charge of the forces. As a result, Karna only entered the battle on the 11thday, after the grand-sire had fallen in the battlefield.

Karna was a powerful warrior. Yudhisthir counted him amongst the key foes and his death made him more certain of victory. Karna had made celestial weapons and was a powerful foe. Yet, for all this, his success in battle are far and few between. He lost to the Panchalas, Arjun and Yakshas. To atone for Duryodhan's shameful imprisonment by the Yaksha, Karna went on a Dijvijay to earn enough loot to carry out a major yagna. He also promised to give whatever was asked of him to earn religious merit and hence victory over Arjun. Alas, none of this helped him in the end. Arjun, having fought for 17 days straight, was able to defeat relatively fresh Karna who had only been fighting for 7 days.

Duryodhan's entire war strategy was based on Karna winning the war for him. After his friend's death, defeat seemed inevitable. ^{[11] [12]}

Differences and similarities with Arjuna[link]

There are many parallels between Arjuna and Karna. Both were master archers, both competed for Draupadi's hand and both had to fight their own brother. Their decisions, and the consequences of these decisions to themselves and to their families, are used to emphasize the importance of doing one's duty, as explained in the Bhagavad Gita.

Karna serves as an excellent example of a gifted, generous, righteous and brave individual who was still doomed because of his loyalty towards Duryodhana. Karna had the five perfect qualities of a husband for Draupadi, but being with Duryodhana nullified these and allowed Arjuna to take her instead. Karna's affection for Duryodhana led him, albeit unwillingly, to assist his dear friend in all his actions against the Pandavas. Karna was aware of Duryodhana's malicious plans against the Pandavas. Karna was also aware of his own imminent downfall on assisting the evil against the good. He is criticised for insulting Draupadi in the Hastinapur court and for supporting Duryodhan in his act of dishonoring her. His role in the killing of an unarmed and outnumbered Abhimanyu can be interpreted as an act that more directly damaged his image as an honorable warrior and doomed him to a similar fate. According to some interpretations of the Mahābhārata, it was this deed that cemented Karna's status as a warrior on the wrong side of the war and sealed his fate, that of being killed by Arjuna in the same way, being unarmed, chariotless and with his back turned to Arjuna.

Karna devotion to the sun and Chhath Puja[link]

Karna used to pray to his father Surya, the sun god, at noon every day. This tradition of praying to Surya is still carried out in parts of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh in the form of Chhath Puja.

Film and television[link]

A film adaptation of the story of Karna in the Mahābhārata was made in 1963; the movie Karnan, an epic Tamil movie depicting the life of Karna and his friendship with Duryodhana, starring Shivaji Ganesan and N.T. Rama Rao. Other, similar movies soon followed, in Telugu and Hindi.

In 1977, the Telugu movie Daana Veera Soora Karna again starred the Indian film actor, director and producer N.T Rama Rao, who played three characters – Karna, Duryodhana and Krishna. In 2010, Prakash Jha directed the Bollywood film Raajneeti, a fictional adaptation of the Mahābhārata, set within a backdrop of Indian Politics and starring the actor Ajay Devgan, who played Suraj, a character based on Karna. One of the songs from the 1991 Indian movie Thalapathi, based upon the friendship between Karna and Duryodhana, has been voted number 4 in the BBC's 'World's Top Ten Revealed' worldwide music poll.^[13]

Karna was portrayed by Pankaj Dheer in 1988, in the television series Mahabharat

Stage Plays[link]

South Indian film actor Mohanlal performed Karna on the stage in Karnabharam, a Sanskrit play that was premiered in New Delhi as part of the National Theatre Festival directed by Kavalam Narayana Panicker. The play depicts Karna's mental agony a day before the Kurukshetra War, as he thinks about his past and his faith.^[14]

References[link]

• Kisari Mohan Ganguly (2008). The Mahabharata, Book 8 of 18: Karna Parva (English translation). Forgotten Books. ISBN 1-60506-618-4. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=ElC8BG4u-yMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Karna#v=onepage&q&f=false. 

Bibliography[link]

• Bowles, Adam, 2006. Mahābhārata: Karna. Published by NYU Press. ISBN 0-8147-9981-7.
• Brockington, J, 1998. The Sanskrit Epics. Leiden.
• Buitenen, Johannes Adrianus Bernardus, 1978. The Mahābhārata. 3 volumes (translation / publication incomplete due to his death). University of Chicago Press.
• Kamala Chandrakant (2009). Karna. Amar Chitra Katha. ISBN 81-89999-49-4. 
• Desai, Ranjit. Radheya'. ISBN 81-7766-746-7
• Dinkar, Ramdhari Singh. The Sun Charioteer: a poetic rendering of Karna's life, his dharma, his friendship and tragedies. Rashmirathi; रश्मिरथी / रामधारी सिंह "दिनकर (in Hindi)
• McGrath, Kevin, 2004. The Sanskrit Hero: Karna in Epic Mahābhārata. Published by BRILL. ISBN 90-04-13729-7.
• Sawant, Shivaji. Mrityunjaya, the death conqueror: the story of Karna. ISBN 81-7189-002-4
• Subramaniam, Kamala, Smt. The Mahabharata. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Press.
• Winternitz, Maurice. A History of Indian Literature, Volume 1. at Google Books

External links[link]

• The Story of Karna - The Doomed Hero

Wikisource has original text related to this article: The Mahabharata

v t e Mahabharata Kuru Kingdom Shantanu · Ganga · Bhishma · Satyavati · Chitrāngada · Vichitravirya · Ambika · Ambalika · Vidura · Dhritarashtra · Gandhari · Shakuni · Pandu · Kunti · Madri · Yudhisthira · Bhima · Arjuna · Nakula · Sahadeva · Duryodhana · Dushasana · Yuyutsu · Dushala · Draupadi · Hidimbi · Ghatotkacha · Ahilawati · Subhadra · Uttara · Ulupi · Chitrāngadā  · Abhimanyu  · Iravan · Babruvahana · Barbarika · Parikshit  · Janamejaya Other characters Karna · Drona · Amba · Vyasa · Krishna · Satyaki · Dhristadyumna · Sanjaya · Virata · Kichaka · Kripa · Ashwatthama · Ekalavya · Kritavarma · Jarasandha · Mayasura · Durvasa · Jayadratha · Balarama · Drupada · Hidimba · Shalya · Adhiratha · Shikhandi Other Mahābhārata and the Indian caste system · Avatars · Pandava · Kaurava · Hastinapur · Indraprastha · Kingdoms · Kurukshetra War · Bhagavad Gita

Sai Baba of Shirdi

Sai Baba of Shirdi
Born	Unknown
Died	October 15, 1918.
Era	19th to 20th Century
Region	India

Sai Baba of Shirdi (Unknown – October 15, 1918), also known as Shirdi Sai Baba (Marathi: शिर्डीचे श्री साईबाबा, Urdu: شردی سائیں بابا), was an Indian guru, yogi, and fakir who is regarded by his Hindu and Muslim devotees as a saint. Many Hindu devotees - including Hemadpant, who wrote the famous Shri Sai Satcharitra - consider him an incarnation of Lord Krishna^[1] while other devotees consider him as an incarnation of Lord Dattatreya. Many devotees believe that he was a Satguru, an enlightened Sufi Pir, or a Qutub. No verifiable information is available regarding Sai Baba's birth and place of birth.

Sai Baba's real name is unknown. The name "Sai" was given to him upon his arrival at Shirdi, a town in the west-Indian state of Maharashtra. Mahalsapati, a local temple priest, recognized him as a Muslim saint and greeted him with the words 'Ya Sai!', meaning 'Welcome Sai!'. Sai or Sayi is a Persian title given to Sufi saints, meaning 'poor one'.^[2] However Sāī may also refer to the Sanskrit term "Sakshat Eshwar" or the divine. The honorific "Baba" means "father; grandfather; old man; sir" in Indo-Aryan languages. Thus Sai Baba denotes "holy father", "saintly father" or "poor old man".^[3]

Sai Baba remains a very popular saint,^[4] especially in India, and is worshipped by people around the world. He had no love for perishable things and his sole concern was self-realization. He taught a moral code of love, forgiveness, helping others, charity, contentment, inner peace, and devotion to God and guru. Sai Baba's teaching combined elements of Hinduism and Islam: he gave the Hindu name Dwarakamayi to the mosque he lived in,^[5] practiced Hindu and Muslim rituals, taught using words and figures that drew from both traditions, and was buried in Shirdi. One of his well known epigrams, "Sabka Malik Ek " ("One God governs all"), is associated with Islam and Sufism. He always uttered "Allah Malik"("God is King").^[6]

Some of Sai Baba's disciples became famous as spiritual figures and saints, such as Mhalsapati, a priest of the Khandoba temple in Shirdi, and Upasni Maharaj. He was revered by other saints, such as Saint Bidkar Maharaj, Saint Gangagir, Saint Janakidas Maharaj, and Sati Godavari Mataji.^[7][8] Sai Baba referred to several saints as 'my brothers', especially the disciples of Swami Samartha of Akkalkot.^[8]

Early years[link]

Historians and devotees agree that there is no reliable evidence for a particular birthplace or date of birth. Various communities have claimed that he belongs to them, but nothing has been substantiated. It is known that he spent considerable periods with fakirs, and his attire resembled that of a Muslim fakir.

Little has been officially documented on the early life of Shirdi Sai Baba. An account of Shirdi Sai's missing childhood years has been reconstructed by his disciple Das Ganu, after researching in the area around the village of Pathri. He collected this story in four chapters on Sai Baba, later also called the Sri Sai Gurucharitra.^[9][10] Das Ganu states that Sai Baba grew up in Pathri, with a fakir and his wife. At the age of five, says Das Ganu, the fakir's wife put him in the care of the saintly desmukh Venkusha, where the boy stayed several years. Dasganu calls the young Sai Baba the reincarnation of Kabir. Because Das Ganu was known to take poetic liberties when telling stories about Sai Baba, and as there are no other sources to corroborate this story, it usually is left out of biographies of Sai Baba of Shirdi. Sai Baba's biographer Narasimha Swamiji states that Sai Baba was born as the child of Brahmin parents: "On one momentous occasion, very late in his life, he (e.g. Sai Baba) revealed to Mahlsapathy the interesting fact that his parents were Brahmins of Patri in the Nizam's State. Patri is part of Parvani taluk, near Manwath. Sai Baba added, in explanation of the fact that he was living in a Mosque, that while still a tender child his Brahmin parents handed him over to the care of a fakir who brought him up. This is fairly indisputable testimony, as Mahlsapathy was a person of sterling character noted for his integrity, truthfulness and vairagya." ^[11]

The above mentioned account is largely overlapped by the narration by Sathya Sai Baba, Sathya Sai Baba states as well that the fakir and his wife adopted the baby that was to become Sai Baba shortly after his birth.^[12] However, Sathya Sai Baba's stories are not considered credible by most of Shirdi Sai Baba's biographers.

According to the book Sai Satcharita, Sai Baba arrived at the village of Shirdi in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, British India, when he was about 16 years old. He led an ascetic life, sitting motionless under a neem tree and meditating while sitting in an asana. The Shri Sai Satcharita recounts the reaction of the villagers:

The people of the village were wonder-struck to see such a young lad practicing hard penance, not minding heat or cold. By day he associated with no one, by night he was afraid of nobody.^[13]

His presence attracted the curiosity of the villagers, and he was regularly visited by the religiously inclined, including Mhalsapati, Appa Jogle and Kashinatha. Some considered him mad and threw stones at him.^[14] Sai Baba left the village, and little is known about him after that. However, there are some indications that he met with many saints and fakirs, and worked as a weaver. He claimed to have fought with the army of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.^[15] It is generally accepted that Sai Baba stayed in Shirdi for three years, disappeared for a year, and returned permanently around 1858, which suggests a birth year of 1838.^[16]

Return to Shirdi[link]

In 1858 Sai Baba returned to Shirdi. Around this time he adopted his famous style of dress consisting of a knee-length one-piece robe (kafni) and a cloth cap. Ramgir Bua, a devotee, testified that Sai Baba was dressed like an athlete and sported 'long hair flowing down to the end of his spine' when he arrived in Shirdi, and that he never had his head shaved. It was only after Baba forfeited a wrestling match with one Mohdin Tamboli that he took up the kafni and cloth cap, articles of typical Sufi clothing.^[17] This attire contributed to Baba's identification as a Muslim fakir, and was a reason for initial indifference and hostility against him in a predominantly Hindu village.^[18] According to B.V. Narasimhaswami, a posthumous follower who was widely praised as Sai Baba's "apostle", this attitude was prevalent up to 1854 even among some of his devotees in Shirdi.^[19]

For four to five years Baba lived under a neem tree, and often wandered for long periods in the jungle around Shirdi. His manner was said to be withdrawn and uncommunicative as he undertook long periods of meditation.^[20] He was eventually persuaded to take up residence in an old and dilapidated mosque and lived a solitary life there, surviving by begging for alms, and receiving itinerant Hindu or Muslim visitors. In the mosque he maintained a sacred fire which is referred to as a dhuni, from which he gave sacred ashes ('Udhi') to his guests before they left. The ash was believed to have healing and apotropaic powers. He performed the function of a local hakim, and treated the sick by application of ashes. Sai Baba also delivered spiritual teachings to his visitors, recommending the reading of sacred Hindu texts along with the Qur'an. He insisted on the indispensability of the unbroken remembrance of God's name (dhikr, japa), and often expressed himself in a cryptic manner with the use of parables, symbols and allegories.^[21]

Sai Baba participated in religious festivals and was also in the habit of preparing food for his visitors, which he distributed to them as prasad. Sai Baba's entertainment was dancing and singing religious songs.

After 1910 Sai Baba's fame began to spread in Mumbai. Numerous people started visiting him, because they regarded him as a saint with the power of performing miracles, or even as an Avatar.^[22] They built his first temple at Bhivpuri, Karjat.^[23]

Teachings and practices[link]

Shirdi Sai Baba, leaning against the wall of his masjid, with devotees

Sai Baba opposed all persecution based on religion or caste. He was an opponent of religious orthodoxy – Christian, Hindu and Muslim.^[24] Although Sai Baba himself led the life of an ascetic, he advised his followers to lead an ordinary family life.

In his personal practice, Sai Baba observed worship procedures belonging to Hinduism and Islam; he shunned any kind of regular rituals but allowed the practice of namaz, chanting of Al-Fatiha, and Qur'an readings at Muslim festival times.^[25] Occasionally reciting the Al-Fatiha himself, Baba also enjoyed listening to moulu and qawwali accompanied with the tabla and sarangi twice daily.^[26]

Sai Baba encouraged his devotees to pray, chant God's name, and read holy scriptures. He told Muslims to study the Qur'an, and Hindus to study texts such as the Ramayana, Bhagavad Gita, and Yoga Vasistha.^[27] He advised his devotees and followers to lead a moral life, help others, love every living being without any discrimination, and develop two important features of character: unflinching perseverance (Shraddha) and waiting cheerfully with patience and love(Saburi). He criticized atheism.^[28] In his teachings, Sai Baba emphasized the importance of performing one's duties without attachment to earthly matters, and of being content regardless of the situation.

Sai Baba interpreted the religious texts of both Islam and Hinduism. He explained the meaning of the Hindu scriptures in the spirit of Advaita Vedanta. His philosophy also had numerous elements of bhakti. The three main Hindu spiritual paths – Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Karma Yoga – influenced his teachings.^[29]

Sai Baba encouraged charity, and stressed the importance of sharing. He said: "Unless there is some relationship or connection, nobody goes anywhere. If any men or creatures come to you, do not discourteously drive them away, but receive them well and treat them with due respect. Shri Hari (God) will certainly be pleased if you give water to the thirsty, bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked, and your verandah to strangers for sitting and resting. If anybody wants any money from you and you are not inclined to give, do not give, but do not bark at him like a dog."^[30] Other favorite sayings of his were: "Why do you fear when I am here", and "He has no beginning... He has no end."^[31]

Sai Baba made twelve assurances to his devotees:
1. Whosoever puts their feet on Shirdi soil, their sufferings will come to an end.
2. The wretched and miserable will rise to joy and happiness as soon as they climb the steps of [the mosque] Dwarakamayi.
3. I shall be ever active and vigorous even after leaving this earthly body.
4. My tomb shall bless and speak to the needs of my devotees.
5. I shall be active and vigorous even from my tomb.
6. My mortal remains will speak from my tomb.
7. I am ever living to help and guide all who come to me, who surrender to me, and who seek refuge in me.
8. If you look at me, I look at you.
9. If you cast your burden on me, I shall surely bear it.
10. If you seek my advice and help, it shall be given to you at once.
11. There shall be no want in the house of my devotee.
12. If you take a step towards me, I will take 100 steps towards you.

Worship and devotees[link]

The Shirdi Sai Baba movement began in the 19th century, while he was living in Shirdi. A local Khandoba priest - Mhalsapati Nagre - is believed to have been his first devotee. In the 19th century Sai Baba's followers were only a small group of Shirdi inhabitants and a few people from other parts of India. The movement started developing in the 20th century, with Sai Baba's message reaching the whole of India.^[4] During his life, Hindus worshiped him with Hindu rituals and Muslims considered him to be a saint. In the last years of Sai Baba's life, Christians and Zoroastrians started joining the Shirdi Sai Baba movement.^[4]

Shirdi is among the major Hindu places of pilgrimage.^[32] The first Sai Baba temple is situated at Bhivpuri, Karjat. The Sai Baba Mandir in Shirdi is visited by around twenty thousand pilgrims a day and during religious festivals this number can reach up to a hundred thousand.^[33] Shirdi Sai Baba is especially revered and worshiped in the states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat.

The Shirdi Sai movement has spread to the Caribbean and to countries such as the United States, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Singapore. The Shirdi Sai Baba movement is one of the main Hindu religious movements in English-speaking countries.^[34]

Notable disciples[link]

Sai Baba left behind no spiritual heirs and appointed no disciples, and did not even provide formal initiation (diksha), despite requests. Some disciples of Sai Baba achieved fame as spiritual figures, such as Upasni Maharaj of Sakori. After Sai Baba died, his devotees offered the daily Aarti to Upasni Maharaj when he paid a visit to Shirdi, two times within 10 years.^[35] Sai Baba had many devotees, and the most notable among them are:

1. Nana Saheb Chandorkar: Deputy Collector – legend has it that Sai Baba saved this man's daughter from labor complications.
2. Ganapath Rao: police officer who resigned to become an ascetic, and also known as Das Ganu. He was an itinerant who spread Sai Baba's message.
3. Tatya Patil: had immense faith in Sai Baba and served him until Sai Baba took samadhi. Sai Baba used to treat Tatya Patil as His nephew.
4. Baija Mai kote patil: Sai Baba treated her as His elder sister and equivalent to mother. She was Tatya Patil's mother.
5. Haji Abdul baba: He served Sai Baba until Sai Baba died in 1918.
6. Madhav Rao Deshpande: Later known as Shama, one of the staunch devotees of Sai Baba.
7. Govindrao Raghunath Dabholkar (Hemadpant): Sai Baba allowed him to write the Shri Sai Satcharita.
8. Mahalsapati Chimanji Nagare: A priest of Khandoba Temple.
9. RadhaKrishna Mai: A great devotee of Baba, cleaned the temple every day and looked after Baba's needs.

108 Shirdi Sai Baba Slogans (mantras) are sung by devotees in praise of him as worship.

Reported miracles[link]

Sai Baba's millions of disciples and devotees believe that he performed many miracles such as bilocation, levitation, mindreading, materialization, exorcisms, making the river Yamuna, entering a state of Samādhi at will, and lightning lamps with water, removing his limbs or intestines and sticking them back to his body (khandana yoga), curing the incurably sick, appearing beaten when another was beaten, after death rising on third day like Jesus Christ, preventing a mosque from falling down on people, and helping his devotees in a miraculous way. He also gave Darshan (vision) to people in the form of Rama, Krishna, Vithoba and many other Gods depending on the faith of devotees.^[36]

The marble statue of Sai Baba of Shirdi, in the Samadhi Mandir in Shirdi, 2008

According to his followers he appeared to them in dreams after his death, and gave them advice. His devotees have documented many stories.^[37]

Shirdi Sai Baba in 1918

Historical sources[link]

Biographers of Sai Baba (e.g. Govindrao Raghunath Dabholkar, Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja, Smriti Srinivas, Antonio Rigopolous) have based their writing on primary sources. One such source is the Shirdi Diary by Ganesh Shrikrishna Khaparde, which describes every day of the author's stay at Shirdi.

Speculation about the unknown episodes of Sai Baba's life are primarily based on his own words.

The most important source about Sai's life is the Shri Sai Satcharita, written in Marathi in 1916 by Govindrao Raghunath Dabholkar, whom Sai Baba nicknamed Hemadpant. Consisting of 53 chapters, it describes Sai Baba's life, teachings, and miracles. The book compares Sai Baba's love to a mother's love: caring and loving, but reprimanding when needed. It describes Baba's lifestyle, his selfless attitude, and his love for his devotees. The book describes how one should surrender one's egoism at God's feet and trust one's guru. It explains how God is supreme and His devotees should trust Him and love Him. It teaches that God is omnipresent in all living things, so that everything on Earth must be treated with love and respect.

Sri Sai Baba and His Teachings by Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja is an in-depth study of Sai Baba's life routine and activities. B.V. Narasimhaswamiji has written important books such as Sri Sai Baba's Charters and Sayings and Devotee's Experiences of Sai Baba.

In various religions[link]

Sai Baba depicted on a tapestry

Hinduism[link]

During Sai Baba's life, the Hindu saint Anandanath of Yewala declared Sai Baba a spiritual "diamond".^[38] Another saint, Gangagir, called him a "jewel".^[38] Sri Beedkar Maharaj greatly revered Sai Baba, and in 1873, when he met him he bestowed the title Jagad guru upon him.^[39][40] Sai Baba was also greatly respected by Vasudevananda Saraswati (known as Tembye Swami).^[41] He was also revered by a group of Shaivic yogis, to which he belonged, known as the Nath-Panchayat.^[42]

Islam[link]

In Islam, Sai Baba is mainly considered as a Muslim fakir. He also appears in Sufism as a Pir. Meher Baba declared Baba to be a Qutub-e-Irshad - the highest of the five Qutubs, a "Master of the Universe" in the spiritual hierarchy.^[43] Sai Baba is also worshipped by prominent Zoroastrians such as Nanabhoy Palkhivala and Homi Bhabha, and has been cited as the Zoroastrians' most popular non-Zoroastrian religious figure.^[44]

Meher Baba met Sai Baba only once in his lifetime, during World War I, in December 1915. Meher Baba was still a youngster named Merwan Sheriar Irani when he met Sai Baba for a few minutes during one of Sai Baba's processions in Shirdi. This event is considered as the most significant in Meher Baba's life. Shri Sai Satcharita (Sai Baba's life story), makes no mention of Meher Baba. But in Lord Meher, the life story of Meher Baba, there are innumerable references to Sai Baba.^[35] Meher Baba credited his Avataric advent to Upasni, Sai Baba, and three other Perfect Masters – Hazrat Babajan, Hazrat Tajuddin Baba, and Narayan Maharaj.

Sathya Sai Baba (1926–2011) claimed to be a reincarnation of Sai Baba; he had a considerable number of followers in the 20th and 21st century.

In culture[link]

Sacred art and architecture[link]

In India, its a common sight to find a Sai Baba temple in any city or town, in every large city or town there is at least one temple dedicated to Sai Baba.^[4] There are even some in towns and cities outside India. In the mosque in Shirdi in which Sai Baba lived, there is a life-size portrait of him by Shama Rao Jaykar, an artist from Mumbai. Numerous monuments and statues depicting Sai Baba, which serve a religious function, have also been made. One of them, made of marble by a sculptor named Balaji Vasant Talim, is in the Samadhi Mandir in Shirdi where Sai Baba was buried.^[45] In Sai Baba temples, his devotees play various kinds of devotional religious music, such as aarti.^[46]

Stamp[link]

Indian Postal Service released a Sai Baba commemorative stamp in May 2008.^[47]

On July 30, 2009, the New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah inaugurated what has been acclaimed as the largest solar steam system in the world, at the Shirdi shrine. The Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust paid an estimated Rs.1.33 crore for the system, Rs.58.4 lakh of which was paid as a subsidy by the renewable energy ministry. It is said the system can cook 20,000 meals per day for pilgrims visiting the temple.^{[12][48][49][50]}

Film and television[link]

Sai Baba has been the subject of several feature films in many languages produced by India's film industry.

See also[link]

• Shirdi Sai Baba movement
• Sai Gurucharitra

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sai Baba of Shirdi

Further reading[link]

• Arulneyam, Durai, The Gospel of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba. A Holy Spiritual Path, New Delhi, Sterling, 2008. ISBN 978-81-207-3997-0
• Babuji, Sri Sainathuni Sarath, 'Arati Sai Baba,The Psalm Book of Shirdi Aratis, Saipatham Publications, 1996 available online
• Bharadwaja, Acharya, Sai Baba the Master, Andhra Pradesh, Sree Guru Paduka Publications, 1996 available online
• Dabholkar, Govindrao Raghunath (alias Hemadpant), Shri Sai Satcharita Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Shirdi, (translated from Marathi into English by Nagesh V. Gunaji in 1944) available online or downloadable
• Dabholkar, Govind Raghunath, Shri Sai satcharita : the life and teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba (1999)
• Hoiberg, D. & Ramchandani, I., 'Sai Baba of Shirdi', in Students' Britannica India. Page available online
• Kamath, M. V. & Kher, V. B., Sai Baba of Shirdi: A Unique Saint, India: Jaico Publishing House (1997). ISBN 81-7224-030-9
• Osborne, Arthur, The Incredible Sai Baba. The Life and Miracles of a Modern-day Saint, Hyderabad, Orient Longman, 1957. ISBN 81-250-0084-4
• Panday, Balkrishna, Sai Baba’s 261 Leelas. A Treasure House of Miracles, New Delhi, Sterling, 2004. ISBN 81-207-2727-4
• Parthasarathy, Rangaswami, God Who Walked on Earth. The Life and Times of Shirdi Sai Baba, New Delhi, Sterling, 1996. ISBN 81-207-1809-7.
• Rao, Sham P. P., Five Contemporary Gurus in the Shirdi (Sai Baba) Tradition, Bangalore: Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society, 1972. LC Control No.: 75905429.
• Rigopoulos, Antonio, The Life and Teachings of Sai Baba of Shirdi State University of New York press, Albany, (1993) ISBN 0-7914-1268-7.
• Ruhela, S. P. (ed), What Researchers Say about Sri Shirdi Sai Baba, Faridabad, Sai Age Publications, 1994. ISBN 81-85880-85-9
• Ruhela, S. P. (ed), Sri Shirdi Sai Baba – The Universal Master, Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi, 1994. ISBN 81-288-1517-2
• Ruhela, S. P. (ed), Truth in Controversies about Sri Shirdi Sai Baba, Faridabad, Indian Publishers Distributors, 2000. ISBN 81-7341-121-2
• Venkataraman, Krishnaswamy, Shirdi Stories, Srishti Publishers, New Delhi, 2002. ISBN 81-87075-84-8
• Warren, Marianne, Unraveling the Enigma. Shirdi Sai Baba in the Light of Sufism, Revised edition, New Delhi, Sterling Publishing, 2004. ISBN 81-207-2147-0
• White, Charles S. J., The Sai Baba Movement: Approaches to the Study of India Saints in Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 31, No. 4 (Aug., 1972), pp. 863–878
• White Charles S. J., The Sai Baba Movement: Study of a Unique Contemporary Moral and Spiritual Movement, New Delhi, Arnold-Heinemann, 1985.
• Williams, Alison, Experiencing Sai Baba’s Shirdi. A Guide, revised edition, Shirdi, Saipatham Publications. 2004 ISBN 81-88560-00-6 available online
• Walshe-Ryan, Lorraine, I am always with you, Reprint 2008, New Delhi, Sterling Publishing, 2006. ISBN 978-81-207-3192-9.

External links[link]

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (September 2009)

Atif Aslam
Background information
Also known as	Aatif, Aadee
Born	Wazir abad, Pakistan (1983-03-12) 12 March 1983 (age 29)
Origin	Lahore, Pakistan
Genres	Rock, pop
Occupations	Singer, actor
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2001-present
Labels	Fire, Tips
Associated acts	Strings, Jal, Hadiqa Kiani, Shreya Ghoshal, Alka Yagnik, Sachin Gupta, Pritam, Alisha Chinoy, Sunidhi Chauhan
Website	www.aadeez.com

Atif Aslam (Urdu: عاطف اسلم, born Mohammad Atif Aslam; 12 March 1983 in Wazirabad, (Pakistan) is a Pakistani pop singer and film actor. He debuted in the film Bol and has given several hit songs^[1] .He is known for his vocal belting technique.^[2] In 2008, he was awarded the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan. .Atif Aslam has done his Bachleors in Computer Sciences from Punjab Institute Of Computer Sciences (PICS).

Music career[link]

Solo career (2004 onwards)[link]

After leaving Pakistani pop band Jal, Atif released his first solo album, Jal Pari, on 19 July 2004, under Sound Master and IC records. His work has gradually also become became popular in India. His is second album, Doorie, was released on 22 December 2006.

His first major concert was at Al Hamra Hall, Mall Road Lahore where he performed during the break of a stage drama Moulin Rouge. On 14 April 2007, Atif headlined in the Flex FX Dhamaka^[3] alongside Jay Sean at Royal Albert Hall. His first international concert was at W. StarDreamz Entertainment Group during his tour of USA and Canada with RDB and Annie. He recently performed in London's O2 Arena on 22nd April 2012 at the Flex FX Production's Dhamaka^[4] Bollywood Concert with Naz Choudhury^[5] and his Bolly Flex team to promote love, peace & unity among India and Pakistan becoming first Pakistani pop singer to perform on The O2 Arena stage.

Atif also mentioned in a press conference held in Karachi that he will be working on an international project titled The Dreamer Awakes, alongside members of American rock band Guns N' Roses.^{[citation needed]}

There were rumors circulating online that his new album was titled Shabnam. This was denied by Atif. “Right now, my entire focus is on this project (The Dreamer Awakes). I may be singing with Chris Martin or John Mayer… we’re trying to bring a lot of people together.”^[6] He has been greatly influenced by the singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Kishore Kumar and K.K.

Sarmad Ghafoor, a guitarist and producer for Qayaas contacted Atif Aslam to collaborate with them for the Fifth Season of Coke Studio (Pakistan). Atif Aslam in collaboration with Qayaas performed a revived rendition of "Charkha Nolakha" by Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The song and that entire episode received positive reviews from critics not only in Pakistan but also across the border in India.

Bollywood[link]

Atif has sung frequently for Bollywood films. His voice as a playback singer can be heard in Indian films such as "Pehli Nazar Mein", Race, "Tere Bin", Bas Ek Pal, "Bakhuda Tumhi Ho" in Kismat Konnection, "Leja tu mujhe",F.A.L.T.U, "Tera Hone Laga Hoon" and "Tu Jaane Na" in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, "Aa Bhi Ja Sanam", "O Mere Khuda", "Tere Liye" and "Kaun Hoon Main" in the film Prince.^[7] He sang two songs "Piya O Re Piya" and "Tu Mohabbat Hai" in Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya.

Hollywood[link]

Atif has three songs featured in Hollywood movies as well.^[8]

Acting career[link]

Atif made his acting debut in a Pakistani movie named Bol, 2011. He also made a special appearance in film songs like Tere Bin kaise jiya jai,Pehli Nazar mein,in the film Tere Bin,Pehli Nazar,Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya's song Tu Mohabbat Hai.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Bollywood/Lollywood songs[link]

Filmography[link]

• Bol - Mustafa, 2011
• Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya - Special Appearance in song Tu Mohabbat Hai

Awards[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Atif Aslam at the Internet Movie Database
• Atif aslam news updates

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It relies on references to primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject, rather than references from independent authors and third-party publications. Tagged since May 2009. It may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Tagged since April 2009. Very few or no other articles link to it. Please help introduce links to this page from other articles related to it. Tagged since May 2012.

Karna Das is the most prominent Nepali singer^[1] living and performing today. Mr. Das was born on 24 November 1974 in Pokhara. Das completed his high school in 1993 and studied Economics in college. Similarly, he was the lead singer of Madhyanha band. He is married to Sima Das. He started his singing career in 1997 with the first song "Jindagi Ko Ke Bharosa."

Mr. Das plays piano. He is inspired by Elton Jones, Richard Michael, Lata Mangeshkar, Jagjit Singh of India & Narayan Gopal of Nepal. He enjoys performing in front of the large audience. He strongly believes his mother is almighty. Most of his songs are heart touching and steal everybody's heart.

Concert[link]

Machapuchre Music Contest 1997 Selected Best Male Singer of the year in Pokhara

Christmas Festival Special Contribution of Gospel Song at Dharan, Sunsari, Nepal 1998

Special appearance as a singer at Beauty Pageant of Pokhara 1998

Performed in front of more that four thousand people at that Beauty Pageant Concert in Hong Kong

Performed in front of Nepalese and British Gurkhas living in Hong Kong on the occasion of Nepalese New Year 2001

Sister City Singing Ceremony

Performed on the occasion of recognition of the City of Pokhara in Nepal and Komagane of Japan 2001

6Th Rodhi Saanjh in Japan

Performed for Nepalese working & living in Tokyo, Japan 2002

Performed for Nepalese and British Gurkha living in Great Britain (UK) 2003

Performed in Bangkok,Thailand for Burmese of Nepali origin 2003

Performed in Doha, Qatar with multi-stars from Nepal 2003

Karna Das Night . First Solo Concert in front of 1200 audience in Kathmadu, Nepal 2004 “Yeti Sanjh” in London UK

“Karna Das Night” In the aid to establish a Medical Poly Clinic in Pokhara 2005

“Karna Das Night” in Pokhara. To raise fund for Landslide Victims of Mid western Nepal 2006

Participated and performed at the National Industrial Trade Fair in Pokhara, Nepal. 2006

Awards and achievements[link]

Discography[link]

• 1997: Madhyanha - 1
• 1998: Madhyanha - 2
• 2001: Madhyanha - 3
• 2000: Byerthai feri
• 2003: Purano Dunga
• 2005: Aadha Sapana
• 2007: Preet

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Karna Das Website

Divya Bharti (25 February 1974 – 5 April 1993) was an Indian film actress,^[1] whose acting variety hailed her as "the most interesting young actress of her generation" starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the early 1990s. She appeared in Hindi films of Bollywood, as well as Telugu and Tamil films. Bharti played a variety of character types; her film roles along with her screen persona contributed to a change in the concept of a Hindi film heroine.^[2]

After spending much of her childhood in Mumbai, Bharti began a career as an actress in 1990 with the Telugu film Bobbili Raja. Her early film appearances were minor, but in films like Vishwatma (1992) where her performance in the song "Saat Samundar Paar" drew attention to her. By 1992, Bharti had progressed to leading roles in films like Shola Aur Shabnam , a melodramatic film that dwelt on her undauntedness. Her dramatic performance in Deewana later that year was hailed by critics and garnered a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.^[3] Bharti has acted in over 14 Hindi films between 1992 and 1993.^[4] Throughout her career, she often played strong female characters and, apart from mainstream cinema. Bharti's last completed films were Rang, co-starring Kamal Sadanah and Shatranj with Jackie Shroff, both released posthumously. ^[5]

Though her career went through certain periods of decline, she reinvented herself numerous times and was credited for her ability to sustain her status.^[6] The final years of Bharti's life were marked by personal problems, and a reputation for unreliability and difficulty to work with. Her career was cut short by her mysterious death on 5 April 1993.^[7] The circumstances of her death, falling from the window ledge of her five-story Versova apartment have been the subject of conjecture.

Family and early life[link]

Divya Bharti was born on February 25 1974, in the Mumbai, India, the eldest child of Omprakash Bharti an insurance officer and Meeta Bharti.^[8] Meeta Bharti was the second wife of Omprakash Bharti. She had a younger brother Kunal. Bharti Studied at Maneckji Cooper High School in Juhu, Mumbai, in same era as actors Farhan Akhtar and Rani Mukherji attended. She was an average in studies and completed grade 9th.^[9]

Career[link]

1988-1990: Early work and career beginnings[link]

In 1988, Bharti met film-maker Nandu Tolani when she accompanied a friend. Upon seeing her, Nandu Tolani insisted that she become an actress. At that time Bharti was in the ninth standard. She was originally scheduled to make her screen debut in Gunahon Ka Devta in 1988, but her role was cancelled later.^[10] Kirti Kumar (Govinda's brother) noticed the Divya at a video library, was eager to sign up Divya for Radha Ka Sangam opposite Govinda. Weeks later Kirti went personally to meet Dilip Shankar and managed to release Divya from their contract. Before the first shot was taken, Bharti was out of the film after being groomed for two years and replaced by Juhi Chawla.^[11]

Bharti's career was on end until D. Ramanaidu, one of the biggest producers of Telugu cinema offered Bobbili Raja opposite his son Daggubati Venkatesh. She commenced shooting for her first release. The film was released in the summer of 1990 and became a colossal hit.^[12] She was introduced as Rani, daughter of the minister who has had all the comforts of life. The film was considered an usual launch for a newcomer, However, she was eventually noticed for her role, particularly for the forthright character she played.

Although highly regarded for her acting abilities, Bharti acted in only one Tamil film titled Nila Penne opposite Anand Babu, the son of legendary actor, Nagesh who was most widely known for several leading roles in the early 1990s and his dancing exploits. The film was critically and financially unsuccessful.^[13]

1990–1992:Rise to stardom in Telugu cinema[link]

With more hits, Bharti became a bigger name in Telugu cinema.^[14] In box-office ratings, she figured next to Vijayshanti. In 1991, Bharti gave back-to-back hits, including Rowdy Alludu and Assembly Rowdy opposite Chiranjeevi and Mohan Babu.^[15]

Later that year, A Kodandarami Reddy's action romantic Dharma Kshetram under Sri Rajeev Productions released. Bharti essayed the role of beautiful girl along with a prominent Telugu film actor Nandamuri Balakrishna, who then starred in many critical and commercial films with the highest number of dual roles (Thirteen). The film went on to become one of the biggest hits of Telugu cinema of its time.^[16] Nandamuri Balakrishna said about her performance, "This is an exceptional position reflecting an exceptional role she has played for us." ^[17]

1992–1993:Rise to stardom in Bollywood[link]

Bharti's first Bollywood film was Vishwatma opposite Sunny Deol, directed by Rajiv Rai which released on January 2, 1992. The film was an average grosser at the box office but gained Bharti wider recognition from the public as well as film critics.^[18] the film was only declared an average grosser.^[19] Notably, the music of the film was very successful especially the song "Saat Samundar" which became a favorite and gave Bharti the limelight into Bollywood..^[20]

Seven days later, Bharti's next film, Lawrence D'Souza's romantic drama Dil Ka Kya Kasoor alongside Prithvi and Sanam released but opened badly.^[21] Bharti's role was that of a girl by the name of Seema, who is secretly in love with a guy who wants to be a singer. She secretly helps him become a successful singer by writing songs for him but keeps her identity a secret from him. Through her songs he becomes popular and wealthy virtually overnight. The music of this film from duo Nadeem-Shravan was an instant hit due to its catchy melody. But the film din't do well at the box office. However, Filmfare magazines started including Bharti in the list of 1992 "Top Ten Best Actress Performances". After Bharti's flops, she was quoted as saying, "I wanted to prove myself. But I've fallen flat on my face. Now, I have to begin my climb all over again. Yet, I'm positive that one day, success will be mine." (Stardust, March 1992).^[22]

In March 1992, David Dhawan's Shola Aur Shabnam was released. Bharti starred as Divya, the love interest of Karan (Govinda. Karan and Divya both plan to marry each other. Circumstances act against them, and they flee together, with Kali Baba's (Gulshan Grover) men after them. Shola Aur Shabnam was popular with critics and was a box office hit in India,^[23] establishing Bharti once again. She received a Lux Face of the Year title. It also gave a big boost to Govinda's career^[24], as well as launching David Dhawan as an established director.^[25].

Four months later, Bharti received further success in Raj Kanwar's Filmfare award winning love story Deewana ^[26] starred veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, and newcomer Shahrukh Khan. Bharti essayed the role of Kajal who falls in love and marries a famous singer named Ravi (Rishi Kapoor). After Ravi is presumed dead after falling off a cliff, the widowed and depressed Kajal meets a young man named Raja (Shahrukh Khan). Deewana grossed 14 crore, and Boxoffice India declared it a hit.^[27] Her performance in Deewana was highly appreciated. ^[28] Critics reported that Bharti belonged to a new breed of Hindi film actors that breaks away from character stereotypes. Bharti and Shahrukh Khan both were awarded with Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut and Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut respectively.

By July 1992, Bharti's work in Deewana was said to have earned her more acknowledge. She was listed as one of the "Most Valuable Young Stars". Further films like Jaan Se Pyaara, once again with Govinda, Geet and Balwaan with another debutant Sunil Shetty followed. Balwaan premiered on 11 September 1992 and was an success, establishing Sunil Shetty as a tough action hero. The film was considered an unusual for Bharti, as her role called for only minutes of screen time. Her role was small, and was not well received. She was mostly criticised for taking a role of minimal importance. Although she explained that the decision was significant, so even when characters are being unkind it's hard not to like

By the end of the year, She starred in Hema Malini's Dil Aashna Hai once again co-starring Shahrukh Khan. The film tells the story of a young girl brought up in a brothel, who is a cabaret dancer in Digvijay Singh's (Kabir Bedi) five-star hotel. Karan (Shahrukh Khan) falls in love with Laila. Laila is aided by Karan in the search for her birth mother. Laila is determined to bring seek answers and find acceptance from her real mother. The film garnered negative reviews and poor box office returns.^[29] She described the role as an attempt to pretext her cursorial public image. Hema Malini labelled her role by stating that "The lady has not just looked glamorous but she has walked with symmetry, smiled with austerity and spoke with sangfroid" ^[30]

Bharti's final film before her death was the ensemble film Kshatriya, released just 10 days before her death. Her last completed films Rang and Shatranj were released months after her death and dedicated to her memory. She had completed 80% shooting of the film Laadla before her role was recast with Sridevi. She was also set to star in films like Mohra, Vijaypath, Kartavya and Andolan but was replaced by other actresses.

Personal life[link]

Bharti married film producer Sajid Nadiadwala in 1992.^[7] They had met in 1990 at Film City, when Sajid dropped by the sets to meet Govinda on the sets of Shola Aur Shabnam.^[31]

Death and aftermath[link]

Around midnight of 5 April 1993, Bharti fell to her death from a five-storey Versova apartment building in Mumbai. There was much speculation by the media regarding Bharti's sudden demise, including the possibility of accidental death, well planned conspiracy or even murder. ^[32] Mumbai Police failed to find evidences and closed the investigation in 1998. Some conspiracy theories involved her husband Sajid Nadiadwala, while other theories suggested Mafia complicity. But the circumstances of her death still remain a mystery.^[33]

Bharti's body was released to her family, who had arranged for a cremation ceremony.^[34] On 7 April 1993, Bharti was cremated in Hindu fashion.

Filmography[link]

Incomplete films[link]

Year of release	Title	Co-Star	Replacement
1993	Dhanwan	Ajay Devgan	Karisma Kapoor
1993	Tholi Muddhu	Prashanth	Rambha
1993	Do Kadam	Salman Khan	N
1993	Parinaam	Akshay Kumar	N
1993	Chal Pe Chal	Jackie Shroff	N
1993	Bajrangi	Sunny Deol	N
1994	Mohra	Akshay Kumar	Raveena Tandon
1994	Laadla	Anil Kapoor	Sridevi
1994	Vijaypath	Ajay Devgan	Tabu
1995	Andolan	Ajay Sharma	Mamta Kulkarni
1995	Kartavya (1995 film)	Sanjay Kapoor	Juhi Chawla
1995	Angrakshak	Sunny Deol	Pooja Bhatt
1995	Hulchul	Ajay Devgan	Kajol
1995	Kanyadaan	Rishi Kapoor	Manisha Koirala