When Karna was already killed by destiny, why did Krishna invite Karna to the Pandavas side?
Answer Podcast
Transcript
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We see with the Kurukshet, that when Krishna went to Shantu, he invited Karna to come over on his side, on the Pandava side. And yet, the Vishwaroop Darshan shows that Krishna had already killed Karna. The Kaurava warriors, including Karna.
So, chronologically speaking, the Shantidut episode happens first. Then after that, Bhagavata is spoken. And after that, the war takes place in which Karna dies.
So, we human beings always have free will. We have the capacity to make choices. But, choices are inextricably linked to consequences.
Once I make a choice, I have to bear the consequences. So, for example, if I am at a ten-story building, I have a choice whether to step off the building or not. But once I make a choice of stepping off, then I don’t have the choice whether my limbs will be broken or not.
That choice is linked with a particular consequence. So, here, when Krishna told Karna that why do you want to fight on the side of Dharma? That is, he was giving him a choice. And after he made a choice of fighting on the side of Kauravas, then that choice was going to bring a particular consequence.
That is, he was going to be in destruction. And that consequence of the choice was shown by Krishna to Arjuna in the Vishwaroop. So, now here, what was Krishna’s purpose in showing in the Vishwaroop that the Kauravas are going to die? The point was to encourage Arjuna to make the right choice.
Krishna was telling Arjuna that whether you fight or not, they are going to die. Their death is inevitable. But if you do it, if you fight, if you make the right choice, you will get the credit.
So, God never takes away our free will. At the same time, He doesn’t break the chain between choice and consequence. So, in that sense, there is, we always have free will, but there is also destiny.
If I have done something, I am destined to get the consequences. But I have free will by which I can make choices now. So, broadly speaking, what Krishna was telling Karna is that you have a choice, make the choice now.
But if he doesn’t choose rightly, then by destiny, the consequences of that wrong choice will come to us. So, what we do, or what happens to us, is our destiny. How we respond to it is our free will.
So, Karna’s being born and then being born in Kshatriya family, but being grown up as a Suta, being known as Suta, all that was his destiny. He had to grow that. But even within that destiny, he had choices.
So, Krishna was giving him an opportunity to make the right choices. But he failed to make that right choice. Does that answer your question? Thank you.