He was not born in a palace. He was born in the trembling hands of a teenage mother who set him adrift on the Yamuna in a basket of reeds. The river carried him, but the world never let him forget that current. He was found and raised by Adhiratha, a charioteer, and Radha, his wife. They gave him love, but society gave him a curse: Suta-putra —son of a driver.
Years passed. The war approached. One night, a woman in dark silk entered Karna’s chambers. It was Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas. And his own mother—the one who had set him adrift. mrityunjay kadambari
Karna hesitated. "Adhiratha... the charioteer." He was not born in a palace