What were the abilities of Karna other than archery?

Karna is one of the most fascinating character of Mahabharata. His various deeds are mentioned throughout the epic. Some of his abilities are -

• Able enough to be chosen by gods to assist them in their plan.

Narration -

Therefore, listen to what happened in earlier times, about how the kshatriyas would be cleansed by weapons and would go to heaven. To engender that dissension, he was created in a virgin womb.

• Able enough to obtain all the weapons from Lord Parshuram. Able enough to win the hearts of gods, gandharvas and rakshasas.

Narration -

Karna resided on Mahendra, supreme among mountains, and met gandharvas, rakshasas, yakshas and gods there. There, in the proper way, he obtained all the weapons from the best of the Bhrigu lineage. Because of this, he was loved by the gods, the gandharvas and the rakshasas.

• Able enough to please his guru Lord Parshurama by his virtues.

Narration -

The tiger among the Bhrigu lineage was pleased with the strength of Karna’s arms, affection, self-control and the service he showed towards his preceptor. He was also excellent in austerities.

• Able enough to bear pain of a rakshasa disguised as a bug for his guru.

Narration -

Karna bore that pain with fortitude and ignored it. He did not tremble and continued to bear Bhargava. Eventually, the blood from the limbs touched the extender of the Bhrigu lineage.

• Able enough to defeat Jarasandha in a wrestling duel. Able enough to get administration of a city from Jarasandha purely on his valour and merit.

Narration -

While fighting with him in that terrible duel with bare arms, Karna was about to sever the two parts of the body that had been brought together by Jara. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! On seeing that his body was about to face this hardship, the king cast aside all enmity and spoke these affectionate words to Karna. ‘I am pleased.’ He gave Karna the city of Malini.

• Able enough to make Lord Surya (his ishtadeva) proclaim that he is Surya's greatest devotee. This is testimony of Karna's devotional ability. This is what Surya said to him -

Narration -

It is because you are devoted to me that I am telling you this for the sake of your own welfare. This is for the reason that all my devotees should be protected by me. O mighty-armed one! I know that this one here is my greatest devotee and is devoted towards me.

• Able enough to make Indra arrive as a mendicant on Earth.
• Able enough to smilingly cut his body to give away his divine armour and earrings. This feat was even acknowledged by gods.

Narration -

He grasped his sharp sword and began to cut up his entire body. On seeing Karna cut up his own body, the gods, humans, danavas and masses of siddhas began to roar, because despite the pain, there were no distortions on his face. Celestial drums were sounded and divine flowers were showered down from above, at the sight of Karna, the brave man, smiling repeatedly as he cut up his own body with the sword.

• Able enough to refuse the tempting offer of Krishna for his foster parents and Duryodhana.

Narration 1-

As soon as he saw me, the suta Adhiratha took me home. O Madhusudana! Out of affection towards me, he gave me to Radha. Out of affection towards me, milk flowed from Radha’s breasts. O Madhava! She accepted my urine and my excrement. How can someone like me ignore the ancestral oblations that are due to her? I am learned in dharma. I have always devoted myself to listening to the sacred texts of dharma. Suta Adhiratha thinks of me as a son. Out of affection towards him, I have always thought of him as a father.

Narration 2 -

O Janardana! I cannot be false to Dhritarashtra’s intelligent son because of death, bondage, fear or greed.

• Able enough to accept his mistake in front of Krishna.

Narration -

O Krishna! I regret the harsh words I used against the Pandavas to please Dhritarashtra’s son. I am now tormented by that deed. O Krishna! When you see me killed by Savyasachi, that will be the punashchiti.

• Able enough to grant boon to his estranged biological mother who casted him out during birth.

Narration -

However, your appeal to me will not be fruitless. Though I can counter and kill them, I will not kill all of your sons in battle—Yudhishthira, Bhima and the twins, everyone other than Arjuna.

• Able enough to earn the title Vrisha which is one amongst the Lord Vishnu's name. Able enough to receive praise from Krishna which is depicted below.

Narration -

He is devoted to brahmanas. He is truthful. He has engaged in austerities. He is devoted to his vows. He is compassionate towards his enemies. It is for these reasons that Karna is known as Vrisha.

• Able enough to stick to his vows. Even when his biological brothers killed his sons and foster brothers, for keeping his vow to Kunti, he left four Pandavas alive.
• Able enough to earn fame as a great donor. His charity has been praised on multiple occasions by various characters in the epic.
• Able enough to seize Rudra constructed vajra with his bare hands. This feat of Karna was applauded even by the Gods.

Narration -

He hurled a vajra towards the son of a suta. That vajra was extremely terrible and possessed eight wheels. It had been constructed by Rudra. As it descended, Karna placed his bow on his chariot and seized it. He hurled it back.

• Able enough to receive praise from Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma which is depicted below.

Narration -

Karna, foremost in the worlds, is a bull among men. Vaikartana is brave and valiant. But let the two Krishnas be victorious. With Drona and Bhishma, let him obtain the great world of heaven and the worlds of the Vasus and the Maruts.

• Able enough to be killed by deceit even though he had a lot of disadvantages (contrary to his enemy who had umpteenth number of advantages).

Narration -

On hearing that Bhishma, Drona, Karna and Bhurishrava had been slain through adharma, they grieved and wept in sorrow. The Pandavas were distressed and immersed in thought.

• Able enough to agitate the nature's flow after his death. It seems mother Earth felt that she had lost a jewel after Karna died.

Narration -

When Karna was killed, the rivers stopped flowing. The sun was tainted and set. The blazing planets coursed in a diagonal direction. O king! Yama’s son arose.The sky seemed to divide into two parts. The earth seemed to shriek. Extremely harsh and forceful winds began to blow. The directions seemed to blaze fiercely, with a lot of smoke. The giant oceans were agitated and roared loudly. O venerable one! The groves, mountains and large numbers of beings were distressed and trembled. Brihaspati afflicted Rohini and assumed the complexion of the moon and the sun. When Karna was killed, the directions were covered in darkness and could not be distinguished. The firmament and the earth seemed to move. Flaming meteors showered down.

• Able enough to attain supreme success after his death.

Narration -

The great archer, Karna, was supreme among those who wielded all kinds of weapons. You are tormented on his account. But he has obtained supreme success. O lord! Look at that tiger among men, the son of the sun. He has obtained his own station.

The references and quotations used in the answer have been taken from the BORI critical edition of Mahabharata.

What are the outstanding abilities of the Maasai people?

 

1. The Maasai are tall and have high physical abilities.

The Maasai are known as a tall tribe, with many of them standing over 190 centimeters tall.

The village is also famous for its dances involving continuous jumps , and there is a custom that the man who can jump the highest in the village will marry the most beautiful woman.

This is a "warrior tribe" where people with superior physical abilities are given respect .

They are known as some of the fastest runners among African tribes.

They sometimes fight with spears, but they are also capable of throwing clubs nearly 100 meters.

The general image of the Maasai people is that they possess considerable physical abilities.

2. The Maasai's incredible eyesight

One of the Maasai people is famous for their incredible eyesight .

Their visual acuity ranges from 3.0 to 8.0, and some even have visual acuity comparable to 12.0.

A visual acuity of 12.0 means you can correctly answer the eye chart used in Japan from a distance of 30 meters.

It was once thought that genetic factors might be influencing their eyesight, but the eyesight of Maasai people living in urban areas is 1.0 to 2.0, which is no different from other tribes or Japanese people.

Environmental factors play a significant role, and as a result of living in open grasslands, their visual "focus" is set to be at a distance.

The Maasai people have excellent eyesight for seeing things far away, but they have difficulty seeing things up close.

Who is Goddess Ekanamsha? What are her abilities?

 

Ekanamsha is Devi Yogamaya who was born as the daughter of Yashoda and was exchanged with Shri Krishna. She was the girl child whom Kamsa tried to kill by smashing on a rock. She was the goddess who warned Kamsa about his imminent doom. Her story is described in Harivamsa of Mahabharata.

1. Lord Vishnu describes Goddess Ekanamsha -

“O goddess, may you fare-well; as being the ninth of our race, you will be conceived by Yashoda, the best of milk-women, the most beloved wife of Nanda the master of Kamsa’s kine. You will be born on the ninth day of the dark half of the month.

Afterwards when Vasava will assign to you the mount Vindhya for your habitation you will adorn the world with thousand provinces.

O goddess, there thinking of me in your mind, and starting with the goblins you will kill the two demons Shumbha and Nishumbha living in mountain, with all their attendants.”

• Chapter 2, Vishnu Parva, Harivamsa.

2. Narada describes Ekanamsha to Kamsa -

“The daughter, whom you dashed against a stone in that night, is Yashoda’s daughter and know Krishna as Vasudeva’s son. Vasudeva, your enemy in the guise of a friend, after due consultation, exchanged the children in night for bringing about your death. Having slain on the Vindhya mountain the two sky-ranging Danavas, Shumbha and Nisumbha, that daughter of Yashoda, sprinkled by the gods, is being worshipped by the dreadful robbers and various animals. She is fond of human and animal sacrifices and confers boon (upon her worshippers) after their hearts. Embellished with two jars full of wine and blood and adorned with peacock-feathers she has made her own abode, by her own power, in the forest of the Vindhya range.“

• Chapter 22, Vishnu Parva, Harivamsa.

3. Ekanamsha lived in Dwaraka with the Yadavas -

“Thereupon, the illusory daughter of Yashoda, whom the people describe as one and without any parts, with whom, the Purusottam Krishna, the king of gods, was born at the same moment and for whom he slew Kamsa with his relatives, appeared before Krishna and Rama, the foremost of men. Up to this time she was being adored in the Vrishni family and was being brought up and maintained like a daughter. She, whom the people of the world know as the irrepressible Yoga maiden, and as one and without any parts, was born for the protection of Keshava. Because she protected Keshava with her goddess-like celestial body the Yadavas used to worship her with great pleasure. As soon as she entered the Hall, Madhava approached her, like unto a man his beloved female friend and held her by the hand.”

• Chapter 102, Vishnu Parva, Harivamsa.