Hitting the bird’s eye

What I am now about to disclose is a bit controversial, a bit unconventional, somewhat unbelievable and somehow unknown. Perhaps we were not told, as the lullabies told us were of a different genre, of fairy tales and Gabbar’s torture.  What lies at my narration is the story of Karna, who was the mightiest archer of history. Yes, mightier than even Arjun.

Karna was the son of a charioteer and thus he was refused to be trained by Guru Dronacharya in his Military Academy. Nevertheless, he began his sessions all alone in the night, under the light of the moon and a lamp. However, as per the custom that every student should have a guru, so Karna choose none other than the mighty sun god as his guru. From dawn to noon he went to the ghats of Gang and remained smeared in the water, neck deep, paying his tributes to the sun god. Thereafter, in the remaining time he practiced that often stretched till the fall of dusk, sometimes even more.

We all have heard or read the story of Arjun, when he aimed at the bird's eye. It was a competition organized in the arena of the military academy by Guru Dronacharya himself. Everyone was competing everyone. However, Karna was absent that day and the news reached him late. In the arena, one after the other Guru Dronacharya repeated the very same question, “What do you see?” And answers flowed in from a tree, to a mountain, clouds, trees, pastures, dogs, cows and riverbeds. These answers were themselves the elimination of all these contestants, bringing Arjun closer to the question. When Arjun was asked the same question he replied, “I see the bird’s eye.” Guru Drona patted his back and asked him to proceed. He aimed and down came the bird with the arrow still in its eye. Dronacharya was pleased as per his expectations from Arjun. He again patted his bat and declared him the greatest archer.

               As Ashwatthaman, Guru Drona’s son narrated this tale to Karna, he saw a spark in his eyes. He asked him promptly, “What would you have answered Karna?”

“I would have said, nothing. Yes, NOTHING. When Karna takes an aim, he can see nothing. His entire body itself becomes an arrow, and all that is seen is the tip of the arrow and a tiny dot, where it has to strike. Ashwatthaman, if I would have been there I would have pierced both the eyes of the bird in one shot.”

“I believe you Karna. I know you could have. There is no one in this land who can compete you in any field. Neither from the Pandavas, nor the Kauravas.”

That night Karna went to the academy with his brother Shona. He told Shona to place the bird at the highest possible place on the Ashoka tree. Shona did as instructed by his elder brother. He climbed high, placed the bird and lighted a lamp near it. From a distance, Karna looked at the bird and gripped his bow. He now could see nothing, nothing except the tip of his arrow and the point of aim. In his mind he planned, I will hit both the eyes of the bird in one shot. I need to release the second arrow after a short break, such that the first arrow when hits the bird turns it clockwise and then my other arrow pierces right through the other eye of the bird. He aimed, concentrated and with a hold of breath released the arrow. After a fraction of second he released the other arrow too. With two brief splutters and a thud the bird came down on the plinth.

Shona ran in excitement to see it and Karna followed patiently. The stuffed bird lay there, perfectly pierced with two arrows in each eye. Shoan looked at his brother with a gleaming face. Karna affectionately smiled back and took Shoan by his shoulder and moved back to their restroom.

“You are the greatest archer bhaiya.” Shoan said as he took Karna’s bow to lighten his weight. Karna smiled and they paced ahead.