'Rashmirathi' is an epic poem and one of the most celebrated works of the renowned Hindi poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar. It is a poetic verse in which Dinkar has penned the story of the figure Karna from the Sanskrit epic, Mahabharata. Karna was one of the most vital and layered characters in the epic who was the first-born child of Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas. Since Kunti had borne the Sun God's child out of wedlock, she abandoned the new-born out of fear of social shame. The new-born was raised by a low-caste charioteer and his wife, and Karna grew up to be one of the finest archers and warriors of his times. However, since he did not belong from the warrior-class, Karna was humiliated by the Pandavas and found refuge in the respect extended to him by Duryodhana of the Kaurava brothers. In spite of knowing right from wrong and seeing the fate of the war of Kurukshetra, Karna was obliged to fight from the side of the Kauravas and declined Kunti's plight to joint the Pandava army even after his true identity was revealed to him. Karna was a character that was deserving yet disregarded right from his childhood and grew up in angst and fighting dilemmas. Dinkar's poem is a beautiful analysis of the emotional conflicts and complexes that plagued the mind of this brave warrior and how his courage and loyalty surpassed all measures of bravery. The classic literary work is an ode to one of the bravest characters in literary history and should be read for its depth and magnificent style of writing alike.
