Adhiratha

Quick Facts

About Adhiratha

The charioteer of Hastinapura who found the infant Karna floating in a basket on the Ganga and raised him with his wife Radha in love that Karna honored above crowns.

In Their Words

The river gave you to us, and no throne can take that away.

Adhiratha

Traits

• loving
• humble
• steadfast

Story Appearances

• Karna's Birth & CurseThe father who drew the basket from the river❧ 21 min

Stories Featuring Adhiratha

17 further tales on this site name Adhiratha, in canonical reading order.

• Kunti Knows Her SonThe mother who recognised Karna in the arena and stayed silentAdi Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Charioteer's SonAdhiratha, the father Karna choseAdi Parva
• Anga, the Kingdom Karna Was GivenA crown thrown like a challengeAdi Parva
• Karna at the Grandsire's FeetThe forgiveness that came too late to change anythingBhishma Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Bow Tip and the BoastKarna keeps his word to Kunti and pays for it in insultsDrona Parva ‧ 20 min
• The Fourth Son Karna Let GoKarna disarms Sahadeva in the night battle and sends him away aliveDrona Parva ‧ 11 min
• Karna Takes the FieldThe vow that kept him out of ten days of war, and the grief that brought him into itDrona Parva ‧ 17 min
• The King of the Fire CityAshwatthama kills Nila of Mahishmati, and Arjuna kills three of Karna's brothers in his sightDrona Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Shape of GhatotkachaSanjaya describes the rakshasa's body, chariot and host as he charges Karna at midnightDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Fallen SunKarna's story is the Mahabharata's deepest meditation on the cruelty of fate and the power of loyalty. He was denied...Karna Parva ‧ 28 min
• The Calf and the WheelKarna tells his charioteer the curse that will kill himKarna Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Bhargava WeaponKarna spends his teacher's last gift on the PancalasKarna Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Elephant Standard Comes DownDhrishtadyumna leaves Duryodhana without horses, driver, weapons or banner at noon on the seventeenth dayKarna Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Night After DronaThe sleepless camp, four men in a tent, and the thread tied round Karna's wristsKarna Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Price on Arjuna's HeadKarna offers everything he owns to any man who will point out ArjunaKarna Parva ‧ 13 min
• Arjuna Cuts His Way to KarnaAn army ordered to tire one man before Karna kills himKarna Parva ‧ 21 min
• Karna's Tales of the MadrakasThe abducted woman's curse, the rakshasa's ranking of dirt, and a driver who cannot get off the chariotKarna Parva ‧ 21 min

Places in Adhiratha's Story

Drawn from the stories Adhiratha appears in.

• Hastinapurहस्तिनापुर
• Gandhamadanaगन्धमादन
• Angaअंग
• Kurukshetraकुरुक्षेत्र
• Gokulगोकुल
• Banks of the Gangaगङ्गा तट
• Mahishmatiमाहिष्मती
• Madra Kingdomमद्र देश
• Panchanadaपञ्चनद

Related Characters

Others counted among the Sages & Others.

• ✦Sage Kanva
• ◎Eklavya
• ★Shukracharya
• ♛Vrishaparva
• ♛Yadu
• ✧Princess Amba