FAIR DEATH OF KARNA BY ARJUNA

It's a big misconception that Arjuna killed Karna by cheating and by using unfair means but according to BORI CE which is the most authentic version of Vaisampayana Mahabharata, Arjuna killed Karna in a fair fight.All the references provided here are from Bibek Debroy translation of BORI CE

1). MISCONCEPTION :- Arjuna killed an unarmed Karna who was lifting the wheel of his chariot

Here's the description of Arjuna killing Karna from actual event of Karna Parva :-

KARNA PARVA Section-67

“On seeing this, Karna again invoked brahmastra against Dhananjaya. He showered down arrows
and tried to extricate his chariot. Pandava countered those weapons with his own weapons. Kounteya
then released another weapon, beloved of the fire god, towards Karna. It blazed fiercely. Karna
pacified the fire through a varuna weapon. He covered all the directions with clouds and it was as
dark as a rainy day. Pandaveya was not frightened. While Radheya looked on, the valiant one used the
vayavya weapon and dispelled all the clouds. The supreme one’s standard had the marks of an
elephant’s housing. It was decorated with gold, pearls, jewels and diamonds. It had been crafted by
excellent artisans over a long period of time. It was expensive and beautiful in form. It always
inspired your soldiers and terrified and frightened the enemy. It was renowned in the world and
blazed like the sun and the moon. Kiriti used a razor-sharp arrow that was gold-tufted and pointed.
With that, he brought down the handsome and blazing standard of the great-souled maharatha,
Adhiratha’s son. O venerable one! When that standard was uprooted, fame, dharma, victory and
everything that was dear to the hearts of the Kurus also fell down. Great sounds of lamentation arose.
‘ “To ensure Karna’s death, Pandava took out an anjalika arrow. It was like the great Indra’s vajra,
or like a rod that was made out of fire. It blazed in its rays, like the one with one thousand rays.
800 It
was capable of penetrating the inner organs and smearing itself with blood and flesh. It was extremely
expensive and was like the fire and the sun. It could destroy men, horses and elephants and was three
cubits long, with six tufts.
801 It travelled straight and possessed a great force. In its energy, it was like
the vajra of the one with one thousand eyes. It was as difficult to withstand as predatory beasts. It was
like the pinaka and Narayana’s chakra. It was fearful and destructive of living beings. He invoked
mantras and affixed that supreme and great weapon to Gandiva. He loudly said, ‘I am grasping this great weapon, which is in the form of an arrow. It is extremely difficult to withstand and is capable of
destroying the body. If I have tormented myself through austerities and have satisfied my seniors, if I
have listened to what my well-wishers have told me, through that truth, let this arrow slay my
armoured enemy, Karna, and bring me victory.’ Having said this, for the sake of Karna’s death,
Dhananjaya released that terrible arrow. It was as fierce as rites performed by Atharvan and Angiras.
It blazed and was impossible to be endured in a battle, even by Death itself. Kiriti cheerfully said, ‘Let
this arrow bring me victory.’ Wishing to slay Karna, bring about his end and convey him to Yama, he
released the arrow, which was as radiant as the sun and the moon. Cheerfully, so that he could be
conveyed towards victory, the one with the diadem and the garland shot the arrow. It was as radiant as
the sun and the moon. He harboured feelings of enmity and wished to slay his enemy. That weapon,
blazing like the sun, was shot. Like the sun, it lit up the earth with its radiance. The head of the
commander of the army was severed. Like the sun, with a red disc, it seemed to set. The body of the
one who performed generous deeds was always reared in happiness. Like a person who is reluctant to
leave a house filled with great riches, the head parted from the body with great difficulty. Without the
armour, the body was mangled by arrows and lost its life. Karna’s body was severed and fell down.
Blood oozed from the wounds, like red chalk flowing from the slopes of a mountain, when the
summit has been struck by thunder. When Karna’s body fell down, a flaming mass of energy arose
and rose up into the sky. O king! When Karna was slain, all the men and warriors witnessed this great
wonder.

EXPLANATION :-

It's clearly written that after trying to lift the wheel of chariot he countered Agniastra using a Varunastra. Some people thinks that Karna used Varunastra without using bow and arrows so they want to say that Karna was lifting the wheel of his chariot using one hand and used Varunastra by another hand. Even if we consider this true then again it doesn't prove that Karna was killed unarmed as it was possible for a warrior to use the weapons using one hand only.

MISCONCEPTION ABOUT THE STATEMENT OF DURYODHANA :-

Here's the statement of Duryodhana :-

Shalya Parva Section- 60

Duryodhana spoke these harsh words to Vasudeva.
‘You are the son of Kamsa’s slave and you have no shame.
49 In this encounter with the clubs, I have
been brought down through adharma. Bhima falsified the injunctions of the sacred texts and shattered
my thighs. Do you think I do not know what you told Arjuna? You have slaughtered thousands of
kings through unfair means. You have used many crooked means. But you suffer no shame or
abhorrence on account of that. From one day to another, you have caused a great carnage of brave
ones. Placing Shikhandi at the forefront, you brought down the grandfather. O evil-minded one! You
caused an elephant named Ashvatthama to be killed and made the preceptor lay down his weapons. Do
you think that this is not known to me? When that valiant one was cruelly brought down by
Dhrishtadyumna, you witnessed it. But you did not restrain him. A javelin was obtained
50 for the
destruction of Pandu’s son. You wasted it on Ghatotkacha. Is there anyone more wicked than you? The
powerful Bhurishrava’s arms were severed and he was ready to give up his life. When Shini’s evil-
souled descendant
51 killed him, you were behind that act. Karna performed the excellent deed of
triumphing over Partha. But you caused Ashvasena, the son of the king of the serpents, to be
countered. In the battle, Karna’s wheel was submerged in the ground. He was defeated and overtaken
by a hardship. That foremost among men was trying to extricate it and you had him killed.

According to the statement of Duryodhana :-

1). Lord Krishna was a crook warrior who unfairly killed many Kings.

2). It was Lord Krishna who killed Bhishma

3). It was Lord Krishna who killed Karna not Arjuna

4). Lord Krishna who defeated an army of demigods in Khandava forest was inferior to Duryodhana who was defeated by mere Gandharvas

Two minutes silence for the deadly sense of humour of this frustrated freek

Even according to the statement of Duryodhana Karna was not killed weaponless as Duryodhana was telling the summary not the whole description so he skipped Karna firing Varunastra and continuing the fight.

MISCONCEPTION :- Gods started crying when they heard that Karna was killed unfairly from the mouth of Duryodhana

Nowhere it's written that any god or demigod cried for Karna. It were the Pandavas who wept for Karna. Here's the proof :-

SHALYA PARVA Section-60

On seeing these
wonderful sights, they,
55 with Vasudeva at the forefront, were ashamed and honoured Duryodhana.
On hearing that Bhishma, Drona, Karna and Bhurishrava had been slain through adharma, they
grieved and wept in sorrow.

Here they is referred to Pandavas as Lord Krishna was at the forefront of Pandavas.Bibek Debroy himself cleared in his footnotes that they is referred to Pandavas here. So neither any god nor any demigod cried for Karna.

Misconception :- Statements of Duryodhana and Lord Krishna are the authentic proofs of unfair death of Karna

Duryodhana and Lord Krishna said that Karna was killed unfairly. But if it was true then why did Vyasa and Vaisampayana called Arjuna righteous and virtuous.

SAUPTIKA PARVA Section-15

Having spoken these words, Dhananjaya again withdrew his
weapon. In an encounter, it is difficult for even the gods to do this.
37 With the exception of Shatakratu
himself, no one other than Pandava was capable of withdrawing a supreme weapon, once it had been
released in a battle. Once invoked, it was full of Brahma’s energy.WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOMEONE
WITH A CLEANSED SOUL and someone who was a brahmachari, no one else was capable of withdrawing it.
If a person is not a brahmachari, and having released the weapon, wishes to withdraw it, the weapon
will sever his head, with that of his descendants. Arjuna had followed the vows of a brahmachari. He
had obtained a weapon that was difficult to get. However, he had never invoked it, not even in a time
of great calamity. Pandava followed the vows of truth. He was brave and a brahmachari. He was
obedient to his superiors. It was because of this that Arjuna was capable of withdrawing that weapon
again.
‘Drona’s son saw that the two rishis were stationed in front of him. However, in the encounter, he
was incapable of again withdrawing that terrible weapon. In the encounter, he was incapable of
restraining that supreme weapon. O king! Distressed in his mind, Drona’s son addressed Dvaipayana.
“I was distressed because I confronted a great calamity. I was scared of saving my life. I released the
weapon out of fear. I was scared of Bhimasena. In attempting to kill Dhritarashtra’s son, he acted in
accordance with adharma. O illustrious one! Bhimasena resorted to falsehood in the battle. O
brahmana! Though I have not cleansed my soul, this is the reason I invoked this weapon. I do not have
any interest in withdrawing it, even now. Once this celestial weapon has been released by me, it is
invincible. O sage! I have invoked it with the energy of the fire and with mantras, ‘To bring an end to
the Pandavas’. Therefore, it has been created for the destruction of the Pandaveyas. It will now destroy
all the sons of Pandu who are alive. O brahmana! With my senses destroyed by anger, I have
committed a wicked deed. Created by me in this encounter, this weapon will slaughter the Parthas.”
‘Vyasa replied, “O son!
38 Partha Dhananjaya knew about the weapon brahmashira. However, he did
not release it out of rage, or to slay you in this encounter. In the encounter, he wished to pacify the
weapon that had been released by you. Arjuna released it, and withdrew it again. He obtained
instruction in the use of brahmastra from your father.
39 However, the mighty-armed Dhananjaya was
compassionate and DID NOT DEVIATE FROM THE DHARMA OF KSHATRIYAS. He possesses fortitude and IS
VIRTUOUS. He has knowledge of all the weapons and IS RIGHTEOUS.

Here Vaisampayana said that Arjuna was pure person that's why he was capable to withdraw Bramhshirastra.

Here Vyasa said that Arjuna always followed the dharma of a Kshatriya and was a righteous man.

So both Vaisampayana and Vyasa debunked the statements of Duryodhana and Lord Krishna.

One more point should be noted here that every statement of Lord Krishna should not be taken seriously as the same Lord Krishna also said that Arjuna defeated Lord Shiva in a combat. Here's the proof :-

Sauptika Pava Section- 12

He is the wielder of Gandiva, the one with the
white horses. The supreme of apes sits astride his standard. He is Jishnu. HE DEFEATED AND SATISFIED
SHANKARA, the one with the blue throat and Uma’s consort, the god who is the lord of the gods, himself
in a duel.
20 There is no other man on earth whom I love as much. There is nothing that I cannot give
him, even my wives and sons.

Here Lord Krishna clearly said that Arjuna defeated Lord Shiva himself but in reality it was Lord Shiva who had overpowered Arjuna. So the statement of Lord Krishna should not be taken seriously if it is not the part of actual fight sequences.

So the statements of Lord Krishna and Duryodhana don't prove that Karna was killed unfairly.

Conclusion :- Arjuna killed Karna in a fair fight not vice versa