Vrushali

Vrushali, also spelled Vrishali, is mentioned in the novel by Siwaji Sawant as the wife of Karna,Although no such character is in Vyas Mahabharat.

Very little known is known about Vrushali, except that she was from the charioteer caste and chosen by Karna's adoptive father Adhiratha, also of the same caste. According to the Udyoga Parva Bhagavatayana, in shloka #1011, where Karna declines Lord Krishna's offer to defect from Duryodhana's camp, the warrior states :

Naama vai vasusheneti kaarayaamaasa maadhava I

Bhaaryaashchoda mama praapte yauvane tatparichhaat II

Family

Karna and Vrushali had eight sons; Vrishasena, Chitrasena, Satyasena, Sushena, Shatrunjaya, Dvipata, Banasena and Prasena; all eight of them took part in the Kurukshetra war. Prasena was killed by Satyaki, Shatrunjaya, Vrishasena and Dvipata by Arjuna, Banasena by Bhima, Chitrasena, Satyasena and Sushena by Nakula. There are other names that has surfaced on the internet as the possible co-wives due to many novels on Karna. Vyasa Mahabharata(Original) or the other versions of Mahabharata state that Karna had more than three soota wives. His two wives are shown as holding his head and body separated by Arjuna's arrow in the Stree Parva. The mothers of Sushena and Bhanusena are different ladies. Furthermore, the novelist Siwaji Savant showed that couple had eight sons but no daughters. There tradition of selling daughters and killing them was prevalent in Anga which Salya from liberal western regions decried in Karna Parva. Karna assailed Salya to be ruler of people who give too many liberties to their females.

M.N. Dutt's Mahabharata translation is "On attaining my youth too did I marry wives according to Adhiratha's choice."

References