Surya

Vaishampayana recites the full list of 108 sacred names of Surya, tracing their transmission from the god Indra to the sage Narada, then to Dhoumya, and finally to Yudhishthira — who obtained everything he desired by reciting them.

Shiva disappears from the Himalayan peak, and Arjuna is still reeling from having seen the god face to face — when the sky lights up and four more gods arrive. Yama, Varuna, Kubera, and Indra have come to reveal who Arjuna really is, what he is meant to do, and to arm him for the war that awaits.

Mount Vindhya, enraged that the sun circumambulates Mount Meru but not him, begins to grow uncontrollably — blocking the paths of the sun and moon. The gods try and fail to stop him. Only the sage Agastya can restrain the mountain, and he does it not with force, but with a promise.

Indra decides to beg Karna for his divine earrings and armour to protect the Pandavas. Surya, Karna's father, learns of the plan and appears to his son in a dream, disguised as a brahmana, warning him that giving away his natural armour will shorten his life and make him vulnerable in battle.

Surya reveals his identity and urges Karna to refuse Indra. But Karna declares that he will give his earrings and armour to Indra if he comes as a brahmana — because his vow of generosity and his hunger for fame outweigh his concern for his own survival.

Karna resolves to give his earrings to Indra, but Surya intervenes with a warning: Indra's true motive is to ensure Karna's death at Arjuna's hands. The sun god instructs Karna to bargain — exchange the earrings and armour for an invincible spear that will destroy his enemies. Only on those terms should he give Shakra what he wants.

After Surya vanishes from his dream, Karna meditates and then recounts everything he witnessed to the sun god — the conversation, the warning, the disguised Indra. Surya confirms it is all true. Knowing what is coming, Karna waits for Indra's arrival, hoping to obtain the spear.

Kunti, a young princess, tests the mantra given to her by the sage Durvasa — summoning the sun god Surya into her presence. But when Surya appears and demands union, she tries to send him away. He refuses to leave in vain, threatening to curse both Durvasa and her father if she does not give herself to him.

Surya approaches Kunti and tells her that no one can bestow her — a free woman may desire anyone. He proposes union. Kunti negotiates: her son must be born with divine armour and earrings made of amrita, and she must remain a virgin. Surya agrees to every condition.

Kunti has agreed to the union. Now Surya acts — using his yogic power to create a self, entering her, and touching her navel. She is overwhelmed by his energy and falls senseless. When she recovers, the conception is complete, and she remains a virgin as promised.

An unmarried princess gives birth in secret, wraps the newborn in a basket, and sets him adrift on a river at night. She weeps over him, calls on the gods to protect him, and returns to her father's palace as if nothing happened. The basket floats through three rivers before reaching a city of charioteers — where a child in divine armour will be found.