Karna is Humiliated by Bhima After His Coronation
At the height of his triumph, crowned king of Anga by Duryodhana, Karna's charioteer father enters the arena. Bhimasena seizes the moment to publicly jeer at Karna's lowly lineage, declaring him as unfit for royalty or combat as a dog is for a sacred offering.
The water from the coronation ritual was still damp on Karna's head. Duryodhana had just made him king of Anga on the spot, a direct challenge to the Pandavas' glory. In that moment of supreme elevation, Adhiratha entered the arena.
He was Karna's father, a charioteer. He came in swaying on his feet, supporting himself on a staff. He was trembling and perspiring, his upper garments in disarray from his hurried journey.
On seeing him, Karna discarded his bow. Out of regard for his father, he bowed his head, the ceremonial water still wet upon it. The charioteer quickly covered Karna's feet with the end of his own garment—a gesture of respect from a father to a king—and addressed his crowned son. Trembling with affection, he kissed Karna on the head. His tears mixed with the coronation water on Karna's hair.
Pandava Bhimasena saw it all and deduced the man was a charioteer. He did not hesitate.
Jeeringly, Bhima said, "O son of a charioteer! You don't have the right to be killed by Partha in battle. You had better take up a whip, more befitting of your lineage." He twisted the knife further: "O worst of men! You have no right to enjoy the kingdom of Anga, just as a dog has no right to eat the cake that is offered at a sacrificial fire."
The words hung in the air. Karna's lips quivered a little. He looked up at the sun in the sky—the god he knew as his true father—and sighed. The coronation was complete, and so was the humiliation.