"You don't understand what you are doing! This will not only destroy Naraka… it will shatter the balance of all creation! You will die. Your soul will be disintegrated forever… erased beyond even rebirth. Stop it, younger brother—before it is too late!"
But Karna could not hear him. Not anymore.
Lord Shiva's Third Eye Flames that were burning through his will in the sword had blinded Karna's senses even more and increased his rage to the peak.
His mind had narrowed to a single point: the sword in his hand, the pillar rising from its tip, the blinding need to tear time itself apart and pull Roshini back through the wound.
He didn't even know where to aim. He didn't know what he was destroying. He only knew that if he pushed harder—if he gave everything—surely the wheel would turn backward.
The beam intensified in the meantime. A low, cosmic groan rolled through Naraka as the very fabric of the realm began to crack.
Yamaraj's words went deaf, and with no other choice left, Lord Yama raised his Yamapaash to kill Karna to save the realm, despite knowing the fact that his mother loved Karna more than him or his siblings.
But before he acted, suddenly a burst of divine light filled the skies, and he paused. The time was frozen all over. And only Lord Yama seemed to be moving.
And then, a figure materialized in the crimson sky above.
"Mahadeva..." Lord Yama joined his palms and bowed.
At the same time, the pillar faltered.
Karna's trembling arms locked. The sword—Suryateja—quivered in his grip as though suddenly unsure.
"Stop it, Karna."
The voice was low, affectionate, infinitely gentle—like a father speaking to a child who has run too far into the dark.
Karna's head snapped up, listening to the voice that went through his mind and touched his heart. Tears streamed freely now through his face as he uttered, "Mahadeva…"
The word came out broken, small.
Lord Shiva descended slowly until he stood before Karna—close enough that the cool scent of bilva leaves and sacred ash reached him. He placed one hand lightly on Karna's shoulder. The touch was warm, steady, grounding.
"Karna… I know the pain you carry. I know it is unbearable. But think—truly think—about what you are about to do."
He gestured toward the pillar with his trishul, which had begun to waver, its edges fraying like burning cloth.
"Your strike will not turn back, Kaal, because Kaal cannot turn back for anyone, not even for the Gods. Even we, Tridev, can merely freeze it. Your attack will shatter the Kaal. When it happens, worlds will collapse into one another. Creation itself will unravel. Maha Pralaya will come again—not at the ordained end of the kalpa, but because of your grief that turned into a weapon. You would destroy everything… the world, the souls, the realms, your loved ones, your born children, you would destroy your soul but also destroy your wife's soul too, your actions will bring doom to Suryadev and also Sangyadevi, your mother."
Karna's knees buckled when he heard those. Tears fell faster.
He looked up into Shiva's calm, sorrowful eyes.
"Mahadeva… I… I… why did Roshini have to die like this? Why her? She never hurt anyone in her life. She only loved… she only loved me…"
Lord Shiva's hand tightened gently on his shoulder.
"You were born for a purpose, Karna. Everything that has shaped you—your biological mother's abandonment at birth, the love Sangyadevi gave you in her place, your plea to be reborn again, Roshini's coming into your life, and now her leaving—all of it is part of that same thread of destiny."
Karna's voice cracked.
"Why?"
Lord Shiva's gaze softened further. "Those who are born for the welfare of the world are always tested hardest by fate. The stronger the purpose, the fiercer the trials. Despite being Narayana's Avatar himself, Lord Rama had to face exile, loss of kingdom, abduction of his wife, the war, separation from his wife, being forced to give a death sentence to his beloved brother, and years of sorrow as he established dharma on earth. Had he been born as a Prince, had a wife, lived with his sons happily, and peacefully ruled Ayodhya as a King, he wouldn't be called Maryadha Purushottam right now. A man who every person on earth takes inspiration to live their life as."
He paused, letting the words settle before continuing.
"Karna, you have never committed adharma—not even by mistake. From childhood, you were wise enough to understand right from wrong. You walked the path of virtue when others would have turned aside. But you are still mortal. You are not immune to the six enemies—kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, matsarya. You can only resist them with your will. And grief… grief is the fiercest of them all when it wears the face of love. Not even we are immune to it.
There was a time when Lord Rama sought to destroy the earth in grief when the goddess took away his wife. There was a time when I, myself, boiled in rage, when Sati immolated herself because of her father. So, you're acting like this is understandable, but you should also know how to stop it when you realize the consequences of your actions. I have gifted you the divine vision, Karna, and you asked me for the boon so that you don't want to cause any adharmic act, and right now, you yourself are making the biggest adharmic act. Get to your senses and stop the attack, Karna."
Karna's shoulders shook at Lord Shiva's words. Suryateja slipped from his fingers. The blade vanished in a soft pulse of light. The pillar of energy also collapsed inward—collapsing into sparks, then into nothing.
He immediately sank to his knees before Shiva, palms joined tightly in front of his chest, head bowed so low that his hair touched the still-warm obsidian.
"Mahadeva," he said, voice low and thick with shame. "I have committed a heavy sin just now. Blinded by rage and grief, I raised a weapon against the order of creation itself. I challenged dharma. I deserve whatever punishment you deem fit. I will accept it without question. Even if it is death..." Heavy remorse took over his mind.
Lord Shiva looked down at him for a long moment. Then he smiled—small, gentle, the kind of smile that had calmed storms and soothed burning hearts for eons.
"No, Karna. There is no punishment here. As I have told you, your actions are understandable. And the fact that you realized your mistake and dismissed the attack, and even feeling regret itself, shows your character."
Karna lifted his head slowly, confusion flickering through the grief in his eyes. Why was Lord Shiva suddenly praising him?
Lord Shiva continued, voice soft but carrying the weight of truth.
"Perhaps you yourself have not yet realized it, but in that moment of rage, you touched the knowledge of the Brahmanda Astra. Even for a single instant, you held within you... the power to unmake the entire universe. You know many divyastras taught by your guru, Parashurama, and even held the Vijayadhanush, the bow I used to destroy the Tripura cities. Yet you summoned none of those weapons. Instead, you drew only from your own divinity, your own karmic merit, the fire of devotion and dharma you have carried for thirty years. That shows your soul's deepest nature."
He paused, letting the words settle, and then continued.
"You refused to disrespect Brahma, who once granted you the knowledge of the Brahmanda Astra, which can annihilate this entire universe. You refused to wield the bow your guru gave you in a moment of blind anger. And when I spoke—when I simply said 'stop'—you obeyed at once. You lowered the sword. You respected your god. You didn't accept your mistake, but you actually realized it. That restraint, that humility, that devotion… it is rare even among the immortal devas. You don't deserve punishment..."
Karna's throat worked. Fresh tears gathered, but he did not wipe them away.
Lord Shiva then raised His right hand. The trident in His other hand began to glow—soft at first, then brighter, red-gold like sunrise on molten iron.
"Impressed by your character, your restraint, your humility, and your unshakeable devotion, I grant you a boon, Karna."
Karna's eyes widened.
"I bestow upon you the Pashupatastra."
The words landed like thunder wrapped in silk.
Karna stared up at Shiva in stunned silence. He did such an act that deserved death, but Lord Shiva is actually giving him the greatest divyastra, instead?
Lord Shiva's voice remained gentle, but now it carried the unmistakable edge of command as he continued.
"But heed this warning carefully, Karna: the Pashupatastra cannot be used against any mortal. It is the weapon of last resort—meant only for those who threaten the very fabric of creation. Invoke it in anger against the innocent, and it will consume you instead."
Karna bowed deeper, forehead touching the stone once more.
"I understand, Mahadeva. I am… I am unworthy of such a gift after what I almost did."
Shiva's smile returned—warm, knowing.
"You are worthy precisely because you asked for punishment when you could have argued even more. That shows that your dharma is still not tainted by any of the six vices. Rise, my devotee."
Karna stood slowly. Lord Shiva extended His hand. The trident flared once—bright red light lanced from its central prong and struck Karna's forehead in a painless burst of warmth. For a heartbeat, the entire realm seemed to glow. When the light faded, a faint mark remained on Karna's brow—subtle, like a tilak of cooled lava—gone in a blink, but forever etched into his being.
Lord Shiva placed a hand on his shoulder one last time.
"Carry this with wisdom, son of Surya. And remember: love does not end with death. It only changes form."
Then He was gone—silently, gently, as though He had never been there at all.
Karna stood alone for several breaths, feeling the new power settle inside him like a second heartbeat. Then he turned.
Yamaraj still waited a few paces away, robes steady now, face calm now instead of any panic or anger.
Karna walked to him and joined his palms again with a bow.