In plain words
How much strength of arm, how much strength of intellect Karṇa had! To tell the truth, Karṇa was greater than Arjuna. He was the gift of the Sun himself. Such a Karṇa relied on his strength of arm and strength of intellect. For what? Abhimāna. Draupadī's svayaṃvara is taking place. Karṇa was expert in archery. He went to strike the fish-target. Draupadī, behind the curtain, said, ‘He must be either a kṣatriya or a king. Only they are fit to strike the fish-target.’ He turned back and came away in humiliation. At that time he was a charioteer's son. He thought he was not a kṣatriya. Nor was he a king. As a result he was not qualified on either count. He had the power to pierce the fish-target. But he did not have the proper qualification. Then Duryodhana came. Gladly he made Karṇa lord of his kingdom of Aṅga. Through that abhimāna he became the servant of Duryodhana, even knowing him to be wicked. We must defy abhimāna in any circumstance at all! A wicked man is a wicked man! Even if he is a king, you must not join a wicked man. The feeling, ‘Why do I need this man's help? God, who helps all, will help me too’, that sacrifice, was missing in Karṇa. Thinking, ‘He crowned me king, did he not?’, he gave in. He became one of the wicked four. They are Duryodhana, Duśśāsana, Śakuni and Karṇa. Draupadī knew this truth, beforehand! He was Kuntī Devī's own son! She knew beforehand that he was her sixth husband. He was older than Dharmarāja.
All Must Cultivate Draupadī's Forbearance
Draupadī is the embodiment of all Dharma. People are crows. ‘Five husbands, and a pativratā!’ they say. But her husbands were not five men, as the world thought. The five elements themselves are the five husbands. At one time, ‘Who in the world is the pativratā? Rukmiṇī, Satyabhāmā, or who else?’ This question arose. Kṛṣṇa gave a single answer in that assembly.