The Mahabharata offers four examples of. bad men called Dhushta Chatushtayam. The firstone is Shakuni (Duryodhana’s maternal uncle). Shakuni was all the time filled withDura-alochana (bad thoughts). He is a total stranger to good ideas. He was always plottingsomething bad for someone or other.Duryodhana was having Shakuni as his adviser. Duryodhana was engaged in Duscharya (baddeeds). They were comrades in evil.

Then came Dushasana (brother ofDuryodhana). In association with Shakuni andDuryodhana, Dushasana became notorious for his Dushpravarthana (bad behaviour).When these three evil-minded men came together, ‘even stars, started ‘ falling during daytime,’as the saying goes. The whole cosmos rebels against such evil-minded men.

Karna, out of a false sense of Durabhimanam (bad attachment), joined this trio. Gratitude isdoubtless a good quality. But becauseDuryodhana came to his rescue on a critical occasion,Karna developed a wrongful attachment toDuryodhana. Karna was a good-natured person. Hewas noble-minded. But because he was associated with evil-minded men he also became a badperson. Despite his valour, physical prowess and intellectual abilities, Karna met with disaster because he had made himself remote from God. What was the defect in Karna?Durabhimanam (misguided attachment). (SSS Vol.26, pp. 43-44)