Varsha (Mahabharata)

Varsha was the wife of Karna, who is known as the hero of Mahabharata, she was known as the daughter in law, welcomed by Kunti, Karna's mother. She was legally beautiful according to folklores and the friend of Bhanumati and beautiful maiden to Karna. It is also said that Varsha met secretly with Karna, but however, her father Rajaysena declines Karna as his son in law, as he knew when the Senapati told his full information to the King. Varsha was kidnapped by Karna during the Swayamvara, they secretly marry in the Gandharva Vivah style, by doing the acts of Krishna but their story is comparatively different apart from Karna's marriage. Varsha and Karna had a daughter named Ratnamala, who later became the friend of Lakshmanaa, Duryodhana's daughter. She was the Princess of the Kingdom named, Karpjot, which is not mentioned in Mahabharata of Vyasa.

Varsha
Information
Affiliation	Kuru Queen
Family	Rajayasena (father)
Spouse	Karna
Children	Ratnamala (daughter)
Home	(unnamed kingdom in sources mentioned as)Karpajota Kingdom (by birth), Hastinapura (by marriage)

Textual sources and development

Birth

She was the only daughter of Rajayasena, and the princess of the Karpajota Kingdom. As a daughter of Rajaysen, her life was indeed and prosperous. When she grew up, she was at the age to marry and her father wanted her to marry a prince who would be very loyal to her. But, accordingly, she married Karna, the unsung warrior and hero of the Mahabharata.

Meeting with Karna

Varsha was taking a walk around a forest in the dense jungle. While going for a long time, she felt thirsty and had brought a pot with her. As she was about to dip the pot into the water, she was Karna and he too saw her, both loved each other but she didn't tell her father, as he will decline. She and Karna met secretly with each other for ten days before her swayamvara, the marriage. Stree parva describes her relationship with Karna and he loved her immensely. The romance between Karna continued in the Hastinapura as they loved each other, nearly before. Greatly, her dreams about Karna wouldn't stop and so thinking this, Kunti accepted it and married her to Karna.

She is mentioned in Stri Parva about her sorrow for Karna, but also as the childhood friend of Bhanumati, as they were very close to each other, they could meet in the Hastinapura happily. Varsha also heard the news of the death of karna and put the blame on herself. As she loved him, her heart broke during his death.

Life after the marriage

Her life went smooth ad happy after the marriage, actually it came to a end because of Arjuna, but it was true that he was the only one who killed him without recognizing him and so he also killed Bhisma Pitamah at the advise of Sri Krishna. Varsha, a woman with her her tears rolling down her eyes, did not marry anyone for the broken heart for her husband. Arjuna, claimed that he killed Karna and apologized for his mistake.

Marriage with Karna in the Shanti Parva

Karna, however made plans to kidnap Varsha from her kingdom as he went to the kingdom alone with faith and bravery without giving up. Her father invited such princes and except Karna. Karna too came for the marriage of the princess but as he entered, the princes started to laugh at him, without a caring emotion in them and made fun of Karna, as he was a charioteer's son. Karna gave a long importance and accepted his fun in front of all others. Varsha came in with a beautiful garland and went to the court too chose prince as her husband, as she went close to Karna, he furiously kidnapped her as helped his friend to kidnap Bhanumati and Mayuri.

While he went and kidnapped Varsha and took her to Hastinapura, she readily agreed to marry him and Kunti and Gandhari however celebrate their marriage with happiness and a quote from the sage, Vyasa.

Varsha, the character of the Mahabharata, wife of Angaraja Karna, the woman who talked with the soul of her husband, Karna. The daughter in law of Surya and Kunti, the mother of Ratnamala and one of the kuru queens

— Vyasa, Kisari Mohan Ganguli

This quote is often seen in the Shanti Parva books, one of the books written by Sage Vyasa. Gandhari is described by Vyasa, welcoming Varsha as a daughter in law in the Hastinapura.