Karna eyes in mahabharat

Karna’s Eyes                                                                             

In Sanskrit both KMG and BORI CE mentioned Karna’s eyes as “Haryaksha”.                                                       

KMG translated the word “Haryaksha” as “leonine eyes”.                   
“And even like his father, the child was equipped in a coat of mail, and decked with brilliant ear-rings.And he was possessed of leonine eyes and shoulders like those of a bull.” KMG Vana Parva Section CCCVI                                         

BORI CE Vana Parva Section-292 “Haryaksham Vrishavasakandham Yathasso Pitaram Tatha”                        

Translation by B. Devroy – “His eyes were  tawny and he had the shoulders of a bull, like his father.”                                      

The word “Haryaksha” is translated by Bibek Debroy as “tawny eyes”.

  Here we explain the meaning the word ” Haryaksha” from authentic sources.                                                          

Haryaksha=Hari+aksha                                                             

This is very rare Samskrita name. While the pronunciation may take slight effort (two conjunct consonants), the name sounds very unique and pleasing to hear.

The word is very old, being used in the ‘Madhyandini-samhita’ of Shukla Yajurveda.[1] In the ‘Amarakosha’, ‘haryakṣa’ is a word for “a lion”.[2] The word ‘haryakṣa’ is used for a lion in the Valmiki-Ramayana.[3] In this sense, the word comes from the words ‘hari’ = “yellow” and “akṣi” = “the eye”. ‘Haryakṣa’ = “he whose eyes are yellow” (हरिणी पिङ्गले अक्षिणी नेत्रे यस्य स हर्यक्षः). A lion’s eyes are yellowish/amber in colour .

‘Haryakṣa’ is a name of Shiva in the ‘Shiva-sahasranama’ in the ‘Anushasana-parvan’ of the Mahabharata and also the second ‘Shiva-sahasranama’ in the Linga-Purana.[4] Nilakantha’s commentary on Mahabharata explains ‘haryakṣa’ simply as “a lion” while the Shivatoshini commentary on Linga Purana takes the ‘hari’ = Vishnu and says ‘Haryakṣa’ is “he on whom (Vishnu’s) eye is fixed”.[5].

Finally, as ‘hari’ also means “a lion” as per ‘Amarakosha’ (both ‘hari’ and ‘haryakṣa’ are mentioned in the same verse).[2] Thus, the word ‘haryakṣa’ also means “he whose eyes are like those of a lion”. In this sense, the word can also mean Vishnu as Narasimha.

Notes—
[1] सूर्याय हर्यक्षम् (SY-VM 30.21)
[2] सिंहो मृगेन्द्रः पञ्चास्यो हर्यक्षः केसरी हरिः (AK 2.5.1)
[3] स्निग्धहर्यक्षतनुजश्मश्रुप्रवरमूर्धजम् (VR 1.16.12)
[4] हर्यक्षः ककुभो वज्री दीप्तजिह्वः सहस्रपात् (MBh 13.17.132) and पिङ्गलाक्षोऽथ हर्यक्षो नीलग्रीवो निरामयः (LP 1.98.114)
[4] हर्यक्षः सिंहः (Bharatabhavadipa on MBh 13.17.132) हरेर्विष्णोरक्षि नेत्रं समर्पितं यस्मिन् (Shivatoshini on LP 1.98.114)                                                                                

So Karna’s eyes were LEONINE and AMBER in colour.In sunlight amber-coloured eyes looks almost orange. Karna’s eyes were also like Lord Surya’s eyes.                    

Karna’s eyes were also long, wide and like lotus.                         
BORI CE Vana Parva Section-292  “Padmayatavishalakshm”                                          
Translation by B. Devroy                                                       
“Your eyes are long and wide, like a lotus.”

His body reflected the brightness of fire and sun