evil intentions and is a bad king, but it is Karna who fuels Duryodhana's ambitions and fights his battles. With Duryodhana, Karna is a key participant in insulting the Pandavas and Draupadi. He humiliates the Pandavas with his gift of speech and mocks Draupadi, then calls her a "whore" and asks Duhshasana to strip her off her clothes. It is Karna's language and insults that hurt the Pandavas and Draupadi the most, a sentiment that is noted in numerous verses of the Mahabharata such as 3.13.113 and 5.93.11. Yet, states the Mahabharata scholar Alf Hiltebeitel, "remarkably, Karna regrets his harsh words to Draupadi and Pandavas", in verse 5.139.45, where he confesses he spoke so to please Duryodhana. Minor battles The Adi Parva mentions Karna's battle with Drupada, king of Panchala. After the Kauravas and Pandavas finished their training under Drona, the teacher asked his pupils to capture his enemy Drupada as their Gurudakshina. The Kauravas, accompanied by Karna, attacked first, but were defeated by Drupada. Later Arjuna captured Drupada and freed his cousins and his rival. Pandavas performed Rajasuya yaga. According to this, they have to either defeat or make alliance with other kingdoms. When Bhima came to Anga Kingdom, Karna didn't accept to make alliance due to which a terrific war took place between Bhima and Karna. Each used some of their prominent weapons on the other. At last Bhima defeated Karna but failed to kill because of Karna's Kavacha and Kundala. In the Shanti Parva of Mahabharata, Karna fought with Jarasandha, the powerful ruler of Magadha, in the Swayamvar of daughter (Bhanumati) of Chitrangada of Kalinga. Although Jarasandha was very powerful, Karna defeated him. To please Karna, Jarasandha gifted him the land of Malini. During the exile of the Pandavas, Duryodhana and his allies were captured by Chitrasena, a Gandharva king, for their misdeeds. Karna tried run away from battle-field after getting defeated by Chitrasena but was captured. On knowing this, Yudhishthira asked Arjuna to free them since this would be a humiliation to Hastinapura. Arjuna followed his eldest brother's order and first requested Chitrasena to release Kauravas and Karna. Chitrasena rejected Arjuna's request and asked him to fight with him in order to free Kauravas and Karna. Thus a battle took place. Arjuna used Shabdavedi astra and captured Chitrasena. Arjuna then released his cousins and his rival. Hostilities with the Pandavas The relationship between Karna and the