 The Mahabharata epic opens its chapter on Surya that reverentially calls him as the "eye of the universe, soul of all existence, origin of all life, goal of the Samkhyas and Yogis, and symbolism for freedom and spiritual emancipation.In the Mahabharata, Karna is the son of Surya and unmarried princess Kunti.The epic describes Kunti's trauma as an unmarried mother, then abandonment of Karna, followed by her lifelong grief.