Was Karna the biological son of Radha and Atiratha but not that of Kunti?

There is a speculation that

• Karna was the biological son of Radha and Atiratha, the charioteer
• He did not possess natural DIVINE armour
• The story of Kunti giving birth to Karna when she was still unmarried, through Surya is an interpolated story

because of the following reasons.

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1) Rishi Krishna Dwaipayana or Vyasa orders his disciple Vaisampayana to narrate the story of Pandavas and Kauravas to Janamejaya, the great grandson of Arjuna (Arjuna => Abhimanyu => Parikshit => Janamejaya).

Vaisampayana first narrates the entire story in brief (Chapter 61 of Adi Parva of Mahabharata). Thereafter, at the request of Janamejaya, he narrates the story in full.

In the brief story that was narrated by Vaisampayana, we find mention of neither Karna’s natural DIVINE armour, nor about Indra’s ploy in taking away the DIVINE armour, in exchange of his Shakti.

2) In the expanded story, Karna was first mentioned, as the son of Radha of the Suta caste, in the Adi Parva, when he joined the school of Drona to learn martial arts. However, his natural DIVINE armour was not mentioned there.

वृष्णयश्चान्धकाश्चैव नानादेश्याश्च पार्थिवाः। सूतपुत्रश्च राधेयो गुरुं द्रोणमियात्तदा ॥

3) Karna’s natural DIVINE armour and his birth through Kunti was first mentioned in the Adi Parva of Mahabharata, when Dhritarashtra arranges, after the completion of teaching under Drona, a great gathering for exhibiting the skills of Kauravas and Pandavas.

सहजं कवचं बिभ्रत्कुण्डलोद्द्योतिताननः । सधनुर्बद्धनिस्त्रिंशः पादचारीव पर्वतः ॥

कन्यागर्भः पृथुयशाः पृथायाः पृथुलोचनः । तीक्ष्णांशोर्भास्करस्यांशः कर्णोऽरिगणसूदनः ॥

Karna, that hero with his natural armour and face brightened with ear-rings, took up his bow and girded on his sword, and then entered the spacious lists, like a walking cliff. That far-famed destroyer of hostile hosts, the large-eyed Karna, was born of Pritha in her maidenhood. He was a portion of the hot-beamed Sun and his energy and prowess were like unto those of the lion, or the bull, or the leader of a herd of elephants.

4) Interestingly, Karna did not know the importance of natural DIVINE armour that is with him from his birth. It was only when Surya tells Karna about the greatness of natural divine armour, in Vana Parva of Mahabharata, while warning of impending Indra’s visit to him, Karna comes know the importance of his armour.

कवचेन च संयुक्तः कुण्डलाभ्यां च मानद । अवध्यस्त्वं रणेऽरीणामिति विद्धि वचो मम ॥

अमृतादुत्थितं ह्येतदुभयं रत्नसम्भवम् । तस्माद्रक्ष्यं त्वया कर्ण जीवितं चेत्प्रियं तव ॥

Arrayed in thy mail and ear-rings, thou wilt, O bestower of honours, be incapable of being slain by foes in battle! Do thou lay to heart these words of mine! Both these jewelled ornaments have sprung from Amrita. Therefore, they should be preserved by thee, if thy life is at all dear to thee."

Thereafter, he bartered with Indra his DIVINE armour for the Shakti of Indra.

5) Further, it was not mentioned, in the episode of Karna giving away his natural armour to Indra, as to when Karna bartered his natural DIVINE armour for the Shakti of Indra.

Whether that incident occurred

• before an attempt was made to kill Pandavas in Varanavata?
• before Pandavas were invited for the game of dice?
• before Ghosha Yatra, when Karna run away after fighting bravely with the Gandharvas?
• before the great Mahabharata war?

6) However, it was not mentioned anywhere in Mahabharata about Karna’s appearance with that natural DIVINE armour, except

• (i) in the Adi parva while preparing to fight with Arjuna,
• (ii) while giving away his armour to Surya, and
• (iii) in an indirect references made by Krishna (Udyoga Parva) and Gandhari.

7) Thus, it can be inferred that Karna was in fact the biological son of Radha and Atiratha. And, Karna did not possess any natural DIVINE armour. It is an interpolated story.

8) A question may arise, if Karna did not possess the Shakti of Indra, how did he kill Ghatotkacha on the night of 14th day of the war (Chapter 179 of Drona Parva- Gita Press).

There occurred another war between Ashwatthama and Ghatotkacha (Chapter 166 of Drona Parva- Gita Press) and the latter might have been killed by the former but not by Karna, which is as follows:

अश्वत्थामा सुसङ्क्रुद्धः सन्धायोग्रमजिह्मगम् । मुमोचाकर्णपूर्णेन धनुषा शरमुत्तमम् ॥

यमदण्डोपमं घोरमुद्दिश्याशु घटोत्कचम् ॥

स भित्त्वा हृदयं तस्य राक्षसस्य महाशरः । विवेश वसुधां शीघ्रं सपुङ्खः पृथिवीपते ॥

The mighty car-warrior Aswatthaman, recovering his senses, forcibly drawing the bow with his left hand, stretching the bowstring to his ear, quickly shot a terrible shaft resembling the rod of Yama himself, aiming at Ghatotkacha. That excellent shaft, fierce and equipped with golden wings, piercing through the chest of the Rakshasa, entered the earth.