Supriya

Supriya is mentioned in the ancient Mahabharata epic as the second wife of famed warrior Karna.

Very little is known about Supriya, except that she was a friend of Duryodhan's wife Bhanumati and expressed her desire to marry Karna on seeing him at Bhanumati's swayamvara

Family

Karna and Supriya had four sons, Chitrasena, Susharma, Prasena and Bhanusena.

Gandhari's lamentation on Karna's death in Stri Parva & her description of Supriya is as follows :

Behold, the wife of Karna and mother of Vrishasena, is indulging in piteous lamentations and crying and weeping and falling upon the ground! Even now she exclaims, "Without doubt, thy preceptor’s curse hath pursued thee! When the wheel of thy car was swallowed up by the Earth, the cruel Dhananjaya cut off thy head with an arrow! Alas, fie (on the heroism and skill)!" That lady, the mother of Sushena, exceedingly afflicted and uttering cries of woe, is falling down, deprived of her senses, at the sight of the mighty-armed and brave Karna prostrated on the earth, with his waist still encircled with a belt of gold. Carnivorous creatures, feeding on the body of that illustrious hero, have reduced it to very small dimensions. The sight is not gladdening, like that of the moon on the fourteenth night of the dark fortnight. Falling down on the earth, the cheerless dame is rising up again. Burning with grief on account of the death of her son also, she cometh and smelleth the face of her lord!

— quote

^[1]

References

1. Ganguly, KM. THE MAHABHARAT : STRI PARVA-section 21.

• Shivaji Sawant. Mrityunjaya, the death conqueror: the story of Karna ISBN 81-7189-002-4.