Eklavya and Karna

Re-reading the Mahabharata after the Amar Chitra Katha version during childhood (:))...I have been struck, among other things, by its cast of highly accomplished, stellar and quirky characters.

The story of Eklavya is heart-wrenching...but a true dramatic scene of great consequence (and epic proportions, eh?) is the arrival of Karna during the skills exhibition by the princes of Kuru...and how Duryodhana manages to steal the show (after Karna stole Arjuna's thunder...)with his spiel on the "unknown origins of valor" ["Valor isn't the preserve of just the kshatriyas."] when the Pandavas demand to know Karna's caste/lineage before engaging in a contest with him.