Shloka 83
ततो रथो घूर्णितवान् नरेन्द्र शापात्तदा ब्राह्मणसत्तमस्य | ततश्नक्रमपतत्तस्य भूमौ स विदह्धल: समरे सूतपुत्र:
tato ratho ghūrṇitavān narendra śāpāt tadā brāhmaṇasattamasya | tataś cakram apatat tasya bhūmau sa viddhah samare sūtaputraḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then, O king, his chariot began to reel and falter because of the curse of that foremost Brahmin. Thereupon the wheel of his chariot fell to the ground, and the charioteer’s son—Karna—was struck down in the battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Mahābhārata theme that actions and moral breaches can bear fruit later through seemingly external forces—here, a Brahmin’s curse—so that even a mighty warrior may become vulnerable at the critical moment.
Sañjaya reports to the king that Karna’s chariot becomes unsteady due to a Brahmin’s curse; its wheel drops to the ground, and in that helpless state Karna is struck down in the battle.