Shloka 9
Adhyāya 5 (Śānti-parva): Nārada’s account of Karṇa—Jarāsandha encounter and the causal grounds of Karṇa’s fall
स दिव्ये सहजे प्रादात् कुण्डले परमार्जितिे | सहजं कवचं चापि मोहितो देवमायया,देवमायासे मोहित हुए कर्णने अपने शरीरके साथ ही उत्पन्न हुए दोनों दिव्य कुण्डलों और कवचको भी इन्द्रके हाथमें दे दिया
sa divye sahaje prādāt kuṇḍale paramārjite | sahajaṁ kavacaṁ cāpi mohito devamāyayā ||
Narada said: Deluded by the gods’ illusory power, Karna gave into Indra’s hands the two divine earrings that had been born with him, and also the natural cuirass that likewise came with his body.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between generosity and discernment: even a virtuous habit like giving can become harmful when one is misled by deception. It also portrays how divine stratagems (deva-māyā) can redirect human choices toward fated outcomes.
Nārada recounts that Karna, under the influence of divine illusion, handed over his inborn divine earrings and natural armor to Indra—thereby surrendering the protections that made him exceptionally formidable.