Karna's curses: the beetle, the cow, and the sinking wheel

In the text — not yet checked

Two curses fire at the worst moment: forgotten weapon, stuck wheel.

Vedadhara retells: Karna learned archery from Parashurama by posing as a Brahmin; when a beetle bored his thigh and he stayed still, Parashurama deduced he was no Brahmin and cursed him to forget the brahmastra when most needed. A second curse came from a Brahmin whose cow Karna killed by accident: the earth would swallow his chariot wheel. Wikipedia mentions the Brahmin curse and Parashurama curse without naming the Brahmin.

Who: Karna, Parashurama

Bound to

Karna was the demon-king Dambhodbhava with 1000 armours mirror

Kunti's mantra and Karna's birth causes

Ekalavya's thumb: a student's fee mirror

Karṇa enters the arena and is crowned king of Aṅga curse

Draupadī's svayaṃvara: Arjuna wins the target mirror

Paraśurāma Clears the Earth of Kṣatriyas origin

Duryodhana tricks Śalya into joining the Kauravas mirror

Kṛṣṇa and Karṇa: the offer of the throne mirror

Kuntī and Karṇa: the promise of five sons curse

Bhīṣma's conditions: the rathas and atirathas assessed curse

Karṇa Made Commander (Karṇa-senāpatya) mirror

The Fall of Karṇa: the Sinking Wheel curse

Places: Kurukshetra

Where this comes from

commentary · Vedadhara, Two curses that worked against Karna no chapter cited
commentary · Wikipedia: Karna

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