41. Karna’s Ultimate Sacrifice: The Loss of the Divine Armor (Kundala Harana Parva)

Fearful of Karna’s invincibility, Lord Indra disguises himself as a Brahmin to beg for Karna’s divine armor and earrings (Kavach and Kundal). Despite being explicitly warned by his father, the Sun God Surya, that this is a trick, Karna chooses his reputation as a donor (Danveer) over his own life. This pivotal episode sees Karna trading his immortality for the Shakti weapon, a decision that seals his tragic fate in the Kurukshetra war.