The great war of Mahabharata was over.
In Maharshi Jaralkaru’s hermitage two of his disciples were discussing the difference between the winners and losers of Mahabharata.
One of them said, “Karna was definitely superior to Arjuna in all the methods of battle.
He was the number one in generosity and was brimming with spiritual energy.
How come he lost the battle against Arjuna?”
No one could come up with a satisfactory answer.
So they approached their Guru.
The Maharshi gave a clear cut answer and said,” Arjuna was Nar and Krishna was Naryan.
It is the pair of Nar – Naryana that always wins against demons.
Karna was superior to Arjuna in all respects, but he made a crucial mistake of not seeking the blessings of Naryan and considered himself invincible due to his bloated ego.
This fundamental mistake in his attitude was the root cause of his defeat”.
Pragya purana.