Though Karna had given away the Kavacha-kundalas, he still had the infallible Nagastra. Before the war started, Abhimanyu wanted to know more about the Nagastra and Krishna tells him the story.
Once when the Pandavas were developing Khandavaprastha, Agni had sought Arjuna's help in devouring the forest. Under Krishna's encouragement, Arjuna had promised that he wouldn't allow a single living being. At that time, Ashwasena, the son of serpent Takshaka, tried to escape the fire with the help of his mother who swallowed him. Krishna saw this and asked Arjuna to sever the snake.
Before the snake falls dead, she tells her son to take revenge on Arjuna. Ashwasena goes to his father and tells him about the incidents and asks how he could take avenge his mother's death. Since arjuna had Shiva's blessings, Takshaka asks him to pray to Lord Shiva. Shiva says Ashwasena could become an instrument in the hands of Arjuna's enemy and be the cause of his death.
Even though Ashwasena is armed with this boon, he doesn't know who Arjuna's enemy is, and Taksha directs him to Karna. Karna is unwilling to use Ashwasena, but owing to the loss of kavacha kundala, he accepts Ashwasena as the divine bow of Nagastra.
Once when the Pandavas were developing Khandavaprastha, Agni had sought Arjuna's help in devouring the forest. Under Krishna's encouragement, Arjuna had promised that he wouldn't allow a single living being. At that time, Ashwasena, the son of serpent Takshaka, tried to escape the fire with the help of his mother who swallowed him. Krishna saw this and asked Arjuna to sever the snake.
Before the snake falls dead, she tells her son to take revenge on Arjuna. Ashwasena goes to his father and tells him about the incidents and asks how he could take avenge his mother's death. Since arjuna had Shiva's blessings, Takshaka asks him to pray to Lord Shiva. Shiva says Ashwasena could become an instrument in the hands of Arjuna's enemy and be the cause of his death.
Even though Ashwasena is armed with this boon, he doesn't know who Arjuna's enemy is, and Taksha directs him to Karna. Karna is unwilling to use Ashwasena, but owing to the loss of kavacha kundala, he accepts Ashwasena as the divine bow of Nagastra.