Mahābhārata

Task 1 The kshātriyas in the Mahābhārata possessed all of the heroic traditions by displaying the glorification and idealization of power through violent means by individual warriors, or a class of warriors (such as the warrior class of kshātriya, specifically) in their pursuit of re-gaining their kingdom through violent and heroic battle. Arjuna, who belongs to the kshātriya caste (the warrior caste) and third of the Pandavas (the “good” side, the protagonists) displays his unparalleled ability with the bow, and his physical strength, in The Story of Drupada (Mbh, p.33). All of the princes from the warrior class were the first to approach a bow in order to win the hand of Draupadi but most of them withdrew after one look of the bow, a couple dropped the bow on their toes and some could not even stretch the steel coil forming its bowstring. Karna, a kshātriya from the Kauravas clan, was the only one capable of stretching the steel coil and forming the bow in order to even attempt to aim at a revolving target above by looking at its reflection on a pan of oil below (Mbh, p.32). Karna has the heroic strength and the heroic courage to even attempt such an amazing feat. Does he have the heroic talent to hit the target? We do not find out because he does not finish his attempt because Karna states “I don’t want her.” (Mbh, p.33). Arjuna “steps up to the plate” and proves he not only has the heroic values of strength and courage, he has heroic unparalleled talent by hitting the target five times. Only a kshātriya can perform this amazing feat. Only Arjuna, a heroic kshātriya accomplishes this feat and is garlanded by Draupadi in heroic fashion. In the final heroic battle, “there were disheartening losses of men, horses, and leaders, and the ground became soaked with blood” (Mbh, p.149) in true heroic fashion. Had it been an easy victory, had the Pandavas surrendered, it would not have been a heroic battle. Many things are easy for heroic characters in heroic