Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Mahabharata, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Dharma
Pursuing Enlightenment
Heroism and Warfare
Grief, Loss, and Mourning
Stories and Storytelling
Summary
Analysis
THE KILLING OF KARNA. After the Kauravas finish mourning the death of Drona, Karna gets appointed as his successor in command. But two days later, Karna dies at the hand of Arjuna. Dhritarashtra faints in dismay at this news, then asks Samjaya to tell him the story in more detail, which he does.
Karna’s death seems to be the inevitable outcome of the fact that he used his special spear against Ghatotkaca, leaving him with no means of defeating the nearly invincible Arjuna. Dhritarashtra continues to be surprised by each new development in battle, despite the many warnings he received beforehand.
Themes
Samjaya begins his new retelling of the events. After the death of Drona, Duryodhana rallies the troops to hold on until nightfall before withdrawing back to their camp. Back at camp, Aśvatthaman recommends that Karna be the new commander, and Duryodhana agrees with him. Karna accepts and receives praise from all the Kauravas.
Unlike the previous commanders of the Kaurava army, Karna has a real grudge against the Pandavas and specifically wants to kill Arjuna. With him in command, as well as with the prominent losses of the previous few days, the battle between the Kauravas and the Pandavas becomes even more personal.
Themes
On the 16th day of fighting, Karna leads the Kauravas into battle. Yudhishthira urges Arjuna to focus on killing Karna, the greatest remaining warrior on the Kaurava side. Karna begins the day inflicting heavy casualties and fending off the attacks of the Pandavas. Arjuna faces off against Aśvatthaman, but the latter retreats after realizing Arjuna is seemingly invincible. Meanwhile, Karna fights Nakula and almost kills him, but he decides to spare his life (due the promise Karna made to Kunti a while back about only killing Arjuna out of all the Pandavas).
As with the previous days of fighting, the morning generally lacks decisive fights but instead sets the stage for what will come later in the day. Karna’s decision to spare Nakula’s life is striking, indicating how despite all the rage and jealousy he feels toward Arjuna, he is nevertheless even more loyal to their shared mother Kunti. With the possible exception of Duryodhana, all of the “villains” of the Mahabharata have complex motivations, living their dharma in many ways even as they fight on the wrong side, and Karna is a perfect example of this.
Themes
Yudhishthira battles Duryodhana, and both of their armies gather around them to expand the fighting. As the sun sets, the two armies head back to their camps. They keep fighting the next morning—the 17th day of battle. Karna tells Duryodhana that this is the decisive day when either Karna kills Arjuna or Arjuna kills Karna. Duryodhana then asks a great warrior named Salya to drive Karna’s chariot, and though Salya is reluctant to take a position that he considers lowly, he accepts after Duryodhana flatters him.
As named figures begin to die on both sides, particularly among the Kauravas, the battle moves toward a climax. Given that Karna used his special weapon on Ghatotkaca, it seems more likely that Arjuna will kill him rather than him killing Arjuna, but the fact that Karna remains determined to do battle anyway suggests that he has accepted his death and is acting according to dharma.
Themes
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Karna begins offering money to anyone who can point him toward Arjuna. Salya argues with him, believing this is inappropriate. He says that Karna isn’t strong enough to take on someone of Arjuna’s stature. Salya continues to question Karna’s expertise, but Karna says he has considered the upcoming battle well. While he acknowledges Arjuna’s prowess, he isn’t afraid to face him.
While Salya may seem to be the more pragmatic fighter, this passage ultimately paints Karna in a more positive light. While Duryodhana is evil for letting his pride get the better of him and believing he can win fights that he can’t, Karna is noble because he seeks fame by accepting fights even when he knows he likely won’t win.
Themes
The battle rages on, with Karna and Arjuna each killing many of their respective opponents on different parts of the battlefield. Karna approaches Yudhishthira and forces him to retreat. Angry at this, Bhima knocks Karna unconscious with an arrow, and Salya carries him off. Karna soon recovers, however, and gets back up to fight Bhima again. The battle continues, with many heroes narrowly escaping death.
As with other days of battle, these early knockouts and near-death experiences help to raise the stakes and build anticipation for the more decisive fighting to come later in the day. By returning to the fight shortly after getting injured, Karna continues to show determination on his final day.
Themes
At one point, Yudhishthira thinks Arjuna has slain Karna, then he gets angry when he finds out Karna is still alive. Arjuna is so angry in response that he almost kills Yudhishthira, but Krishna calms him. Arjuna promises to kill Karna that day. One of Karna’s sons dies in battle. Bhima kills 10 more of Dhritarashtra’s 100 sons. Then Arjuna kills another son of Karna.
The false rumors described in this passage help capture the chaos of a large battlefield. Whereas earlier, Arjuna had to calm Krishna down (to prevent him from breaking his promise and attacking), now Krishna returns the favor by calming Arjuna, showing how they balance each other in their relationship.
Themes
Karna and Arjuna finally face off with their armies. Karna gets first blood, hitting Arjuna with 10 arrows, but the fight rages on, and soon Arjuna pierces Karna and Salya. Onlookers see the fight and feel they are witnessing gods. Eventually, Arjuna attacks so fiercely that the other Kauravas abandon Karna, yet he still fights bravely alone.
In order to convey how glorious the combatants are, each major fight is more epic than the last. While Arjuna is the more heroic figure, this passage also builds up the nobility of Karna by emphasizing his bravery in fighting after his allies run away. This emphasis on Karna’s bravery is partly so that Arjuna has a worthy foe to defeat—what’s more, though, this portion of the poem once again shows that the line between “heroes” and “villains” isn’t always straightforward.
Themes
At one point, Karna nearly hits Arjuna’s head, but Krishna maneuvers the chariot, and instead it just knocks off Arjuna’s diadem (a type of crown). Angry, Arjuna fires back an arrow like a venomous snake that cuts through Karna’s shield. Karna fires back, hitting both Arjuna and Krishna, but then Arjuna finally pierces Karna’s vital organs. Karna’s crown and armor all fall off. His chariot collapses and Karna curses his dharma for not protecting him. Still, despite Arjuna’s continued attacks, Karna keeps warding off the fatal blow.
A diadem is a symbol of authority. By knocking off Arjuna’s diadem, Karna expresses his long-simmering jealousy toward Arjuna’s higher status. This insult prompts Arjuna to respond with an even stronger attack, proving that, for all Karna’s prowess in battle, he can’t compete with Arjuna, particularly not when he has the power of Krishna on his side. In this passage, Krishna literally steers Arjuna to safety, and this guidance is symbolic of how Krishna steers Arjuna to make choices according to dharma.
Themes
Arjuna manages to tear apart Karna’s standard with a gold-shafted arrow. Arjuna asks the gods to bless his next arrow, then lets it fly, killing Karna. Salya carries back the broken standard and Karna’s corpse. He tells Duryodhana of what he just witnessed. Meanwhile Krishna and Yudhishthira congratulate Arjuna.
The breaking of a standard is as symbolic as destroying a diadem—perhaps even more so. Standards are important objects in battle that raise morale and that stand for what each side is fighting for. By destroying Karna’s standard before killing him, Arjuna shows that he wants to destroy not just Karna but also everything he stands for.
Themes
