Arjuna

/ahr"jeuh neuh/; Skt. /urdd"joo neuh/, n. Hinduism.

the chief hero of the Bhagavad-Gita, befriended by Krishna, who appears as his charioteer and advises him on duty and the immortality of the soul.

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One of the five brothers who are the heroes of the Mahabharata.

His reluctance to go into battle prompts Krishna, manifested as his friend and charioteer, to deliver the discourse on duty that constitutes the Bhagavadgita. An exemplar of skill, duty, and compassion as well as a seeker of true knowledge, Arjuna is a central figure in Hindu myth and theology.

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▪ Hindu mythology

      one of the five Pāṇḍava brothers, who are the heroes of the Indian epic the Mahābhārata (Mahabharata) (“Great Epic of the Bharata Dynasty”). Arjuna's hesitation before a battle became the occasion for his friend and charioteer, the god Krishna, to deliver a discourse on duty, or the right course of human action. These verses, which are in the form of a quasi-dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, are collectively known as the Bhagavadgītā (Bhagavadgita), which is the most celebrated religious text of India. See also Mahābhārata (Mahabharata).

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