What Arjuna and Karna Were Really Thinking

For optimal reading experience, play the Mahabharatham War Theme while you read.

Arjuna’s POV

Arjuna watched as his brother Karna stepped onto the battlefield, bow at the ready. “Look at his stupid face,” thought Arjuna.

He looked around at all of his soldiers and Karna’s soldiers to see them all watching. He knew in that moment. He knew this was going to be the last fight. The winner though, that he didn’t know. Arjuna was already tired from the fighting and didn't know if he would have enough energy for this fight. He knew Karna was a strong opponent and wouldn't give in so easily. He wasn’t sure who was going to come out victorious in the end but he knew he was going to give his all. So slowly, he started making his way onto the battlefield where Krishna was waiting with his chariot.

“I have to win this fight. If Karna beats me, my soldiers are going to make fun of me. Bhima is going to crush me to death. Literally crush me to death,” thought Arjuna.

As he took his place on his chariot, he looked up to see Karna staring at him.

Karna’s POV

“Oh brother, you are so going down today,” thought Karna as he stood on his chariot. “There is no way I’m losing to my little brother.”

Karna couldn’t help but smirk when he saw his brother. He looked like a fly and a fly Karna so badly want to smash.

He began shooting arrows at Arjuna, hoping one of them would pierce him in the heart. His arrows were hitting Arjuna spot on and he knew from the way Arjuna reacted that they were stinging like snakes.

Arjuna’s POV

“Bloody hell! These arrows are stinging so badly. Karna is getting it now.” He set off his own set of arrows and they looked like a rain shower of arrows had descended on Karna.

Arjuna felt his bow snap and knew he was in trouble. “Stop, Karna! You can’t attack me like this while I'm unarmed. You know that’s against the rules.” But from the look on Karna’s face, he knew his brother didn’t care.

Karna’s POV

“HAHA you little brat. That’s what you get,” thought Karna. He continued to shoot arrows at Arjuna until he knew his little brother was gravely injured.

Karna saw that Arjuna was hurt and stopped briefly. However, he saw Arjuna get up and restring his bow, and his brother did not look too happy. But Karna wasn’t scared. As he was about to send another set of arrows on Arjuna, he felt his chariot sink into the ground.

“Oh no. No no no!” cried Karna. “Stop, Arjuna! You can’t attack me right now.”

Arjuna’s POV

“Oh heck no. What a hypocrite!” thought Arjuna. Before he could reply, his friend Krishna started talking.

“Karna, what you said is right, but you’re being a hypocrite, you know. Didn’t you shoot arrows at Arjuna even though he was injured? Didn’t you and your soldiers surround Abhimanyu and kill him brutally?” asked Krishna.

As he heard his son’s name, Arjuna felt rage rise in him and he snatched his bow. He looked at Karna with all the rage he had and let the crescent-bladed arrow go.

“That was for my son. Rest in peace, Karna. You won’t be missed.”

Bibliography:

Arjuna and Karna. Public Domain Edition: Mahabharata.

Indian Myth and Legend. Donald A. Mackenzie.

Author's Note: After I read this particular PDE chapter while reading the Mahabharata, it got me thinking what they were probably thinking on the inside while fighting. I thought it would be a cool idea to portray what I thought would be their thoughts. I kept the setting in the same time as theirs, but the language is modern. The language is more suited for this time and age. Originally, in the story, Arjuna does not know that Karna is his brother but Karna does know. Krishna as well knows about the real relation between Arjuna and Karna. By giving them both that knowledge in my story, I got to add some more drama. Also, there is nothing about Arjun looking around at his soldiers or him seeing Karna step onto a battlefield. They are already on their chariots and in the middle of a battle. I tried keeping most of the actual story in my own story so it wouldn't seem too different. If you go to the actual story and compare, I have tried keeping most of the same specific plot details as well. I kept the figurative language the same as well. For example, the arrows were "stinging like snakes" and "rain shower of arrows." Figurative language like that really sets the scene in my opinion. An image can be formed in the reader's head. Originally, I thought about writing it as a script for a play but the idea of knowing the inner thoughts sounded much better. A fun fact about the war theme is that it is actually the same music that was used in the Arjuna and Karna fight scene in the TV show, Mahabharat, on the channel Star Plus.