IP Series : Arjuna

When it came to the Pandavas, Arjuna was the MVP—the kind of guy who could hit a bullseye while eating his breakfast. ?? The Kurukshetra War was about to start, and you could almost feel the tension in the air. The Kauravas were ready with their endless army, and Bheema was already flexing his muscles like a pro wrestler, eager to crush Duryodhana’s skull. But... where was Arjuna? ??

Just when everyone expected Arjuna to charge into battle like a human hurricane, he hit the pause button. There he was, staring at the battlefield, having a full-on existential meltdown. His cousins? His teachers? His grandpa? How was he supposed to shoot arrows at them? He might be a warrior, but Arjuna wasn’t heartless.

Arjuna: “Wait, wait... I signed up for a war, not a family reunion from hell! I’m supposed to fight Bhishma? And Drona? I might as well shoot myself!” ??

And so, in true dramatic style, Arjuna dropped his bow and looked at Krishna, his personal charioteer and part-time life coach, for some clarity. It was the ultimate "Can we just not do this today?" moment.

Enter Krishna, with all the wisdom of the cosmos and the patience of someone dealing with a toddler in meltdown mode. He looked at Arjuna, sighed like a parent who just heard "Why?" for the hundredth time, and decided to drop some truth bombs.

Krishna: “Look, Arjuna, you’ve got a job to do. This isn’t about you, your cousins, or your favorite grandpa. It’s about dharma. You’ve got to fight, or this whole epic is going nowhere.” ??

Arjuna blinked. For 18 chapters, Krishna schooled him on life, duty, and the whole “Why we can’t quit when things get tough” philosophy. He even threw in a Vishwaroopa moment just for good measure—a quick cosmic slideshow to show Arjuna who’s boss. After this motivational masterclass, Arjuna finally got the point.

Arjuna: “Right... I get it now. Let’s fight.”

And just like that, Arjuna was back in action, ready to let those arrows fly. ??

Now, let’s get to the final showdown—Arjuna vs. Karna, the secret long-lost brother Arjuna had no idea about. (Awkward, right? ??)

Karna was Arjuna’s equal in skill, and the battle between the two was shaping up to be an epic clash of titans. But fate had other plans. Poor Karna had been hit with some pretty bad luck—thanks to a curse, his chariot got stuck in the mud at the worst possible moment. ?

Karna, looking at his wheels like, “Really? Right now?” tried to fix it while calling a timeout. Meanwhile, Krishna—always the strategist—whispered to Arjuna, “Now’s your chance. Take him down!”

Arjuna: “But... isn’t that, like, cheating?” ??

Krishna: “Rules don’t apply in life-or-death situations.” ?? (And yep, these are the same guys who recited the Bhagavad Gita... the whole 'do the right thing' speech... but hey, here we are, breaking the rules! ??)

Arjuna, still conflicted, drew his bow and shot Karna while he was defenseless. And boom—down went Karna. But instead of feeling victorious, Arjuna had that “Did I really just do that?” moment. ????

Despite being the golden child of the Mahabharata, Arjuna wasn’t perfect. He was brave, sure. Skilled? No doubt. But when it came to Karna, his arch-nemesis, Arjuna’s moral compass faltered. Was he a hero? Absolutely. Was he also flawed? You bet.

Arjuna’s inner struggles remind us that even the greatest heroes have moments of doubt, hesitation, and, sometimes, questionable decisions. He was supposed to be the best, and yet here he was, shooting a defenseless warrior stuck in the mud. Not exactly the textbook definition of honorable combat.

But hey, heroes are human too. And maybe that’s why we love Arjuna—not because he was perfect, but because he wasn’t. He had his "Oh no" moments, just like the rest of us.

H-cube signing off... If your day is already great, keep it rolling. If not, may the greatness start now! ????