The Brother Who Fought for the Enemy: Viewing the Mahabharata’s Karna Through an Eriksonian Lens on Identity
Interest in the human psyche precedes the development of modern, positivist psychology in the West in the late 1800s. Ancient sources originally produced in Sanskrit offer astute observations about human motivation, emotions, and ethics. Among these is the great ancient Hindu epic poem Mahabharata,...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2025
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| In: |
Pastoral psychology
Year: 2025, Volume: 74, Issue: 2, Pages: 325-336 |
| Further subjects: | B
Karna
B Mahabharata B Erik Erikson B Identity B Negative identity |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Interest in the human psyche precedes the development of modern, positivist psychology in the West in the late 1800s. Ancient sources originally produced in Sanskrit offer astute observations about human motivation, emotions, and ethics. Among these is the great ancient Hindu epic poem Mahabharata, which narrates the events leading up to the Kurukshetra war, a war of succession between the Kauravas and Pāṇḍavas for the throne of Hastinapur. The poem features several complex characters. However, this article focuses on the life of Karna to discuss the intersections between identity development and the dynamics of the Hindu caste system. Rules and prohibitions govern intercaste interactions in the Indian subcontinent even today. Although he was high caste by birth, Karna was adopted by a charioteer (suta), whose social status was lower than that of his birth family. As someone associated with the suta community through his adoptive father, caste-based rules created complications in Karna’s life. Although he was raised as the son of a charioteer, Karna did not wish to drive chariots. He wanted to be an archer and a warrior. However, those who had the right to be warriors by birth (due to their caste) never accepted Karna’s inner calling. This article explores Karna’s unfulfilled need to create a distinctive, socially approved identity and his need for relatedness. It assesses how these needs shaped the decisions he took which ultimately culminated in his death on the battlefield. Erikson’s theory of identity development and his concept of negative identity provide the theoretical framework for analyzing Karna’s life and personality. |
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| ISSN: | 1573-6679 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Pastoral psychology
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1007/s11089-025-01215-5 |
