The Fateful Evening...Arjun Draupadi OS Thread.3 - Page 57

Who is a Hero?
A Hero is a person a] whose absence makes the epic crunch to a halt b] whose presence brings a positive, constructive change to the story.
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Is Duryodhan a Hero? Without him, the epic would indeed end. He's the bearer of burning, dedicated, fanatical and consistent hatred for Pandavas. Without him there would be no bloodthirsty conspiracy, no malicious plans and certainly no Kurukshetra. Yes, he does satisfy point a ... what of point b?

His one & only victory for Hastinapur is Indraprastha ... but won with absolute zero bravery. While Pandavas were prospering, Duryodhan made no efforts to expand his horizons, even though he had the full military support of Bhishm-Drona and the wise counsel of Vidura. All his grandiose plans ultimately led to destruction of his brothers and family honor.
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Is Yudhisthir a hero? His absence badly harms any Pandava claim to the throne and makes Duryodhan the clear-cut crown prince. Thus, being eldest is Yudhisthir's major (and perhaps only) plus point. Yet, being born senior is his good luck; definitely not his own achievement.

His role is mildly constructive (the citizens were happy) , but also hugely destructive to the Pandavas. If not for his colossal blunder at dyut sabha, Indraprastha would've remained safe & sound from any external attack.
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Is Karna a Hero? Does his absence matter? Without him Duryodhan's plans would still continue, aided by Shakuni. Without him Duryodhan would remain arrogant, backed by the military shield of Bhishm-Drona. His presence does not guarantee victory at gurudakshina, ghoshyatra, virat or kurukshetra. In fact MB's most epic battle Kurukshetra begins without karna (10 whole days) and continues smoothly even after his death.

As for point b, the only constructive role karna plays is to create a (misleading) atmosphere of competition, mostly based on his loud claims and inflated views about himself. In reality, he achieves very little on the battlefield (except maybe Digvijay, which itself remains doubtful in its occurrence and if at all true, happens in the glaring absence of Arjun-Bheem).
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Is Bheem a Hero? Indeed, yes. A giant warrior and a splendid human being. If he was eldest, Indraprastha would never be pledged in dice. He forever played a major role in Pandava protection, both during their forest skirmishes as well as on every battlefield. His presence = death of evil forces like Bakasur,Jarasandha, Keechak and Dury-Dusshasan.
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Is Arjuna a Hero? Without him, the epic goes blank. [P.S- For simplicity, this post relies on Jaya's current characters without focusing on the very senior legends.] Without Arjun there is no gurudakshina victory, no Drupad defeat and hence, probably no Draupadi birth!!! Without him, Pandavas cannot regain confidence thru alliance with Panchal, in order to re-approach Hastinapur for a share in the kingdom. Without him there is probably no Krishn-angle. Let's face it, Krishn may not have been deeply or emotionally involved with Pandava woes, if his best friends Arjun & Draupadi are cancelled from the equation. Without Arjun, there is no Mayasabha, no Virat victory, no Ghoshyatra victory. As for Kurukshetra ... it is simply unthinkable without Arjun. It could end in 1 day if he so wished; and it would end in 1 day in his absence.

His presence meant new skills, new knowledge, new alliances, new challenges, new conquests, new questions and new vistas explored- both geographical & philosophical.
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[p.s Krishn and Draupadi not included in this discussion, since (personally speaking, atleast) their heroics form the foundation, the pillar and the peak of MB]
- Arjun Without a Doubt