Arjuna
Epic
Mahabharata, attributed to the sage Vyasa (c. 4th century BCE - 4th century CE in its current form). Approximately 100,000 shlokas (verses) in eighteen parvas (books) -- the longest epic poem in world literature, roughly ten times the combined length of the Iliad and Odyssey. The Bhagavad Gita (Book 6, chapters 23-40) is the most celebrated philosophical section.
Divine Ancestry
Son of Kunti (a Kshatriya queen) and the god Indra (king of the gods, lord of storms and warfare). One of the five Pandava brothers, all of whom have divine fathers. Arjuna is the supreme archer and the favorite disciple of Krishna.
The Quest
The Mahabharata narrates the dynastic struggle between the five Pandava brothers and their hundred Kaurava cousins for the throne of Hastinapura. After years of exile, failed diplomacy, and the Kauravas' refusal to return even five villages, the apocalyptic Kurukshetra War becomes inevitable. On the battlefield, Arjuna suffers a profound moral crisis (vishada) -- he cannot bring himself to fight and kill his own kinsmen, teachers, and elders. Krishna, serving as his charioteer, delivers the Bhagavad Gita, a comprehensive philosophical teaching on duty, action, knowledge, and devotion. Arjuna fights, the Pandavas win, but the victory is pyrrhic: nearly all warriors on both sides are killed, and the survivors are haunted by grief.
Key Weapon
Gandiva -- the divine bow created by Brahma, given to Arjuna by the fire god Agni. Also the Pashupatastra (the weapon of Shiva, obtained through severe penance), and numerous celestial weapons (astras) obtained from the gods during his exile.
Companion
Krishna -- the eighth avatar of Vishnu, who serves as Arjuna's charioteer, counselor, and beloved friend. The Arjuna-Krishna relationship is one of the most profound in world literature: simultaneously a friendship between equals, a guru-disciple relationship, and the communion of the human soul with the divine.
Antagonist
Duryodhana, the eldest Kaurava prince, whose envy, pride, and refusal to share power drive the conflict. Also Karna, Arjuna's unknown elder brother (secretly the son of Kunti and the sun god Surya), whose tragic loyalty to Duryodhana makes him Arjuna's most formidable and sympathetic enemy. The killing of Karna is the emotional climax of the war.
The Lesson
The Bhagavad Gita's central teaching: perform your svadharma (personal duty) without attachment to results (nishkama karma). Action is inescapable; inaction is itself a form of action. The three paths to liberation -- karma yoga (selfless action), jnana yoga (knowledge), and bhakti yoga (devotion) -- are ultimately one. The warrior must fight when dharma demands it, surrendering the fruits of action to God.
Fate
After ruling justly for thirty-six years, the Pandavas renounce the world and ascend the Himalayas toward heaven. All fall except Yudhishthira, who alone reaches heaven in his mortal body. Arjuna falls because of his pride in his archery. He is eventually admitted to heaven after purification.