Issues of identity in the "Mahabharata"

<p>This thesis deals with the nature of identity in the Indian epic known as the Mahabharata. The question of what constitutes identity and whether or not it is in fact a tangible concept in the world view of the epic is explored by looking at three different "cases" which appear in the epic. The first case is a comparison of the characters Vyasa and Karn&dotbelow;a, whose lives bear remarkable similarities as well has significant differences. The second case is an examination of the use of disguise as a means of revealing identity. This involves comparing the story of Nala and Damayanti to the story of the Pan&dotbelow;d&dotbelow;avas' thirteenth year of exile, spent in the court of Virat&dotbelow;a. The final case is that of Kr&dotbelow;s&dotbelow;n&dotbelow;a, whose identity appears more fluid than that of other characters in the epic. Together, these cases give a sense of the epic view of identity.</p>