Issues of identity in the "Mahabharata"

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.