ShodhPatra: International Journal of Science and Humanities

Reconciling Recognition and Heroism: An Exploration of Hegelian Perspective on Karna in the Mahabharata

The research attempts to explore Karna’s journey of recognition in the epic Mahabharata through G.W.F Hegel’s philosophy of recognition proposed in his treatise Phenomenology of Spirit published in 1807. Karna being a subject of marginalization has been a major subject of study for many scholars and the character has been appreciated for his unflinching determination to gain recognition. The idea would be to decode the concept of recognition as a social and ethical phenomenon and how it determines Karna’s social identity in a complex hierarchical social structure. Hegel’s philosophy of recognition codifies the phenomenon of recognition as a socio-cultural process which takes place between Individuals of equal strata sanctioned by social institutions. Hegel’s concept of recognition talks about several fundamental concepts such as battle between two self-consciousness, lordship-bondage dialectic, spiritual ethics which is vital to the understanding of Karna’s quest for recognition. Hegel’s theory echoes the idea of man being a ‘social being’ and attempts to study the social characteristics of Individual in relation to the mechanisms of the state which means that our idea of social integration depends upon our acceptance by the society. Karna’s identity as a charioteer’s son and his transition to ruler amidst societal challenges is a major point of concern. The research aims to illustrate how Karna’s journey of heroism resonates with Hegel’s idea of recognition and self -consciousness offering a profound insight to the dynamics of identity and heroism in the Mahabharata.