Bharavi

(6th c. C.E.) Sanskrit dramatist who is
best known as the author of the drama
Kiratarjuniya. This play describes the
meeting between the god Shiva, disguised as the tribal hunter Kirata, and
the warrior-hero Arjuna. Arjuna is one
of the five Pandava brothers, who are
the heroes of the epic Mahabharata. In
Hindu mythology, Arjuna is the world’s
greatest warrior, but he is also afflicted
with pride. The play describes how the
arrogant Arjuna becomes humbled at
the hands of this tribal hunter, who in
contemporary terms would be of very
low social status. In the end, however,
Shiva reveals his true form to Arjuna and
blesses him for his valor.