Arjuna is a hero of the Indian epic poem the Mahabharata, which tells of the wars between the Pandava brothers and the Kaurava cousins. Arjuna is the third of five Pandava brothers. The story of his life is a constant series of battles and victories. Arjuna is presented as the ideal hero. He is brave, handsome, noble, generous, and a romantic lover. His dialogue with his charioteer and friend, the god Krishna, forms the important Indian religious work called the Bhagavad-Gita, which makes up a small portion of the Mahabharata.
In Indonesia, Arjuna is also known as Rajuna or Ranjuna. He appears in shadow puppet plays and in the theater. Traditional dances on the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali also portray him. Arjuna is the hero of an old Javanese work titled Arjunawiwaha (The Marriage of Arjuna).
