THE JOURNEY OF ARJUNA AS A HERO IN NYOMAN S. PENDIT’S NOVEL, MAHABHARATA

This research focuses on the analysis of Arjuna‟s heroic journey in the twenty parts selected of the Mahabharata novel by Nyoman S Pendit seen from the Hero‟s Journey theory perspective proposed by Joseph Campbell. Also, the life virtues showed by Arjuna in his journey as a hero in the Mahabharata epic. Therefore, by using the library research, the results of this research are: on his journey as a hero, Arjuna faces a dynamic and challenging journey that forces him to become an unbeatable hero and master in archery. Arjuna indicates the archetypal journey process of a hero, such in the Hero's Journey theory proposed by Joseph Campbell. This theory consists of three major stages named: Departure-Initiation-Return which is divided into seventeen sub-stages. Of the seventeen sub-stages, Arjuna fulfills ten existing stages. The seven stages which Arjuna does not experience are Refusal of the Call and The Crossing of the First Threshold in the Departure section, Apotheosis in the Initiation section, Refusal of the Return, The Crossing of the Return Threshold, Master of the Two Worlds, and Freedom to live in the Return section. Even so, Arjuna has experienced most of the stages in the Hero's Journey theory which can prove that Arjuna has gone through a process that deserves him to be called a hero. In addition, in his journey as a hero, Arjuna also shows six kinds of life virtues namely: courage, fortitude, self-control, humility, power, and self-confidence which made him worthy of being a good example in the Mahabharata epic