Religious enlightenment
Religious enlightenment? Why is that a theme, if the story has almost nothing to do with God or Brahma or enlightenment? Well, that's exactly what the character wonders the whole time, so it is actually the primary theme of the book, because secretly, Arjun feels that his humiliation (being subjected to a lower caste of being, which is what he might have believed historically at that time) cannot coexist with his call toward enlightenment. But, once he is a confident, powerful warrior, riding around on an elephant, he has answered many of his own religious questions. Instead of spending his life studying the Hindu gods, he has become a real legend.
The battle between good and evil
The novel starts with an inciting incident with quite a sinister tone. Therefore, the novel is about the problem of evil, because the marauders murder Arjun's uncle, steal his sister for their own sinister purposes, and they capture him and exploit him of his freedom, making him into a slave for their personal gain and financial gain. That's a pretty sufficient portrayal, but then again, so is Arjun's portrayal of goodness. He uses his love for his sister as a motivation to push through all the personal obstacles that stand between himself and power. His story is a proposed response to the problem of evil, to focus on love, responsibility, and becoming as effective a person as one can possibly be.
The balance of nature
There are many balances in the novel, but all of them point back to nature, because after all, Arjun is a Brahmin, so he believes that the entirety of the physical universe is somehow divine, but that doesn't really come to fruition until he is asked to pass through a season of intense anguish and sorrow. There is a balance to these states of despair, however, and Arjun also sees season of power and success—he is regarded as a local hero and legend for consistently overpowering evil. That is a balance. The balance between him and the elephants is clear, and the balance between him and the stone is also a clear indication that he is connecting with his daily life in enlightened ways.
