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1. Who was Arjun
2. Arjun's Marriage to Draupadee
3. Arjun's Other Marriages
4. Arjun in Exile-1-12 Years
5. Arjun in Exile-2-Agyaatvaas
6. Arjun in War-1
7. Arjun in War-2
8. Arjun After War
9. Arjun After War-2
11. Arjun's Special Characteristics

There are two Arjun - Sahastrabaahu Arjun and Paarth Arjun - one of Paandav brothers. Here we are talking about one Paandav brother.

Arjun is a Mahaabhaarat character and is the third of the five Paandav. He was the youngest son among the three sons of Kuntee and Paandu through Dharm Raaj, Pavan and Indra respectively. He was the son of Indra. He and Krishn are said to be the Avataar of Nar and Naaraayan. He was famous with his ten names: (1) Arjun, (2) Paarth, (3) Dhananjaya, (4) Vijaya, (5) Phaalgun, (6) Jishnu, (7) Kireeti, (8)Shwetvaahan, (9) Vibhatsu, (10) Savyashachee. (see the meanings of these names here)

Daksh Jee was married to Prasooti - one of the three daughters of Manu - Aakooti, Prasooti and Devhooti. They had 16 daughters. They married their 13 daughters to Dharm, one to Agni (Swaahaa), one to all Pitar Gan (Swadhaa) and one to Shiv Jee (Satee). One of his 13 daughters married to Dharm was Moorti. She gave birth to two Rishi: Nar and Naaraayan. Later they went to Gandhmaadan Parvat to do Tap. They were born as Krishn and Arjun in this Dwaapar Yug. Otherwise Arjun was Raajaa Paandu and Kuntee's third child from Indra. He had two elder brothers also - Yudhishthir born from Dharm Raaj and Bheem born from Pavan Dev. He had two step brothers, a twins, Nakul and Sahadev (children of Maadree), born from Ashwinee Kumaar.

Arjun was very handsome, sweet and soft-spoken and was loved by everyone, especially by Bheeshm and Dronaachaarya. As a student, he was the most favorite student of Drone, because he was always learning something or the other even when Guru Jee was not even teaching to anybody. His aim in archery was very good, and he wanted to be the best archer. Seeing his learning desire and skill in archery Drone also taught him everything in archery and declared him the best archer. To declare him the best archer, Drone asked right hand thumb from Eklavya in Guru Dakshinaa, and did not allow Karn to contest with him as both of them were better archer than him. He could stop the development of education of Eklavya, so he asked his right thumb in Guru Dakshinaa, but he could not do anything about Karn as he did not accept him as his disciple. He was the disciple of Parashuraam.

Childhood of Arjun
When Kaurav and Paandav grew up a little and the time came for their education, Bheeshm Pitaamaha got worried as who should be their teacher. Once these children were playing ball, that their ball fell in a dry well. Now nobody knew how to take that ball out of the well. By chance Dronaachaarya Jee was passing by. He saw some children struggling to take out something from a well. (Read this story in Drone also)

He asked - "What has happened?" Children said - "Our ball has fallen in this well, we don't know how to take it out. Can you help us?" Drone said - "Let me try." He threw a long straw at the ball, which pierced the ball. Then he shot another one which joined the first one. And thus he shot many straws until  he could hold the last straw. Then he just drew the ball holding the last straw and the ball came out with those straws.

Children got very happy to get their ball. Arjun told this incident to Bheeshm. Bheeshm understood that he was none else than Dronaachaarya. In fact he was looking for him. So he called him and appointed him as the Guru of Kaurav and Paandav. Now both started their education under the umbrella of Dronaachaarya Jee. From the childhood Arjun was good at learning and thus was the favorite student of Drone.

Because of this Drone once sent him to his Guru Agnivesh (a disciple of Agastya Muni) to learn Brahmshir and took the Guru Dakshinaa for this that "whenever you have to fight with me, you must fight with me". Arjun did fight with him proficiency.

Arjun not only got the arms from his Guru Drone and Agnivesh, but also got many kinds of arms and weapons from many people and Devtaa.
(1) He got Devdatt conch from Maya Daanav who brought it for him
(2) He got a Divine chariot with a flag with an ape's figure on it and with fast running horses, Gaandeev bow, two inexhaustible quivers from Agni Dev before burning Khaandav forest.
(3) He got Pashupat Astra from Shiv Jee
(4) He got many Divine weapons from his father Indra when he went to Swarg.

Arjun's Children
Arjun had two main wives Draupadee and Subhadraa (Shree Krishn's sister). Draupadee had five sons from her five Paandav husbands. They were all killed by Ashwatthaamaa (Dronaachaarya's son) after the war. Arjun's son's name was Sutsom. He was born in the Kuru city named Udayendu. His face was like thousands of Moon that is why his name was Sutsom.

Subhadraa had one son from Arjun named Abhimanyu who was brave like his father and was killed cruelly in Mahaabhaarat war fighting alone with seven great warriors - Dronaachaarya, Ashwatthaamaa, Duryodhan, Karn, Kripaachaarya, Jayadrath, Shakuni at the age of 16 on the 13th day of the war.

He had two wives more who never lived with him regularly. While he was on his Praayashchit travel for 12 years (12 years of celibacy), he went on a Teerth Yaatraa. On the way he met Uloopee, the Apsaraa, who got attracted to him and asked to marry her. Arjun was on his Praayashchit travel, because he broke the rule of his family life; and for the same reason he could not marry Uloopee, but Uloopee explained him the true meaning of breaking that rule and its consequences, and thus made him agreed to marry her. He had a son from her named Irvaan.

After this he proceeded further and came to Manipur. He himself got attracted to its King Chitrabhaanu's daughter Chitraangadaa. When he asked the King for the marriage, the King said that it was in their family that the King's son would be the next king, and since he had no son, he would not be able to send his daughter with him after marriage, because her son would be the next King of that kingdom. Arjun agreed for that. He married her, stayed there for 3 months and left her there only. In fact Shiv granted a Var to the King of Manipur that he would have only males in his family, so when Chitraangadaa was born he raised her like his son. He taught her all kinds of things which a prince should have learnt - the art of weaponry and warfare etc. Arjun had a son from her named Babhruvaahan.

My Note
Shree Krishn was Arjun's maternal uncle's son and both of them loved each other very much. Shree Krishn always guided Arjun throughout his adult life.

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