Home | Biographies

A-J | K-M | N-S | T-Z | Others | Previous | Next

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

When Paandav lost the dice game playing with Duryodhan and had to go in exile for 13 years (12 years of exile and one year of Agyaatvaas - nobody should recognize them in that period - incognito), they got convinced that they will have have a war with their cousins Kaurav (Dhritraashtra's hundred sons) at the end of the exile even if it was over lawfully. Krishn suggested Arjun to start collecting blessings and weapons from various Devtaa.

Arjun and Kiraat
He worshipped Indra to get Divine weapons. Pleased with his Tap, Indra said - "You will get Divine weapons only from Swarg Lok for which you will have to go there; and without getting Paashupataastra, you cannot enter Swarg Lok. So first you should please Shiv Jee so that you can get Paashupataastra to enter Swarg Lok."

So Arjun started doing Tap to please Shiv to get Paashuptaastra from him. Since Arjun was very proud of his bravery and archery, when he was worshipping Shiv Jee, Shiv Jee thought that he should destroy his pride before giving him any weapon, so he took the form of a Kiraat (hunter) and asked one of his Gan to take the form of a wild boar. The boar came where Arjun was doing Tapasyaa and started disturbing Arjun. So Arjun shot it an arrow. The boar died and Arjun went to pick it up.

But as he came there, he saw two arrows in the body of the boar. He was thinking that whose arrow that could be, that he saw one Kiraat coming towards him. Kiraat told that that boar was his prey as his arrow was in his body, while Arjun argued that since he had killed it first, it was his prey. To decide whose prey it was, both entered into argument which eventually led to fight. Kiraat took away Arjun's all weapons in fight, one by one, but brave Arjun fought even with bare hands. Arjun thought - "Nobody else can do this to me except Guru Drone, Bheeshm, Indra and Shiv. he is not Guru Drone, he is not Bheeshm, nor he is Indra. Thus he can only be Shiv, nobody else. thinking thus he bowed to to him. Kiraat got very pleased with him, showed him his real form, and blessed him with Paashupataastra. After all this Arjun started looking for the boar, but he was not seen anywhere, seeing all this he had already run away. This episode is famous as Kiraat-Arjun fight or Kiraataarjun.

Arjun and Indra
After getting Paashupataastra from Shiv, Arjun went to Swarg. He got lots of other weapons from his father Indra living in Swarg for one year. On Indra's request he killed Nivaatkavach named Raakshas too, because they had to be killed by a human being only. When he had got the weapons he wanted, he wanted to come back to Prithvi, Indra asked him to get the training of music and dance too. Arjun laughed at the idea and said - "Why a warrior should need this?" Indra said - "It will be useful during your Agyaatvaas period."

After finishing that training, when he was coming back, Urvashee Apsaraa got attracted to him and requested him to marry her. Arjun said - "I have always regarded you as my mother, I cannot commit such a sin as marrying you." (see Note below why Arjun regarded her as his mother) At this Urvashee gave him Shaap of being an eunuch for his whole life. Later Indra leniently reduced the period for only one year and the year of his choice also, and said to Arjun that "this Shaap will also be useful during your Agyaatvaas period". So when Paandav started their Agyaatvaas period in Viraat's kingdom, Arjun became an eunuch and taught music and dance to Raajaa Viraat's daughter Uttaraa. After the Agyaatvaas period was over Virat wanted to marry Uttaraa to Arjun but Arjun accepted her as Abhimanyu's wife.

Arjun and Chitrasen Gandharv

When Arjun had gone to Indra Lok to get Divine weapons from his father Indra, he learnt music and dance from Chitrasen, the King of Gandharv. During that he developed friendship with him. After that he came back to Earth. All Paandav were staying in Dwait Van. When Duryodhan heard about Arjun's Swarg Yaatraa and getting his Divine Astra, he got worried. When he expressed his feelings to Dushaasan, Karn and Shakuni, Karn told him that he did not need to worry about it; rather, if he agrees, he could suggest the way to embarrass them. Karn suggested that they should go to their station of cows, which was near Dwait Van, to inspect them along with their army and women and then show off their glory and valor to them. There was no other way to envy them better than this.

Duryodhan got very happy to hear this, he asked the permission from Dhritraashtra which he got easily, but later when he told him the real reason to go there, Dhritraashtra was not happy with it. He thought it was risky, but Duryodhan convinced him that it was not. So all four, Duryodhan, Dushaasan, Karn and Shakuni went there with their army and women and camped there. One day he desired to swim in the lake nearby so he asked his people to check the place. His people told him that a Gandharv was already in it with his women. He ordered his people to ask him to move from that place as the King of Hastinaapur was coming to swim there. The people told him the same, but the Gandharv said - "Tell him that whoever he might be, I am not obliged to obey him." When Duryodhan's people told this to him, he got very angry and sent his soldiers to fight with them.

They went there and the fight started. But Kaurav army could not face the Gandharv army. When they got weaker, Duryodhan, Dushaasan, Karn and Shakuni also joined them, but still they could not face them. The Gandharv made Duryodhan and many women captive and took them to his place. The Kaurav army got panic. Some soldiers immediately went to Yudhishthir's camp and told the whole incident. Bheem got very happy to hear this, he said - "We should have done this to them long before, but I am happy that somebody else is doing our work." But Yudhishthir was not happy with Bheem. He said - "Bheem, you should take Arjun, Sahadev and Nakul and go to release them." Bheem said - "No, I wouldn't go to release such a person." Yudhishthir said - " If you will not go, then I will have to go. We are five against hundred, but we are one hundred and five against a third man. You should be ashamed of yourself. As a Kshatriya it is your prime duty to protect oppressed. Secondly, you should be ashamed of yourself also that somebody else is doing your work? Then what will happen to your vows?" Now Bheem understood what Yudhishthir was saying.

So he immediately went there and politely requested to release his brother. But the Gandharv army wouldn't let him go. Both parties fought, but Arjun defeated them all. Then their chief came to face Arjun from sky, but Arjun defeated him also. Then he revealed himself. Arjun was amazed to see him, he was nobody else but his good old friend Chitarsen. They embraced each other and talked about past days for some time. Arjun asked him as why did he capture his brother? Chitrasen said - "To whom you call your brother he did not come here to inspect the cows but he came to insult you, to harass you all. Your father Indra knew it before so he sent me here and asked to pick up a quarrel with him and arrest him. Hearing his arrest, he knew, that Yudhishthir will send you to get him released. Thus Duryodhan will get humiliated and obliged to you." Arjun said - "But now you may release him." Chitrasen said - "No, I will release only to Yudhishthir because he has sent you to get him released. Then he can do with them whatever he likes."

So they all went to Yudhishthir. Yudhishthir asked him to release them, so he did. Yudhishthir expressed his gratitude to Chitrasen. Then he looked at Duryodhan and said - "Never do such a stupid thing again. Go now to your kingdom." There was no hatred in his look to Duryodhan it was only pity and gentleness. Duryodhan went away from there lowering his eyes and bent head humiliated greatly.

While Paandav were spending their time in Vanvaas, Jayadrath happened to pass near the hut of Paandav. At that time all Paandav had gone out in the forest. Seeing Draupadee alone, Jayadrath had evil mind and tried to abduct her. With a great effort he succeeded in taking her on his chariot. As the Paandav came back, the found their hut empty. Draupadee was nowhere to be seen. Then they saw the marks of the wheels of a chariot going away from their hut. Arjun and Bheem ran following them. Jayadrath had not taken her too far, but still it was far for a person going on foot. Arjun shot an Agni Baan (Fire arrow) which surrounded Jayadrath's chariot and he could not move forward. In a little while Bheem and Arjun caught him and brought him back to Yudhishthir. On asking what punishment should be prescribed for him, Yudhishthir asked Draupadee to suggest. Draupadee said - "Although he should be killed for this sin, but since he is the husband of Dushalaa, if we will kill him she will be widow, it is not good to make her widow; just shave his head completely and leave him. This is his punishment." Paandav did that leaving five flocks of hair on his head so that he can always remember that those five flocks were because of five Paandav. (what happened after read "Jayadrath and Draupadee")

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

Home | Biographies

A-J | K-M | N-S | T-Z | Others | Previous | Next