Arjuna
Arjuna is one of the heroes of the Hindu epic poem Mahabhárata. Third of the five Pandava brothers, Arjuna was one of the sons born to Kunti, Pandú's first wife.
Sanskrit name
In Sanskrit, the term अर्जुन árjuna means:
- clear as the color of the day, according to the Rig-veda 6.9.1
- clear as the color of dawn, according to the Rig-veda 1.49.3;
- lightning, milk, silver,
- the color of silver,
- made with silver, according to the Atharva-veda (5.28.5 and 9),
- white,
- peacock,
- skin disease (which emblazoned the skin),
- the Arjuna Terminalia tree (see the last two photographs below),
- His mother's only child,
- gold,
- light inflammation of the conjunctive or white of the eye, according to the Susruta,
- a particular herb (which was used as a substitute for the soma plant, when the Aryans left the area where they bought it, according to the PBr,
- shape (like rūpa), according to the Naighantuka, commented by Iaska,
- the descendants of Aryuna, according to Pa1n2 (2 and 66), and Sch,
- name of Indra (the father of Aryuna), according to the Wow. and Shatápatha bráhmana,
- the name of a son of Kritaviria, who died slain by the Bhahmana Parashu Rama,
- name of a śākhia (known as mathematician).
It comes from the same Indo-European root that generated the Latin argéntum ('silver').
According to the Sanskrit English Dictionary (1899) by Monier Monier-Williams in the original Sanskrit was pronounced /árshuna/.
On the other hand, on the Internet and in some specialized literature, it is transliterated into English: Arjuna, and pronounced /arshúna/.
This English writing is not recommended in Spanish, since it leads to pronouncing the j as in Spanish (and not as the j in the English word John).
About Arjuna
Arjuna was a masterful archer and played a central role in the struggle between the Pandavas and their adversaries, the sons of Dhritarashtra; known as the Kauravas. At first, Arjuna was reluctant to participate in the battle, due to the carnage he knew he was going to wreak on the enemy ranks, which included many of his own kin. However, he was persuaded by his charioteer and close friend, the god Krisna, to change his mind. The dialogue between the two about the issues involved in warfare - courage, the duty of the warrior, the nature of human life and the soul and the role of the gods - make up the plot of the Bhagavad Gita, one of the key episodes in the epic of the Majábharata. He also plays the lead role in the assassination of Karna, his arch-enemy; actually his unknown brother who fought on the side of the Kauravas.
Some sources claim that the legend of Arash, “the Parthian archer” of Persian mythology, bears some resemblance to that of Arjuna; the product according to them, of his shared Indo-Iranian heritage. However, being Arjuna a fundamental part of the Majábharata and one of the main characters, the rest of the relevant characters are not mentioned in the story of Arash.
Finally, Indian researchers have discovered ruins under the sea off the west coast of India, in the location that would have been Duaraka (the city of Krisna). This could indicate that not all the legends of the Majábharata are mythical stories, but rather that they could have some relationship with reality.
Birth
King Pandú involuntarily killed ―by mistaking them for a couple of deer― a sage who was having a sexual relationship with his wife (actually the Majábharata says that they had turned into deer to enjoy more than sex). As he died, the sage cursed him so that he would die the next time he penetrated a woman. Therefore Pandú was incapable of begetting a child (in Sanskrit, panda means just 'eunuch'). Her first wife, Kunti, had received in her youth a boon from the holy man Durvasa, which would enable her to invoke her deity of her choice and conceive a child with her. Pandú and Kunti decided to make use of such a gift; Kunti in turn invoked Iámarash (the god of prohibitions, also called Dhármarash), Vaiu (the wind god) and Indra (the king of the gods) giving birth to three sons. The third was Arjuna, born of Indra, king of the devas (demigods).
Personality
Arjuna is portrayed as a whole and balanced personality, a healthy mind in a healthy body, a person of whom any mother, wife and friend could be proud. The son of the god Indra, Arjuna was said to be well built and extremely handsome; Successful with women, he was married four times, which are detailed later. Arjuna was faithful and loyal to his friends (his best friend was the great warrior Satiaki); he enjoyed great acquaintance throughout his life with his cousin Krisna (son of Vasudeva, who was brother of Kuntī, mother of Arjuna) and his brother-in-law (brother of his wife Subhadrā). He was also sensitive and considerate, as evidenced by his reservations about the Kurukshetra war, which motivates Krisna to instruct him by imparting the Bhágavad Gita . His sense of duty was pure; on one occasion he preferred to go into exile rather than stop helping a brāhmana , a story that is detailed later.
Diligent student
Arjuna is best known as a fighter. The foundations of his career as a warrior were laid when he was very young; Arjuna was a dedicated and outstanding student; learning conscientiously all that his guru Drona Acharia could teach him, early obtaining the degree of ati rathi , or exceptional warrior.
The Legend of the Bird's Eye
Every Indian schoolboy has heard the story of Arjuna's proverbial concentration on study many times. On one occasion, Dronacharia decided to test his students; hanging from a tree branch a wooden bird, he summoned the students from him. One by one he asked them to aim their bow at the bird's eye, and keep ready to shoot, like this; when they were ready, he would ask them to describe everything they saw. The students described the garden, the tree, the flowers, the branch of the tree from which the bird hung; as well as the bird itself. The guru would then ask them to lower their weapon and stand aside. When it was Arjuna's turn, he replied to his mentor that all he saw was the eye of his prey. Such is a classic example of his ability to concentrate.
Draupadi
His skill in handling the bow was destined to bring him unsuspected utility; he won her the hand of Draupadī, his first wife, daughter of Drupada, king of Panchala. Drupada held a contest to find a suitable match for his daughter. A wooden fish was suspended high above a pond; spinning it in a circle. Contestants were required to temper a heavy bow and hit an arrow into the spinning fish's eye. They were only allowed to use, to aim; the reflection of the fish on the surface of the pond. Many princes and nobles would compete for the hand of the princess of Panchala. Some (including Karna, another hero of the Majābharata ) were disqualified on the basis of his poor lineage. However, although at that time the Pandavas and his mother had to keep in hiding, Arjuna prudently appeared disguised as a brahmana of noble birth, and was allowed to compete. So much the better this way, since it was Arjuna, the incomparable archer, the only one capable of carrying out the imposed task, and thus he obtained the hand of Draupadi.
The five Pandava brothers had attended the tournament without informing their mother Kunti. Returning home in a triumphant manner, bringing with them Princess Draupadi, from outside the house they shouted, “Mother, you would never believe what we bring here, guess what!” Busy as she was with her chores, Kunti refused to be distracted. "Whatever it is, share it equally with each other, and don't argue about it anymore," she replied. The brothers took even the most casual remarks of her mother's so seriously that they decided to make Draupadi their common wife. This speaks about Arjuna's magnanimity, because despite having won her fiancée in single combat, he was willing to "share" her with her brothers voluntarily. One possible reason was to avoid any reason for disagreement or rivalry between the brothers.
Sense of duty
The brothers agreed on a protocol governing their relations with Draupadī, their common wife. An important point of this agreement was that no brother could disturb the couple when another brother was alone with Draupadi; under penalty of suffering a year of exile. Once, when the Pandavas were still reigning over the prosperous city of Indraprastha, a brahmana came in great agitation before Arjuna seeking his help; a band of rustlers had decimated his herd, he had no one to turn to except Arjuna to remedy his situation.
Arjuna found herself in a dilemma: her weapons were in the room where Draupadi and Judishtira spent the night alone. Interrupting them would earn him the agreed sanction. Arjuna hesitated for a moment; in his mind, coming to the aid of one of his vassals in his distress, especially a brahmana, was the raison d'être of a prince. The prospect of exile would not prevent her from fulfilling his duty by helping a subject. Interrupting the loving couple, he took his weapons and rode to subdue the robbers. After completing his mission; Over the protests of his entire family, including the offended couple, he insisted on complying with the agreement and went into exile.
Handcuffs
In addition to Draupadī, Arjuna married three other ladies, named Chitrangada, Ulupi and Subhadra. These events occurred during the period of exile that he had to undergo for interrupting Draupadī and Judishtira in their private quarters.
Chitrangada
Arjuna traveled the length and breadth of India during her exile. His wanderings took him to ancient Manipur in the eastern Himalayas, an almost mystical realm renowned for its natural beauty. There he meets the gentle Chitrangada, daughter of the King of Manipur, and is moved to solicit her hand in marriage. His father the king objected to the proposition since, according to the matrilineal customs of his people, the son born to Chitrangada would be the heir to the throne of Manipur; and he could not allow his heir to leave Manipur carried by his father. Arjuna agreed to the condition that he could not take Chitrangada or a child born to her out of Manipur, and married the princess on this premise. A son, whom they named Babruvahana, was born to the happy couple; he would later succeed his grandfather as king of Manipur.
Whoops
When Arjuna was in Manipur, Ulupi ―a naga princess (an Indian ethnic group, who in legends appear as half human and half snake) with a sweet and noble character― fell madly in love with him. She managed to kidnap him after drugging him with a potent concoction and had him transported to his domain in the underworld. There she induced a reluctant Arjuna to take her as his wife. Later the generous Ulupi restored Arjuna to the mourning Chitrangada. Ulupi subsequently did much for the welfare and happiness of not only Arjuna, but also Chitrangada and the young Babruvahana. She played a very important role in the formation of Babruvahana, developing a great influence on him, and finally it was she who resurrected Arjuna after being killed in battle by his son Babruvahana.
Subhadra
Arjuna decided to spend the last part of his exile in Dwaraka, the place of residence of his cousins Balarama, Krisna and Subhadra, who were sons of Vasudeva, his mother's brother. Here, he and his cousin fell in love with each other. This situation was favored with the support of Krisna, who was always very close to Arjuna and wished only the best for his sister Subhadra. Knowing that the entire family would not welcome the prospect of Subhadra becoming the fourth wife of his cousin Arjuna, Krisna facilitated the couple's escape and escape to Indraprastha. In a twist of the story, on Krisna's advice, it is Subhadra who drives the chariot from Dwaraka to Indraprastha. Krisna uses this fact to convince the family that Subhadra has not been subjugated, but on the contrary, it was she who has kidnapped Arjuna.
A single son, Abhimaniu, was fathered by Arjuna and Subhadra. Parikshit (son of Abhimaniu and Uttara, born after Abhimanyu's death on the battlefield) was destined to be the sole surviving heir to the entire Kuru clan, and Judishtira's successor as emperor of the Pandava kingdom.
Gandiva
Following her return to Indraprastha, Arjuna visits the Khandava forest in the company of Krisna. They meet Agní, the igneous god, who asks for her help to manage to consume the forest in its entirety. Takshaka, the king of snakes, a friend of Indra, lives in it and therefore Indra causes it to rain whenever Agni tries to burn it.
It is revealed to them that the fire-god must do this if he wants to be relieved of an illness that afflicts him, hence the importance of destroying the forest. Arjuna tells him that he has been trained in the use of divine weapons, but to resist the power of Indra's astras (weapons), he must obtain an exceptionally powerful and indestructible bow.
Agni then invokes Varuna, who hands Arjuna the Gandiva, the bow that assures its possessor absolute victory in combat. This bow will play a big role in Arjuna's future battles. Additionally, he grants Arjuna a chariot of divine origin, with powerful and indefatigable horses, which cannot be harmed by normal weapons.
Arjuna tells Agni to proceed with the fire, and in the process he duels with his father, a battle that lasts several days and nights. A voice from heaven proclaims Arjuna and Krisna victors, and orders Indra to withdraw.
Maia Sabha
During the forest fire, Arjuna decides to pardon an asura (demon) named Maia, who was a talented architect. In a token of her gratitude, Maia builds Judishtira a majestic royal palace, unequaled in the world. It is this castle that provokes the height of Duriodhan's envy, originating the development of the game of dice.
In exile
After his return to Indraprastha, several crucial events in the Majábharata take place; culminating in the exile of the five Pándava brothers and Draupadī, his wife in common. Arjuna's training in this period will be particularly important in the coming war.
Paśupata
During the fifth year of his exile, Arjuna leaves the others and goes to do penance before the god Shivá, in order to obtain the Paśupata, Shiva's personal weapon, one so powerful that he had no counter-weapon. Arjuna performs penance for a long time. Shiva, pleased with his effort, appears before him disguised as a rude hunter who challenges Arjuna to fight. The two engage in an intense duel. Arjuna, realizing the hunter's identity as the fight progressed, falls prostrate at Shiva's feet. It is then that Shiva grants him the knowledge of the Paśupata.
After getting his astra, he continues his journey to Indraloka (Heaven) spending some time with his father, and getting further training from the devas. Additionally, he destroyed the Nivata Kavachas and the Kalakeyas, two powerful asura clans residing in the heavens, who threatened the gods. These clans had obtained from the god Brahmā the promise of being unbeatable before the gods. Arjuna being a mortal, he was thus able to destroy them thanks to his training.
Urvashi's Curse
While Arjuna was in Indraloka, the apsara (nymph) Urvashi proposed to her to have sexual relations. Urvashi was once married to a king named Pururavas, giving birth to a son named Ayus, the fruit of that union. Ayus being a distant ancestor of Arjuna, Arjuna regarded Urvashi as a mother. Arjuna reminded her of this kinship while he rebuffed her attempts. Another belief indicates that since Indra was Arjuna's father and Urvashi was one of the courtesans of her court, Arjuna viewed her as one of her father's wives.
Urvashi, upset by her rejection, told her that an apsara is no one's sister or mother. Urvashi scolded Arjuna saying that a nymph does not have to worry about earthly relationships of any kind. Despite everything, Arjuna could not overcome her scruples; "I'm a child by your side," she told him. Vexed by her response, Urvashi cursed Arjuna to become a eunuch. Asked by Indra to reduce her curse, she modified it to last only one year, and Arjuna could choose which year of her life to spend as a eunuch. Ultimately this curse proved beneficial: Arjuna used it as a very effective disguise for the one-year period in which he, his brothers, and Draupadi had to live incognito in exile.
The Year incognito
After spending twelve years in the forests, the Pandavas were to spend the thirteenth year in incognito exile, as part of the agreement with the Kauravas. This year passes for them disguised in the court of King Virata. Arjuna then makes use of the curse of the apsara Urvashi and chooses this last year to spend as eunuch and assumes the name of Brihannala. At the end of the year, Arjuna defeated, by himself, the hosts of Kauravas who had invaded the kingdom of Virata.
In recognition of his valor and having been warned of the true identity of the Pandavas, King Virata offers the hand of his daughter Uttara to Arjuna in marriage. He refuses, citing the age difference as well as the fact that he considers Uttara as a daughter by virtue of having been, as a eunuch, his tutor in song and dance. He then proposes that Uttara marry her youngest son: Abhimanyu. This wedding took place in due course, the posthumous child of that union being destined to be the sole surviving heir to the entire Kuru clan.
Arjuna and Hanuman
In addition to Krisna's personal guidance and attention, during the great battle of Kurukshetra Arjuna had the support of the ancient anthropoid Hanuman, a servant of the god Rama (who had lived in India several thousand years earlier).
Arjuna entered the battlefield carrying Hanuman's banner on his chariot. The incident which led to this was an earlier meeting between Hanuman and Arjuna: Hanuman appeared to Arjuna in the guise of a small talkative monkey at Rameshwaram, where Sri Rama had built a great bridge to cross to the island of Lanka to rescue his son. wife Sita.
Hearing Arjuna's astonishment as to why Sri Rama had preferred the help of monkeys instead of building an arrow bridge, Hanuman (always in the form of a monkey) challenged him to build an arrow bridge capable of hold him alone. Not suspecting the true identity of the monkey, Arjuna accepted the challenge. He started shooting thousands of arrows, which Hanuman repeatedly destroyed. Arjuna became so depressed that he even decided to commit suicide. Then the god Vishnu (who is the same god Krisna) appeared before both of them, admonishing Arjuna for his vanity, and Hanuman for making an accomplished warrior appear incompetent. As an act of penance, Hanuman agreed to help Arjuna by stabilizing and reinforcing his chariot during the coming great battle.
The outbreak of war
At the end of their period of exile, the Pandavas seek the return of their kingdom from the Kauravas, as promised. They refuse to comply with the agreement; war breaks out.
The Bhagavad Gita
Balarama, ruler of Dwaraka and Krisna's half-brother, decides not to take sides in the war, as the Yadavas are related to both the Kauravas and the Pandavas. However, Krisna in his human form decides to stay close to Arjuna to protect him. Krisna thus becomes Arjuna's personal charioteer during the 18-day battle and protects Arjuna on numerous occasions from harm and even death. It should be mentioned that the term charioteer or driver, applied to Krisna, is interpreted as "the one who guides" or "the one who shows the way"; In addition to protecting Arjuna from all misfortune, Krisna shows Arjuna the right path by revealing the Bhagavad Gita to her in the hours before the battle begins.
It goes like this: Watching both armies fall into their battle formations, Arjuna's heart darkens. He sees before him his own people; the elders of his clan, on whose knees he was once cradled as a child, to his own guru Dronacharia, who first taught him to tune the bow, so many years ago. He wonders if it's really worth killing those close to him for the good of the kingdom. Arjuna feels his spirit falter at this crucial juncture, just before the fight begins, and turns to Krisna for his guidance.
It is at this moment that the god Krisna reveals the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna. It is beyond the purpose of this page to comment on the wisdom contained in one of the most revered Hindu holy books, suffice it to note that the god urges Arjuna to fight for what is right, without regard to personal suffering, cost, or possible reward.. The fulfillment of moral duty, he tells him, takes precedence over any other purpose, whether spiritual or material, in this life.
The Bhagavad Gita is the ideal transcription of the conversation between the god Krisna and Arjuna. The existing relationship between Arjuna and Krisna represents one of the ideals of humanity: the man guided directly by God. The Bhagavad Gita depicts the god comforting and guiding a mortal facing a terrible moral crisis, and is one of the most important books of Hinduism.
The Battle of Kurukshetra
Thus, strengthened in his conviction of the correctness of the chosen course of action, Arjuna takes up arms to play the determining role in the victory of the Pandavas.
Karna's Death
During the battle, Arjuna kills his half-brother Karna, another formidable warrior who fought on the side of the Kauravas and against the Pandavas. This fratricidal act is committed in Arjuna's ignorance of the existence of kinship. Karna and Arjuna develop a terrible rivalry when Karna seeks revenge on Arjuna's teacher and the royal family for humiliating him. Arjuna is further provoked when Karna insults the Pandavas' common wife, Draupadi, and when he indirectly participates in the murder of Abhimanyu (Arjuna's son); during the battle.
This terrifying personal rivalry climaxes in a battle of frightening proportions. For a long time, powerful weapons are thrown by both warriors at an incredible rate. The courage and skill of both causes the rest of the combatants to marvel. Karna, knowing that his support for his evil will be his own doom, nevertheless mounts his best attack and uses all of his power, strength and knowledge to land two punches; the first intended to dazzle his enemy and the second with the intention of annihilating him.
But the god Krisna saves his devoted friend Arjuna at that crucial moment, and while Karna could be said to have surpassed Arjuna in skill at that moment, his sins also take their toll. Krisna orders Arjuna to kill Karna while he tries to lift his car; reminding him of the apparent lack of mercy and respect for the rules of war shown by him in killing Abhimanyu, son of Arjuna, in a brutal and terrible manner. Thus, Arjuna kills Karna.
Ultimately, it is not Arjuna's ability, but Karna's sins, that condemn him, thus pointing out within the Majábharata how an individual's actions serve to mark his destiny, as well as the need to live a virtuous life.
The murder of Jaiadratha
In another memorable battle, Arjuna completely annihilates an akshauhini, or 109,350) of Kauravan soldiers in one day; to avenge the terrible murder of his son Abhimanyu, who was killed by all the strongest warriors of the Kaurava army, attacking him simultaneously when Abhimanyu found himself exhausted and deprived of weapons, trapped in a formation from which it was impossible for anyone to escape, except Drona, the general of the Kuru, Arjuna, Krisna and his son Pradiumna.
Having asked to be killed if he failed to kill the Sindhu king, Jaiadratha, whom he held most responsible before the end of the day, Arjuna in the process kills an entire akshauhini. Upon reaching the climax, with the sun about to set and with thousands of warriors still separating Arjuna from Jaiadratha, the god Krisna, his charioteer, attending to his friend's prayer, raises his Sudarshana chakra to cover the sun, simulating the sun. sunset. The Kaurava warriors rejoice at Arjuna's defeat and imminent death, and for an instant Jaiadratha is exposed, Krisna rushes Arjuna and he shoots a powerful arrow that decapitates Jaiadratha.
Mention of this act of protection by Krisna to his virtuous friend and disciple would be incomplete without mentioning that Yaiadratha's father, the mean old king Vridhakshtra had prophesied to his son that anyone who caused his head to touch the ground, he would die when his own head exploded. Jaiadratha's head is carried by the arrow into the hands of his father, who was meditating near the battlefield. This, startled, drops his head and dies victim of his own curse.
After the battle
At the end of the battle, the Pandavas take over Hastinapura, the undivided kingdom of their ancestors. His great victory, the support gained for his cause, and the defeat of the many kings who supported the Karauvas; all this together makes them feel that it is time to take one last risk: the performance of the aśvamedha yajña ('horse sacrifice'), after which the title of chakravarti (emperor) can be claimed.
The sacrifice requires that, after some preliminary rituals, a horse be released to roam at will. The kings over whose kingdoms the horse transits have two options: they can accept the owner of the horse (in this case, Judisht anger, the greatest of the Pandavas) as his own lord and master and offer him submission; or resist and go to war. Arjuna leads the army that follows the horse in its wanderings, having occasion to receive the subjugation of many kings, with or without armed confrontation. He thus becomes an instrument of the expansion of the Pandavas domains.
In due time the Pandava brothers decide, already at an advanced age, to renounce the world. They entrust their kingdom to Parīkshit, son of Abhimanyu and grandson of Arjuna. The Pandavas - including Arjuna - retreat to the Himalayas, where they finally leave the world.
Other names for Arjuna
- Partha (son of Prithā, another name of the queen Kuntī).
- Yisnú (the incontentible).
- Kiriti (blowdiadem, name given by Indra).
- Shueta Vajana (that of the brilliant mounts).
- Bhībhatsu (the vigilante).
- Viyaia (the victorious).
- Palguna (the one born under the “Uttara Phalguna” constellation).
- Savia Sachi (the ambidiestro [arquero]).
- Dananya (money earner).
- Gandivi (Gandīva Arch owner).
- Krisna (the dark) name Pandu gave him because of his admiration for his nephew, the god Krisna, of the same age as Aryuna.
- Kapi Duash (with the banner of the monkey, currency of Jánuman).
- Gudakesha (conquerer of sleep, given in his childhood by practicing archery in the darkness of the night).
- Nara - Arjam: In the Majabharata sometimes Krisna and Aryuna are called Nara-Naraian and are considered partial incarnations, according to the Bhagavata-puranaBeing Krisna the Purusha parabrahman.
Arjuna Reincarnations
The Hunter Kannappa
According to Swami Sivananda's book, The Sixty-Three Saints of the Nayanar (p. 44), some Saivite traditions believe that Kannappa was the reincarnation of Arjuna. According to the Puranic legend, when Arjuna wanted to obtain the Paśupata astra from Lord Shivá, he began to meditate on the Lord, but when Śivá appeared to him in the guise of a hunter, Arjuna could not recognize him. Thus, according to this tradition, Arjuna had to be reborn as a hunter and worship the god before obtaining final liberation.
The Bengali Ramananda Roy
Followers of the Bengali saint Chaitania (1486-1534) believed him to be an avatar of Krisna (joined with his consort Rādhā). As -according to Hinduism- Krisna always descends with his close associates, the exegetes had to recognize the "original personality" of each relative of the saint.
According to Krisna Dasa Kavirash Goswami's (1496-1588) Chaitania-charita-amrita (the nectar of Chaitania's character), the minister Ramananda Raya had one characteristic that made him undoubtedly an Arjuna: as a dance teacher, he could bathe and touch his teenage students "even their genitals, without undergoing physical changes." In all the Vedic scriptures, only Arjuna had been able (during her exile in cross-dressing as a dance teacher) to perform the same feat.