Notable Mortals Who Lived Through Most of the Four Eras--Arjun (5)

 

Notable Mortals Who Lived Through Most of the Four Eras--Arjun, the warrior (5)

 

(This is an excerpt from my book “Four Eras of The Battling Gods & Mortals.” The book can be obtained from Amazon. The is also available at Kitab Ghar, Gaiety, Shimla. The Amazon link is given below):

https://www.amazon.in/dp/9390758173?ref=myi_title_dp

Opening Note : This write-up in installments, is intended to drive home the sole point, hitherto ignored by the historians with utter impunity, that Ramayan and Mahabharat periods were only couple of years apart, almost extending into each other. The study is based on the evidences from 18 Mahapuranas and 18 Uppuranas, along with other Ancient Indian scriptures. Here is the list of at least 106 notable personalities who were alive and present in these two epic periods and even beyond and prior to these periods.  I am confident that one day this truth will have to be accepted by savants of history and general public interested in the study of Ancient India.

 

Here is Arjun, one among 116 mortals, who found frequent references in the texts of  Puranas and great epic, Mahabharat. A careful, meticulous and sincere study of these ancient literary composition reveals that most of such notables not merely find references in, but they actively interacted with the other people living through periods of Vedas, Ramayan, Mahabharat.

5. Arjun—He was the third son of Kunti as a boon from blessings of Indra[1] and a key heroic character in Mahabharat.

Soon after his birth Gandharvas, Apsaras and rishis including Bhardwaj, Kashyap, Gautam, Vishwamitra, Jamdagni, Vasisth, Atri, Marichi, Angira, Pulastay, Pulah, Kratu, and Prajapati Daksh etc. came to celebrate the occasion, meet, bless and appreciate Arjun.[2]

Indra, who was very pleased that Arjun got so many divine arrows, deputed his charioteer Matali, to bring Arjun to Devlok. There Arjun learnt more about archery and music. The Apsara women forgot themselves when they saw the exceptionally handsome Arjun. Urvashi, mad with love, sent her messenger Chitrasen. Being told about Urvashi's love, Arjun closed both his ears with hands, and reminded the messenger of Urvashi’s maternal position with reference to him. Urvashi cursed and turned Arjun into a eunuch. Indra consoled Arjun by assuring him that Urvashi's curse will turn out to be of great benefit to him. Afterwards Arjun stayed in Devlok for a few days with Chitrasen, and during this period he killed Nivatakavach and Kalakeya.[3]

Arjun entreated mahrishi Lomash to guard Pandav brothers from the evils of Rakshasas with his spiritual supremacy while on voyage to holy places.[4]

Arjun met Bhardwaj muni at his ashram situated in south near the banks of Mahanadi at Kalhasti hilltop and listened to the stories of Shiv-Parvati, Agstay rishi etc. It came to pass a couple of years after Pandavas got the area of Khandavprasth from Dhritrashtra, after Pandavas married Draupadi. Arjun was on the journey of all the Tirthas as he happened to break the agreement about Draupadi. It was agreed among Pandavas that she will reside for full one year with each, and during that period of one year, others will not even gaze at Draupadi.[5]

Hanuman sat on the flag of Arjun as a mark, and the following story is accorded to it. Arjun, once during a pilgrimage of the southern country was much surprised to see the bridge constructed by Shri Ram from Rameshvaram to Lanka. He also felt that it was not at all proper on the part of Shri Ram to have sought the help of vanar to construct the bridge. He thought that Shri Ram himself could have made a bridge with arrows. Arjun put this question to a great scholar (Pandit) who was sitting nearby reading the Ramayan. Neither the Pandit nor the other Brahmans gathered there could give a convincing answer to Arjun's suspicions. Then a vanar child went up to Arjun and told him with pride that a bridge made of arrows would have broken when the vanar army walked on it. Arjun said then, "No vanar would have been able to break the bridge built with Shri Ram's arrows; which vanar has a strength to demolish a bridge of arrows made even by me!" A debate ensued about the subject. The vanar and Arjun agreed to a bet that if a vanar broke the bridge made by Arjun he would end his life by jumping into fire, and if the vanar could not break the bridge he would forever be Arjun's slave. Arjun constructed a bridge with arrows, and as soon as the child vanar set foot on it, it broke. Arjun tried again, though now it caused some efforts on the part of the vanar, the bridge broke this time also. Arjun was thus left with no alternative but to die by jumping into fire, and a fire was accordingly lit. Before Arjun jumped into the fire a Brahman boy, who was bathing in the river ran up to Arjun and told him that his attempt at self-annihilation was not justified as the bet was made without an arbiter. When truthful Arjun brushed aside this argument and got ready to end his life the boy said: "If you are so very insistent about it you and the vanar compete once again with me as arbiter.” This suggestion of the boy was accepted. The vanar child tried his best to break the bridge, but it failed. It developed its body to the size of a mountain and jumped on the bridge. Even then it did not break. Then the child vanar ran up to the boy, who was acting as arbiter, and prostrated at his feet crying 'Ramchander'. At the same moment Arjun also prostrated before the boy crying 'Shri Krishan, slave to devotees'. The boy asked both of them to get up, and after admonishing them for their arrogance, gave them good advice. He also asked the child vanar to keep his promise by remaining as the emblem on Arjun's flag. The vanar boy was Hanuman and the Brahman boy Shri Krishan.[6]

Once during the war, Karn shot the weapons on the chariot of Arjun pushing it several steps backwards. Seeing Karn’s bravery Shri Krishan had few words of praise for him, which Arjun could not appreciate. Arjun questioned Shri Krishan for the reason of appreciation for Karn for a meagre back pushing of his chariot while he himself can lift any chariot off its ground. Shri Krishan tells the reason that despite Hanuman himself occupying his chariot, Karn was able to push the chariot a few steps backward, then it is a feat of extreme valor on his part. Arjun’s sense of false pride was once again belittled.[7]

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[1] Mahabharat, Adi Parv, Adhyay 63, Shlok 116;

Adhyay 122, Shlok 35.

[2] Mahabharat, Adi Parv, Adhyay 122, Shlok 50-52.

[3] Mahabharat, Van Parv, Adhyay 42-47.

[4] Mahabharat, Van Parv, Adhyay 47, Shlok 32.

[5] Skand Puran, Gita Press, Gorakhpur, Vaishnav Khand: Bhumi-Varaha Khand, Adhyay 68-69.

[6] Puranic Encyclopedia, Vettam Mani, see Arjuna.

Hanumad Puran, Arjun Ka Garv Haran, Adhyay 51.

[7] Hanumad Puran, Arjun Ke Rath Par Hanuman, Adhyay 52.