Arjuna

by Anuja Chandramouli

  Arjuna lunged at the hunter, trying to trap him with his bowstring but his bow was snatched away effortlessly. Picking up the empty quivers, Arjuna attempted to smash his tormentor’s skull but the quivers themselves broke into smithereens. The two opponents began an intense bout of wrestling with the Pandava getting the worst of it. Pummelled to within an inch of his life, Arjuna fashioned a lingam with his bleeding hands, placed a garland of flowers around it and began praying to Shiva for help.

  To Arjuna’s surprise, the garland sailed through the air and landed on the hunter’s broad shoulders. The truth dawned on him and he flung himself at Shiva’s feet, begging forgiveness. But Shiva raised him up and embraced him. As he received the Lord’s healing touch, Arjuna’s myriad wounds disappeared and he felt revitalised. Shiva spoke, ‘Your courage and fortitude are unmatched. I am pleased with you. In acknowledgement, I grant you divine vision. Henceforth, you will be unconquerable in battle as none, be it man, Deva, or asura, will be able to withstand your might."

  Shiva and Parvati then resumed their divine forms and stood before Arjuna, who worshipped before them on bended knees. Pleased, Shiva offered him another boon. Arjuna requested the Paashupata weapon, which was Shiva’s favourite. It could produce innumerable spears, maces, and arrows that could annihilate whole armies. Even the Gods were not proficient in its use. Shiva assented and said: ‘It is my favourite weapon, although it is extremely dangerous. When used unwisely, it can destroy the entire universe. However, you have proved you are worthy of this weapon and I shall give it to you along with instructions on how to release and withdraw it.’

  In this manner, Arjuna obtained the Paashupata from Shiva. In his magnanimity, the Lord returned his Gandeeva bow as well and restored the inexhaustible quivers. He then instructed Arjuna to go to heaven, where he would obtain more celestial weapons.

  Shiva and Parvati then disappeared. Arjuna stood rooted to the spot for long moments, unable to believe his good fortune. He went over the scene of his encounter with Shiva over and over again in his mind. Surely, he was the most blessed among men for not only had he seen Shiva, but he had been touched by him, spoken to him, and received the Lord’s favourite weapon from his own hands. Flushed with elation, Arjuna thought pityingly of his enemies. They would pay heavily for their sins. He would make sure of it.

  While he mused thus, the guardians of the universe appeared before him, one at a time. Varuna, the presiding deity of the Water Bodies; Kubera, the God of Wealth; Yama, the God of Death; and Indra, the Overlord of Heaven, appeared before him. These were the Lokapalas, the guardians of the universe and overlords of their respective domains. They had come to gift him with divine astras that would help rid Bhoomi Devi (Mother Earth), of the burden of evil she carried, or at the very least, lighten it considerably.

  On account of his penances and recent encounter with Shiva, Arjuna was bathed in a radiant glow. Yama gave Arjuna his Danda and instructed him how to best use it to his advantage. Varuna, in turn, presented the mighty Pandava with his most powerful weapon, the Varunapasha, which had stood him in good stead in many memorable battles against the evil asuras. Kubera presented him with the Antardhana, which could vanquish enemies with ease. Finally, Indra addressed his son: ‘On the strength of your remarkable achievements, you have been elevated to the status of a celestial. It is time for you to visit Swargalokha. The Devas require your assistance in certain pressing matters. Prepare yourself, for I will send for you soon.’

  Arjuna worshipped the Lokapalas with fruits and flowers, thus further endearing himself to them. They blessed him in unison and assured him of success in the terrible battle that loomed ahead. Then the divine beings returned to their respective abodes, leaving Arjuna with his heart filled to the brim.

  In due course, Matali, Indra’s charioteer, made his appearance, guiding the wondrous flying steeds through the clouds. On landing, he requested Arjuna to step into the chariot as his father Indra, awaited him in Amaravati. Anxious to carry out his divine father’s wishes, the ever-dutiful son purified himself quickly in the Ganga and accompanied Matali to heaven.

  Marvellous sights bemused Arjuna’s senses as he soared through the skies. He saw a multitude of heavenly beings stationed at various points in the sky and they dazzled the eye of the beholder with the brilliant light that emanated from them. Matali informed him that these were the souls of those who had been the most virtuous and earned the most merit during their tenure on earth. When viewed from the world of men, they appeared as stars. Arjuna was charmed with this stellar information.

  The captivating journey through the skies ended all too soon and Arjuna laid eyes on Amaravati – the famed city of the Devas. The beauty of this slice of heaven took his breath away. He felt doubly honoured as Indraprastha, his own capital city, built by the Pandavas, had often earned favourable comparison to Amaravati.

  The denizens of the city thronged to pay their respects to their beloved King’s son.

  Arjuna was led directly to Indra’s palace, where his father greeted him with much pomp and ceremony. Embracing him warmly, Indra bade the Pandava sit beside him on the throne. All the Devas in attendance conveyed their felicitations. After this reception, Arjuna was taken to rooms that had been specially prepared for him; and his every need was catered to. A bevy of beautiful attendants bathed him in a large tub filled with perfumed water and dressed him in the finest apparel. The choicest delicacies were prepared for him and the best entertainers in the realm performed their art for him.

  However, even in the midst of all this luxury, Arjuna indulged himself sparingly and that too, out of respect for Indra. His thoughts were seldom far removed from his brothers. Thinking of them and Draupadi made him sorrowful as he fully understood the hardships and privations they were enduring.

  Bearing this in mind, Arjuna worked hard under the watchful eye of his father. He was given information about the divine astras he had in his possession, and others he received during his sojourn in heaven. Indra presented him with his personal weapon, the Vajra, which would enable him to marshal the forces of thunder and lightning for warlike purposes. But in addition, Indra wished Arjuna to learn music and dance from Chitrasena, as he foresaw these skills would prove useful in Arjuna’s thirteenth year of exile.

  One day, the great rishi Lomasha, arrived in Amaravati in the course of his wanderings in the three worlds. He bowed his head to the overlord of heaven but was surprised to see Arjuna sharing the celestial throne. It was extremely unusual for mortals to be shown such favour and the rishi wondered if it was merited. Reading his thoughts, Indra proceeded to enlighten the venerable saint on the subject. ‘Arjuna is not a mere mortal, although he was born as one to the peerless Kunti. The third of the noble Pandava brothers, he has already distinguished himself, and had the good fortune to meet the three-eyed God. He is in Amaravati to obtain celestial weapons to eliminate the evil Kauravas.’

  Pleased with the increasing respect he saw in Lomasha’s eyes, Indra continued, ‘Arjuna and Krishna are none other than Nara and Narayana, reborn on earth. They lived in Badari, at the mouth of the Ganga, and performed many feats of glory. They consented to live among men to fulfil my personal request. Evil has gained the upper hand on earth as various asuras and men, by dint of their penances, have won boons that have made them reckless, arrogant and wicked. Arjuna and Krishna were born to fight the forces of darkness and restore light.’

  On hearing this, Lomasha went over what he knew about the famed duo in his mind. The ancient rishis, Nara and Narayana, commanded a great deal of respect in all three worlds. They were the sons of Dharma and Ahimsa, the upholders of righteousness and non­violence respectively. The austerities they performed frightened the Gods as they suspected the duo had nefarious designs in thus seeking to accumulate ascetic merit. So they sent the most talented apsaras and musicians from among the Gandharvas to tempt the holy men and thwart them in their purpose. Amused with this transparent ploy and choosing to refrain from pronouncing a well
-deserved curse on the frivolous Gandharvas, Narayana produced from his thigh a damsel whose beauty made the apsaras seem plain by comparison. Thoroughly abashed, the Gandharvas obtained permission to make Urvashi, as the damsel was named (having emerged from the uru or thigh of Narayana), one of their own. Seeking the blessings of the two rishis, they returned to their abode.

  Another story that bore testament to the rishis’ greatness, was the tale of King Dambhodbhava. This monarch ruled over the earth and was extremely arrogant. Taking umbrage at his treatment of them as inferiors, the Brahmins, with incredible shrewdness, suggested to him that Nara and Narayana were in fact, the most superior beings in creation. Incensed, the King took the bait and hastened to the hermitage of the two rishis. He challenged the ascetics and provoked them beyond measure. Nara took on the mighty monarch and his huge army single-handedly and having decimated them, brought King Dambhodbhava to his knees.

  Legend also had it that while churning the ocean of milk in order to procure the nectar of immortality or amrita, Narayana requested the help of Nara to prevent the asuras from getting their hands on it. Nara was only too happy to oblige his old friend, and using his infallible arrows to sever rocks from the mountains, he blocked the route to heaven, where the blessed nectar was safely ensconced, forcing the asuras to retreat to their proper place in the bowels of the earth and the fathomless depths of the ocean.

  As he came to the end of his recollection, Lomasha felt privileged to have met Arjuna and bowed his head in respect and admiration. Indra then requested the rishi to visit the Pandavas, who were pining for their beloved sibling and give them the joyous tidings of Arjuna’s successful accomplishment of his goals. He also instructed Lomasha to take the Pandavas on a Teerthayatra and visit various sacred places so that their sins could be purged and their souls purified. The saint assented to all of this and carrying Arjuna’s message of love to his brothers, he departed.

  When Arjuna’s term of instruction under Chitrasena drew to an end, Indra summoned him, for it was time for the formidable warrior to perform some tasks for the Devas in return for the favour they had shown him. Indra then said to Arjuna: ‘The Danavas or Nivatakavachas, are sworn enemies of the Devas. They make their home in the middle of the ocean. There are thirty million of them and they are terrifying foes as their power and skill is tremendous. As your preceptor, I ask for their destruction.’

  ‘Consider it done, revered father!’ replied Arjuna instantly.

  Matali arrived to serve as Arjuna’s charioteer. Donning the armour of impenetrable mail and picking up Devadatta, a conch shell – both gifts from the celestials, the gallant warrior made ready to leave. His trusty Gandeeva, the inexhaustible quivers, and the newly acquired divine astras, completed his arsenal.

  Matali drove the chariot into the depths of the ocean, past the multitudes of rainbow-hued fishes, gargantuan tortoises, and other sea creatures. When they arrived at the city of the Danavas, the denizens fled in terror and barred the gates, thinking that the Devas, led by Indra, were mounting another attack. Arjuna blew his conch in challenge, and the sound sent vibrations rippling across the world. Seeing but a lone warrior, the evil hordes armed themselves and mounted a massive attack. They attacked Arjuna in droves, like waves crashing on a single rock. But they were rebuffed time and again as the wielder of the Gandeeva ploughed through their defences like an avenging fury.

  Realizing that brute force and strength of numbers would not be sufficient to hold the mysterious warrior in check, the Danavas resorted to illusory tactics. Suddenly, Arjuna found himself besieged by huge rocks that rained on him from above; torrential sheets of water that pounded him; and fierce flames that erupted around him. Using the Madhava missile given him by Indra, Arjuna pulverised the rocks. The weapon known as Vishoshana, took care of the torrential rain and dried it in mid-air. He took care of the flames by dousing them with yet another divine astra.

  No sooner had Arjuna tackled these threats than the battleground was engulfed in inky darkness. Matali, who had been in many fierce battles and never turned a hair, was completely shaken as his senses failed him in the blackness that surrounded them. He cried out in fear and an infuriated Arjuna destroyed the illusion of darkness. The Danava hordes then became invisible to a man and succeeded in perplexing the Pandava, who was beginning to tire from the relentless onslaught on his senses. Sensing his distress, Matali encouraged and spurred him on. Arjuna grabbed Indra’s favourite weapon, the Vajra, and hurled it at the offending Danavas. The powerful weapon pierced through the spell that caused the illusion and destroyed it. Stripping them of their disguise and deception, the Vajra brought about the complete destruction of the Danavas. Matali was impressed and told Arjuna his valour and prowess were unmatched.

  While returning to Amaravati, Arjuna noticed a city that seemed to be encased in a strange bubble. Matali informed him that it was another stronghold of the Danavas. The city was known as Hiranyapuri, which was under the control of a woman called Puloma. Her sons, the Kalakeyas, resided there and within its protective boundaries, spun their webs of evil. They had obtained a boon from Brahma which did not allow the celestials to touch them. It was their foolhardy assumption that if the Gods themselves could not bring about their death, then surely no mere mortal could do so. This was about to cost them a heavy price. Arjuna released the Paashupata missile and immediately scores of weird beings emerged. Their faces appeared savage and they were armed with deadly weapons. They fell on the Danava forces like a ravenous pack of wolves and exterminated them, leaving not a single Danava standing.

  Having successfully accomplished his mission, Arjuna returned to Amaravati, where he was hailed with the respect due a conquering hero. Indra and the other Devas sang his praises and told him he was invincible. The Kaurava warriors like Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, Karna, and Ashwatthama, they said, were nothing more than ants who would be crushed under his feet. In a show of approbation, Indra presented Arjuna with impenetrable armour, that had been made especially for him. He placed a golden diadem on Arjuna’s head, which thereafter earned him the moniker, Kiriti or ‘The Diademed One’. Silks and precious jewels were also presented to him.

  Arjuna’s quest for celestial weapons had been a resounding success and his sojourn in heaven was now at an end. It was time for him to return to his brothers. The Pandavas and Draupadi had completed their Teerthayatra and were awaiting the return of Arjuna at Badari. One day, they saw a bright light in the sky which seemed to come closer and closer to them. They realized it was a chariot that shone with the brilliance of a billion suns. And to their immense joy, Arjuna was standing in the chariot, decked in fine clothes and bedecked with exquisite ornaments.

  Arjuna leaped down from the chariot and rushed to his brothers. He paid his respects to Yudhishthira first, before embracing each one in turn. Draupadi shed tears of happiness when Arjuna approached her. Taking off the jewellery which had been made to perfection in the land of the Devas, Arjuna handed them to her. Responding to the eager questions of his brothers, Arjuna narrated his adventures from the moment of their parting. They were thrilled to see the weapons he had acquired and begged him to give them a demonstration. Never one to desist from showing off, Arjuna proceeded to release the missiles and call them back. The earth rumbled in protest as the powerful weapons did untold damage to the surroundings. The Devas, the sages, the Lokapalas, and even Shiva, descended en masse to dissuade Arjuna from using the weapons without just cause, as they had the potential to reduce the three worlds to ashes. An embarassed Arjuna acceded to their request and put away his weapons. The relieved celestials returned to their homes, pleased to have averted a major catastrophe. Before leaving, Indra approached Yudhishthira. He blessed him saying that he would one day rule the world.

  The Pandavas were ecstatic to be reunited, and mightily proud of Arjuna’s accomplishments. Now that they were together again, no force on earth could touch them. They sat around chattering like excited schoolboys and laughed uproariously imagining
the looks on the faces of Duryodhana and his brothers when Arjuna unleashed his potent weapons on them. The trauma, anxieties, fears, and sufferings of the past few years fell away like dead skin from the back of a snake, and they felt rejuvenated. They had spent a long time feeling depressed, but that was all in the past. From their new position on top of the world, the view was much rosier and they were prepared to take on any challenge that life had in store for them. It was a glorious day and the brothers held the memory of it in their hearts for the rest of their lives.

  12

  Brihannala, the Eunuch

  During Arjuna’s sojourn at Amaravati, Indra ordered a grand celebration to mark his visit. All the prominent devas and revered sages were invited and accepted with glad hearts. On the big day, the assembly hall was filled to overflowing with illustrious guests. Arjuna was given the place of honour and was the proud occupant of half of Indra’s throne. At the King’s signal, the gandharvas, famed for their mastery of the performing arts, began playing enchanting music as the apsaras began to dance.

  As the delightful music wafted through the air and the dancers gyrated in perfect harmony with it, the audience found their hearts soaring with exhilaration. Arjuna was enthralled since he had never seen anything like it before. His eyes fastened on the most beautiful apsara – Urvashi, of famed beauty. Given the role she had played in his illustrious family tree, the hero found her particularly fascinating and as he ran over the details of their association in his mind’s eye, he felt privileged to see her perform.