How Arjuna Acquired The Celestial Bow Gandiva: A Story Of Bravery, Devotion, And Destiny
Arjuna is a legendary warrior who is held in the highest regard. Characters in the Mahabharata were both perfect and fallible. This is the story of the third Pandava and how he obtained all of his celestial weapons, why Gandiva is remembered so fondly in history, and how he came to possess them.
Mahabharata. Almost everyone is familiar with this ancient Hindu tale, which took place before the Kaliyuga began. The Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic centered on the Pandavas and Kauravas, who fought for the throne of Hastinapura in the Kurukshetra War. Ved Vyasa, who played himself in the epic, wrote it because, according to legend, he dictated the verses and Lord Ganesha transcribed them. It is commonly assumed to have been written as early as the 4th century BCE, and it is the longest epic poem ever written, with 100,000 verses. The epic’s events take place in India and its neighboring territories. The Mahabharata, which contains the Bhagavad Gita, is widely recognized as one of the greatest masterpieces of Indian and world literature.
According to mythology, the Pandavas triumphed at the expense of bloodshed and the deadly conflict that was destined to occur. Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, along with their shared consort Draupadi, ruled for 36 years, with Yudhishtira becoming king of both Hastinapur and Indraprastha.
After 36 years, the Pandavas stepped down in favor of Abhimanyu’s son, Parikshit. The Pandavas and Draupadi set out on foot for the Himalayas, hoping to spend their final days ascending the heavenward slopes. They fell one by one on this final voyage, and their spirits rose to the sky except for Yudhisthira and his dog, who made it to the gates of heaven. Years later, Parikshit’s son succeeded his father as king. He made a significant snake sacrifice, at which moment this complete event was recited for the first time by Vaishampayan, a Vyasa disciple.
Today, we’ll look at one of these characters. He is a well-known figure and the third Pandava who served as the Mahabharata’s major hero. His name is Arjuna. He is a major figure in Hinduism, and his name means “bright”, “shining”, “white”, or “silver”. Thus, Arjun is known as “The Peerless Archer” and was one of Pandu’s first wife Kunti’s offspring.
Arjuna, or Partha, was a well-known master archer who played a key role in the conflict between the Pandavas and their opponents, the Dhritirashtra sons known as the Kauravas. He was initially hesitant to take part in the battle because of the slaughter he anticipated in the enemy ranks, which included his clan. Lord Krishna, Arjuna's saarthi, or charioteer, persuaded him to change his mind.
Their exchange about war issues—courage, a warrior's duty, the nature of human life and the soul, and the role of gods—forms the subject of the Bhagavad Gita, one of the pivotal episodes in the epic Mahabharata. He was also instrumental in the assassination of Karna, his arch-rival and, in reality, an unknown brother who was on the side of the Kauravas.
Arjuna worked hard under the tutelage of Guru Dronacharaya, who considered him his favorite disciple, to become one of the most successful archers. He obtained all the celestial weapons from Lord Shiva and other divine gods, including his father, Lord Indra, after going through several hardships and penances.
One such weapon was the powerful Gandiva, which played a major and critical role for the majority of the 18-day epic battle. As a symbol of strength, bravery, and resolve, the Gandiva bow features prominently in Hindu mythology. The supreme Brahma himself created the bow and declared at the time that this potent bow would punish the unjust and wicked. It was such a mighty weapon that it could be used to fight one lakh enemies at the same time.
The bow passed through several hands before landing in the lap of the Pandava prince. Brahma used it for 1000 years, Indra for 3585 years, and Chandra for 500 years. It later fell into the hands of Varuna, who used it for 100 years before passing the baton to Arjuna.
Arjuna's Gandiva bow was crafted from rare wood and embellished with precious stones and metals. The bow was so massive that it took two chariots to transport it, and the arrows it fired were said to be as bright as the sun. The Gandiva bow was rumored to be so powerful that only the most mighty and skilled warriors were capable of using it. One such warrior was the third Pandava prince, who had an innate talent for this majestic art.
There is an intriguing story behind Gandiva and how it became Arjuna's greatest destiny and the reason for survival and victory. This is where the story begins.
There was a king by the name of Shvetaki who was known for performing very long yagnas. For a long time, his priests helped him until they gave up and became frail. After resting for a few days, the celebrated king wished to perform a yajna that would last a hundred years. The priests, worn out from the previous ordeals, pretended to be angry and ordered Shvetaki to approach Shiva, also known as Rudra. Disappointed and agitated, the king fled to Kailash, where he performed severe austerities in order to invoke Rudra himself.
Lord Shiva finally caved into Shvetaki and agreed to help him on one condition. The condition was that the king live like a Brahmachari for 12 years and continue pouring ghee (clarified butter) into the sacrificial fire without pausing for the duration. He followed his advice, and Lord Shiva summoned Sage Durvasa (another powerful saint who granted young Kunti a boon during her maiden days, allowing her to invoke any god and sire a child).
King Shvetaki continued the yagna for 100 years with the help of Durvasa. He later ascended to heaven as a result of his virtuous nature.
Although the yagna was successful, it caused indigestion in Agnidev due to the clarified butter that was continuously poured into his mouth for twelve years. Dejected, he sought help from the Supreme Brahma, who advised him to burn the Khandava forest to cure his indigestion. Agni attempted to burn the forest seven times but failed each time and was unable to complete his task. Because Indra was protecting Takshaka, who was the deity of Khandava Forest.
Agni sought help from Brahma once more, who advised him to approach Nara and Narayana, who were on earth in the form of Arjuna and Krishna.
According to legend, Agnidev approached Arjuna and Lord Krishna, disguised as Brahmana, to seek assistance. Both heard Agni's plea and what he had to say. Arjuna stated that though he had many divine weapons, he had no bow that could match the strength of Indra’s arms and the might of his attack. Hence, he asked for a mighty bow with an inexhaustible supply of light arrows. He also demanded a chariot that was capable of bearing the weight of the arrows. A group of pure white celestial horses from the Gandharva region pulled it with the speed of the wind, and its wheels were as bright as the sun and roared like clouds.
The list went on, and since Krishna did not have anything special to match his prowess, Arjuna prayed to Agni to give them (Krishna and himself) the means to succeed so that they could stop Indra from raining on that vast forest. Lord Varuna, the guardian of the waters, answered Agnidev's call and appeared before him.
Agni greeted the immortal god, who, after hearing him out, bestowed upon Arjuna the celestial divine weapon Gandiva and two endless quivers with the conch shell named Devdatta, which was originally with Lord Varuna and was passed down to Mayadanava. Thus, Arjuna received the conch from Maya, the architect of the demons, after Arjuna saved him from Agnideva in the Khandava forest. Vishwakarma's gold chariot, emblazoned with a flag depicting Lord Hanuman, was included in the wish as well. Krishna also obtained his mace, Kaumodaki, and Sudarshan-Chakra.
That is how Arjuna obtained the great Gandiva and the quivers, as well as the chariot. The Gandharvas and the Devas both held that bow in high regard. There was no other weapon that could destroy one Gandiva, which was equivalent to 100,000 bows. It was exquisitely furnished and undamaged.
Vishwakarma created that chariot, which was unbreakable by either Devas or Asuras. It was the same chariot that Soma (the Moon) used to defeat the Danavas.
This is the story of Gandiva, the celestial bow, and how Arjuna came to possess it. Perhaps it was predestined for him. Arjuna was a great warrior who lived by his code; through years of self-flagellation and hard work, he achieved the fame and renown for which he is known and revered today. The one who drew the bow was a man of great bravery, strength, and skill, and his achievements and lessons will live on in the hearts and minds of future generations.
