Birth and early life Arjuna is
half-divine by birth, being the son of a human queen and the
king of
devas (gods). He is one of the five
Pandava brothers, who are recognized as the sons of
Pandu. However, the Pandavas were each fathered by different
devas through the practice of
niyoga, a custom in which a revered man may father a child on behalf of another who is deceased or incapable of procreation. Although Pandu was of royal lineage, belonging to the
Lunar dynasty and having once ruled as king of the
Kuru kingdom, he was rendered impotent due to a curse that would result in his death were he to engage in sexual relations. To circumvent this curse, Pandu's wife
Kunti utilized a sacred
mantra granted to her by the sage
Durvasa during her maidenhood. This
mantra enabled her to invoke various gods to beget children. At Pandu’s behest, she first summoned
Dharma and
Vayu, resulting in the births of
Yudhishthira and
Bhima respectively. Each child was born a year apart. Arjuna was the third son, conceived through the invocation of the god
Indra, with whom he remains connected throughout his life. The
Adi Parva, the first book of the
Mahabharata, narrates Arjuna's birth. Prior to Arjuna’s birth, Pandu deduces that he would get the best son from Indra, the
Vedic storm-sky god and king of the gods, and performs intense austerities to propitiate, desiring that the king of the gods father his third. Pleased by Pandu's devotion, Indra appears before him and promises to grant a son who will achieve fame across the three worlds. When Kunti invokes Indra through the mantra, Indra, assuming human form, approaches her and begets a son. His birth is marked by the appearance of a significantly greater number of sages and celestial beings—including
adityas,
rudras,
saptarishis,
gandharvas,
apsaras, etc.—compared to those present at the births of his elder brothers, indicating his far-superior prominence in the narrative. A divine voice praises him and prophesizes his future heroic deeds and names him Arjuna, while drums are heard, and flowers fall from the sky. Arjuna is born under the auspicious lunar constellation of
Phalguna. Arjuna, along with his two elder brothers and two younger half-brothers, is raised in the forests of Shatashringa (lit. 'hundred peaked mountain') under the care of the resident sages. Following the deaths of Pandu and his second wife,
Madri, Kunti returns to
Hastinapura—the capital of the Kuru Kingdom—with all five sons. According to the Southern Recension of the
Mahabharata, Pandu dies on Arjuna’s birthday.
Education and training , depicting the toy-bird episode; Arjuna and Drona are in the center In Hastinapura, Arjuna and his brothers are brought up alongside their paternal cousins, the
Kauravas. Their early education in archery is entrusted to
Kripacharya, the royal preceptor, under the overall supervision of
Bhishma, the grand patriarch of the Kuru dynasty. Soon after, the
Brahmin warrior
Drona is appointed to instruct the princes in the arts of warfare and martial discipline. Upon his first encounter with them, Drona asks that they repay him a favour in the future. While the other princes remain silent, Arjuna alone gives his assent, which deeply pleases Drona. Arjuna quickly distinguishes himself as the most skilled and devoted among Drona’s pupils, eventually becoming his favourite and favoured student. When Arjuna's preeminence is seemingly challenged by a tribal boy
Ekalavya, Drona takes steps to ensure that Arjuna remains the greatest of his students. The
Mahabharata presents several episodes that affirm Arjuna’s distinction as Drona’s most accomplished and devoted disciple. On one occasion, Drona is seemingly attacked by a crocodile, but Arjuna reacts the fastest, rescuing his teacher. Impressed by his presence of mind and alacrity, Drona rewards him with the
Brahmashira, a powerful celestial weapon (
astra). This marks the beginning of Arjuna’s acquisition of divine armaments, and it is at this moment that Drona declares, “No other man in the world will be an archer like you”. In another episode, Drona tests the perceptiveness and concentration of his pupils through an archery trial. He places an artificial bird atop a tree and asks each student what they perceive. The princes respond by describing both the target and its surroundings, but Drona is dissatisfied with their answers. When Arjuna is questioned, he replies that he sees only the bird’s head—demonstrating absolute focus and singular vision. Drona is pleased, and this refined capacity for perception and precision becomes emblematic of Arjuna’s unique abilities. Once Drona is satisfied with the progress of his pupils, he organises a public exhibition of martial skills, attended by members of the royal court, the Kuru clan, and the citizens of Hastinapura. Arjuna makes a dramatic entrance, and Drona publicly proclaims him his favourite disciple. The crowd responds with enthusiastic acclaim, celebrating Arjuna, who demonstrates his command over divine weaponry, manipulating elemental forces such as fire, wind, water, and rain. It is during this event that
Karna, who later becomes Arjuna’s principal rival, first challenges him. From this moment onward, the two figures are consistently portrayed as adversaries within the epic’s narrative structure. The culmination of Arjuna's education is marked by his fulfilment of the teacher’s customary fee (
gurudakshina), in accordance with Indian tradition. Drona requests as payment the defeat of his longstanding rival, King
Drupada of
Panchala. This task is accomplished collectively by the Pandavas—or, in some versions, by all of Drona's pupils. However, the
Mahabharata underscores Arjuna’s central role in this achievement, also reminding that he alone, among Drona’s disciples, had pledged in advance to deliver the fee.
Youth Following their victory over Drupada, the
Adi Parva turns to the episode of
The Lacquer House Fire, a decisive moment in a series of escalating efforts by the eldest Kaurava,
Duryodhana, to eliminate the Pandavas, whose talents and growing influence provoke deep resentment. In this instance, Yudhishthira discerns a veiled warning from their uncle
Vidura, alerting him to a murderous plot. When the house is set ablaze, Bhima takes the lead in ensuring their survival by carrying his brothers and mother to safety through a hidden passage. Author Ruth Cecily Katz notes that Arjuna plays no notable role in this sequence, which stands in contrast to the heroism he displays elsewhere. Nevertheless, the event acts as a narrative pivot: it compels the Pandavas into exile, living in concealment under the guise of ascetic Brahmins, and paves the way for Arjuna's forthcoming feats in bride-winning that dominate the later portions of the first book. The Pandava brothers and their mother, Kunti, reside in concealment in a village named Ekachakra disguised as Brahmins, and lead a quiet life in exile. Upon the advice of the sage
Vyasa, they decide to go to the capital of Panchala. Arjuna’s first significant challenge as a fully initiated warrior occurs during this journey when he confronts
Chitraratha, a hostile
gandharva—a celestial being—who poses a threat to the Pandavas. In the course of this battle, Arjuna employs the
Agneyastra, the divine missile associated with fire, to destroy his opponent’s chariot. This marks the first display of Arjuna’s martial prowess in his adult life. In recognition of his defeat, the subdued
gandharva offers gifts to the five brothers, bestowing upon Arjuna the particular boon of visionary insight—a faculty in which Arjuna has already shown distinction.
Svayamvara and marriage to Draupadi . Arjuna is central in the episode of
svayamvara—or “bridegroom choice”—of
Draupadi, the epic's heroine. Of all Arjuna’s marriages, his union with Draupadi is the most consequential for the heroic structure of the epic. It is not only the first among his four marriages but also foundational to the epic’s central conflict. The event also features first encounter between Arjuna and
Krishna, who is the son of
Vasudeva, Kunti's brother, making him the maternal cousin of the Pandavas. King
Drupada, Draupadi’s father, designs the challenge for the
syavamvara specifically with Arjuna in mind, having developed a strong admiration for the warrior after being defeated by him in battle. Determined to obtain Arjuna as a son-in-law, Drupada tailors the test to suit his extraordinary skills. The
svayamvara features a ceremonial archery contest in which barons must perform a feat of bow-bending, a trial commonly found in Indo-European heroic marriage traditions. Although the details of the contest vary across different recensions, all versions feature a target, often described as a suspended toy fish, which the suitor must strike. In more elaborate versions, which add a further degree of difficulty, the suitor is required to hit the eye of a rotating toy fish, while aiming only at its reflection in a vessel of water (or mirror) below. The Pandavas attend Draupadi’s
svayamvara still in disguise. Arjuna, like the other Pandavas, instantly fell in love with Draupadi at first sight. Krishna, who is present at the event as a spectator and sympathetic to the Pandavas, recognizes Arjuna. Arjuna, still in his assumed guise, successfully completes the archery challenge by striking the target with five arrows—an accomplishment in which all other princes, including renowned warriors like Duryodhana and Karna, had failed. This outcome provokes anger among the assembled princes, particularly the
Kshatriyas who perceive the svayamvara to have been won by an unassuming brahmana. Despite his disguise, Arjuna’s exceptional skill makes it evident that he is no ordinary Brahmin. When challenged and asked to reveal his identity, Arjuna responds ambiguously, declaring only that he is “the best among fighters”. Karna, upon realizing that the victor is a Brahmin—or so he believes—chooses not to engage him further, stating that it would be improper to fight a Brahmin. When Arjuna returns with Draupadi, Kunti—unaware of what exactly he has brought—unintentionally instructs her sons to share whatever has been obtained. Though spoken in ignorance, her words are interpreted as a binding directive. The situation is further complicated by Arjuna’s own refusal to marry Draupadi before his elder brother. Although Yudhishthira insists that Arjuna, having won her in the
svayamvara, ought to be her husband, Arjuna declines on the grounds of seniority. This deference to fraternal hierarchy reinforces the Arjuna’ ethos of respect. Yudhishthira finally decides that she shall become the wife of all five brothers, to which they all agree. Later at the palace, Drupada joyfully welcomes the Pandavas, Kunti, and Draupadi, delighted that Arjuna has won her hand and promptly begins wedding preparations. However, upon learning she is to marry all five brothers, he vehemently objects. Vyasa intervenes, revealing that the Pandavas are partial incarnations of five Indras—Indra here being a divine office—and Draupadi is the incarnation of
Shri, destined to be their common wife. After much reasoning, Drupada finally agrees, and Draupadi's wedding with each of the Pandavas is performed on successive days, with Arjuna's taking place on the third day. Although Draupadi becomes the wife of all five Pandava brothers, Arjuna occupies a distinct position as her principal husband. This status is supported by textual references within the
Mahābhārata that suggest Draupadi favours Arjuna and holds a particular affection for him. From their union, Arjuna fathers a son—named in various sources as either Shrutakriti or Shrutakarman—who is one of the
five sons Draupadi bears, one by each of the Pandavas.
Pilgrimage After their marriage to Draupadi and their survival revealed, the Pandavas are granted half the kingdom by the Kuru King
Dhritarashtra. They then establish themselves at
Khandavaprastha, where they oversee the construction of a great fortified city. This settlement is subsequently identified as
Indraprastha, named in honour of Arjuna’s divine father, Indra. The brothers agree upon a code of conduct concerning Draupadi: none may intrude when she is alone with another. If this rule is breached, the offender must undergo a period of exile lasting one year—or twelve years, according to certain translations—during which he is required to remain celibate. Arjuna is the one who ultimately violates the agreement—unintentionally and for a justifiable cause. He enters his brother’s chamber to retrieve weapons, intending to defend the cattle of a Brahmin under threat. Although Yudhishthira offers to exempt him from the exile, Arjuna declines, choosing instead to honour the commitment. However, this vow of celibacy is broken as Arjuna marries three women during the course of his journey.
Encounter with Ulupi Upon leaving, Arjuna goes into pilgrimage, narrated in the
Adi Parva. He eventually settles at a sacred site,
Ganga-dvara, on the banks of river
Ganga, where he makes offerings to his ancestors. While preparing to perform a fire ritual on the riverbank, he is suddenly seized during a bath and drawn beneath the waters by a
Nāga (serpentine divine being) woman named
Ulupi, who has developed a strong infatuation upon seeing him bathing in the river. In the enchanted underwater realm, Arjuna discovers a palace complete with a consecrated space where sacred fires are maintained, and it is here that he conducts a fire ceremony, or
agnikarya. Ulupi, taking her human form, introduces herself as the daughter of the Nāga king Kauravya and expresses her longing for Arjuna, imploring him to have sex with her. Arjuna initially hesitates, determined to honour his vow of celibacy and explains his condition. However, Ulupi contends that his vow pertains solely to Draupadi, and declares that she would rather die than be refused. Invoking his role as protector of those in distress, Arjuna consents. Arjuna remains with Ulupi for a single night, fulfilling her desires, before continuing on his journey. Although no child is mentioned at the time of their encounter, it is later revealed that Ulupi had conceived and given birth to a son,
Iravat, after Arjuna's departure. Further, Ulupi is later revealed to be a widow, when she sees first encounters Arjuna. Ulupi is not called Arjuna's "wife" until the fourteenth book of the epic,
Ashvamedhika Parva, due to which few consider it as a paramour affair. However, scholars state that their union is legitimised through what is traditionally identified as a
gandharva marriage—a private, mutual agreement without formal rituals.
Marriage to Chitrangada and tour to the south Arjuna continues his journey eastward, undertaking a pilgrimage to various sacred sites. In the course of his travels, he arrives at
Manipura (also called Manalura), the capital of King Chitravahana. There, he becomes captivated by
Chitrangada, the king’s only child. As a
putrika—a daughter designated to carry forward the royal lineage through her own offspring—she is raised in the manner of a son. Arjuna formally approaches King Chitravahana to request her hand in marriage. The king consents, but only on the condition that any son born of the union must remain in Manipura to succeed the throne and preserve the matrilineal succession. This stipulation, whereby the offspring is effectively offered as the
bride-price, renders the marriage an
asura-type. Arjuna accepts the condition without protest. He resides in Manipura for a period described as three months—or, in the versions of the twelve-year exile narrative, three years—before continuing his journey southwards. During his journey to the south, Arjuna encounters five sacred waters inhabited by cursed crocodiles that frighten away ascetics. Ignoring warnings, he enters one of the waters, and is attacked by a crocodile, which he overpowers and drags to the shore. The creature transforms into Varga, an
apsara (celestial nymph), who reveals that she and four other apsaras—Saurabhi, Samichi, Budabuda and Lata—had been cursed to become crocodiles for attempting to seduce a young ascetic. Grateful for her release, Varga asks Arjuna to free her companions. He obliges, defeating the remaining crocodiles and liberating the Apsaras. He then revisits Manipura and is reunited with Chitrangada and their son,
Babhruvahana. However, he neither attempts to settle there permanently nor seeks to take Chitrangada with him upon his departure.
Marriage to Subhadra based on the Southern version of the story where Arjuna courts Subhadra before their elopement (see note). Arjuna's pilgrimage goes westwards, eventually reaching the site of
Prabhasa. Krishna, upon learning of Arjuna’s arrival, travels to Prabhasa to meet him. The two companions develop a strong bond. Krishna then invites Arjuna to his capital
Dvaraka. During a festival at Mount
Raivataka, Arjuna sees
Subhadra, the princess of the
Vrishnis (a clan of Yadava lineage), who is also Krishna’s sister, and is captivated by her beauty. Sensing his feelings, Krishna offers to intercede with their father but ultimately suggests abduction, arguing that a
svayamvara would be uncertain in outcome. With Yudhishthira’s consent through messengers, Arjuna feigns a hunting trip on a chariot, seizes Subhadra on the Dwaraka–Raivataka road, and drives towards Indraprastha. The Vrishnis convene in response.
Balarama advocates war, but Krishna defends Arjuna’s conduct, emphasising the honour shown to their family and the political advantages of the alliance. He argues that Arjuna, recognising both the Vrishnis’ lack of greed for bride-price and the unpredictability of a bridegroom-choice ceremony, chose the most respectful course available. Krishna’s reasoning prevails, and Arjuna is invited back to Dvaraka for a formal wedding ceremony. The marriage with Subhadra is categorised as a
rakshasa or
capture-marriage—a form associated with heroic traditions across Indo-European literature. Arjuna spends the remaining period of his exile at Dvaraka, following which he returns to Indraprastha. While his brothers welcome him with his new bride, Draupadi reacts with jealousy. Arjuna repeatedly asked for forgiveness from Draupadi for his deed. A reconciliation is achieved when Arjuna sends Subhadra as a cowherd woman into Draupadi's chamber, eventually wins over Draupadi with her submission, and, in return, Draupadi considers her a sister. Subhadra continued to serve and support Draupadi throughout her life.
Abhimanyu is born to Subhadra at Indraprastha. Although not central to the heroic arc in the way his marriage to Draupadi is, Arjuna’s marriage to Subhadra is of lasting importance, providing a key genealogical link in the epic’s structure, as the Kuru dynasty survives through Abhimanyu's descendants.
Burning of Khandava Forest One of the most enigmatic and controversial episodes in Arjuna's life is the burning of the
Khandava Forest, recounted at the end of the
Adi Parva. By this time, Arjuna and Krishna are close companions, often referred to collectively as "the two Krishnas". While resting along the
Yamuna in the company of their wives, they are approached by a brahmin who is later revealed to be
Agni, the god of fire, in disguise. Agni seeks their aid in consuming the Khandava Forest—a task he has repeatedly failed to complete due to the interference of Indra, who extinguishes the flames with rain, as the forest is inhabited by
Takshaka, a Naga chieftain and Indra’s close ally. Bound by the
kshatriya code to honour a brahmin's request, Arjuna and Krishna agree to help Agni regardless of the consequences. As a reward, Agni instructs the water-god
Varuna to bestow upon Arjuna the celestial bow
Gandiva, twin quivers of inexhaustible arrows, a divine chariot, and celestial steeds. Once committed, the two proceed with ruthless efficiency. As Agni sets the forest alight, Arjuna and Krishna slaughter all fleeing creatures, including demons,
Asuras, Nagas, birds and other animals, ensuring none escape the inferno. Takshaka is notably absent during the massacre, but his wife is killed and his son, Ashvasena, narrowly escapes—vowing vengeance against Arjuna. When Indra arrives, joined by other Vedic deities, Arjuna repels them all, including his own divine father. The gods retreat—having been commanded by a mysterious celestial voice to stand down and observe, while also revealing that Arjuna and Krishna are incarnations of
Nara and Narayana. After six days of relentless destruction, Indra promises Arjuna further divine weaponry in gratitude. Alf Hiltebeitel describes the episode as "one of the strangest scenes of the epic". The royal consecration involved an elaborate
Vedic ceremony called
rajasuya which extended over several years and included the playing of a ritualised
game of dice. This particular game, described as "Indian literature's most notorious dice game" by Williams, was rigged by Duryodhana, causing Yudhishthira to gamble and lose everything, including his kingdom and his shared wife Draupadi. He and his brothers only obtained their freedom because Draupadi offered herself to the Kauravas in exchange. She was then humiliated by them so much that revenge for her treatment became a further motivation for the Pandavas in the rivalry with their cousins. The brothers, including Arjuna, were forced into a 12-year exile, to be followed by a year living incognito if Yudhishthira was to regain his kingdom. When Arjuna was in deep meditation, a wild boar ran towards him. He realized it and took out an arrow and shot it at the boar. But, another arrow had already pierced the boar. Arjuna was furious and he saw a hunter there. He confronted the hunter and they engaged in a fight. After hours of fighting, Arjuna was not able to defeat him and realized that the hunter was Shiva. Shiva was pleased and took his real form. He gave him
Pashupatastra and told that the boar was Indra as he wanted to test Arjuna. After gaining the weapon, Indra took him to heaven and gave him many weapons. During his exile, Arjuna was invited to the palace of
Indra, his father. An
apsara named
Urvashi was impressed and attracted to Arjuna's look and talent so she expresses her love in front of him. But Arjuna did not have any intentions of making love to Urvashi. Instead, he called her "mother". Because once Urvashi was the wife of King
Pururavas the ancestor of
Kuru dynasty. Urvashi felt insulted and cursed Arjuna that he will be a eunuch for the rest of his life. Later on Indra's request, Urvashi curtailed the curse to a period of one year.
At Matsya Kingdom Arjuna spent the last year of exile as a eunuch named Brihannala at King
Virata’s
Matsya Kingdom. He taught singing and dancing to the princess
Uttarā. After Kichaka humiliated and tried to molest Draupadi, Arjuna consoled her and Bhima killed Kichaka. When Duryodhana and his army attacked Matsya,
Uttara, Uttarā's brother, with Brihannala as his charioteer went to the army. Later that day, the year of Agyatavasa was over. Arjuna took Uttara away from the army to the forest where he had kept his divine bow, Gandiva, and revealed his identity to Uttara. He then fought Kaurava army and single-handedly defeated them including warriors like Bheeshma, Drona, Ashwatthama, Karna, Duryodhana etc. When Arjuna's identity was revealed to the court, Uttarā was married to Arjuna's son
Abhimanyu.
Kurukshetra War Bhagavat Gita The
Bhagavad Gita is a book within the
Mahabharata that depicts a dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna immediately prior to the commencement of the Kurukshetra War between the Pandavas and Kauravas. According to Richard H. Davis,
In the war Arjuna was a key warrior in Pandava's victory in the Kurukshetra. Arjuna's prowess as an archer was demonstrated by his success in slaying numerous warriors, including his own elder brother Karna and grandfather Bhishma. •
Fall of Bheeshma: On the 10th day of battle, Arjuna accompanied
Shikhandi on the latter's chariot and they faced Bheeshma who did not fire arrows at Shikhandi but battles Arjuna. He was then felled in battle by Arjuna, pierced by innumerable arrows, piercing his entire body. •
Death of Bhagadatta: On the 12th day of the war, Arjuna killed the powerful king of
Pragjyotisha Bhagadatta, along with his mighty elephant
Supratika. •
Death of Jayadratha: Arjuna learns that Jayadratha blocked the other four Pandavas, at the entrance of Chakravyuha, due to which Abhimanyu entered alone and was killed unfairly by multiple Kaurava warriors on the 13th day of the war. Arjuna vowed to kill him the very next day before sunset, failing which he would kill himself by jumping into a fire. Arjuna pierced into the Kaurava army on the 14th day, killing seven akshouhinis of their army, and finally beheaded
Jayadratha on the 14th day of the war. •
Death of Sudakshina: He killed Sudakshina the king of Kambojas on the 14th day using Indrastra killing him and a large part of his army. He also killed Shrutayu, Ashrutayu, Niyutayu, Dirghayu, Vinda, and Anuvinda during his quest to kill Jayadratha. •
Death of Susharma: Arjuna on the 18th day killed King Susharma of
Trigarta Kingdom, the main Kaurava ally. •
Death of Karna: The much anticipated battle between Arjuna and Karna took place on the 17th day of war. The battle continued fiercely and Arjuna killed Karna by using
Anjalikastra.
Later life and death After the Kurukshetra War, Yudhishthira appointed Arjuna as the Prime Minister of Hastinapur. Yudhishthira performed
Ashvamedha. Arjuna followed the horse to the land of Manipura and encountered
Babhruvahana, one of his sons. None of them knew one another. Babhruvahana asked Arjuna to fight and injured his father during the battle.
Chitrāngadā came to the battlefield and revealed that Arjuna was her husband and Babhruvahana's father.
Ulupi, the second wife of Arjuna, revived Arjuna using a celestial gem called Nagamani. After Krishna left his mortal body, Arjuna took the remaining citizens of Dwaraka to Indraprastha. On the way, they were attacked by a group of bandits. Arjuna desisted from fighting seeing the law of time. Upon the onset of the
Kali Yuga, and acting on the advice of
Vyasa, Arjuna and other Pandavas retired, leaving the throne to
Parikshit (Arjuna's grandson and Abhimanyu's son). Giving up all their belongings and ties, the Pandavas and Draupadi, accompanied by a dog, made their final journey of pilgrimage to the
Himalayas. The listener of the Mahabharata is
Janamejaya, Parikshit's son and Arjuna's great-grandson. == Outside Indian subcontinent ==