Editing Arjuna (section)

==Life and legends==
===Birth and early life===
Arjuna was one of the five Pandava brothers of royal lineage, whose collective name derives from their father, and heir to the [[Lunar dynasty]], Pandu. However, Pandu was under a curse whereby he would die if he had sexual relations with a woman, and so his sons were born using a mantra given to Kunti by sage [[Durvasa]] during her maiden days. His wives{{mdash}}Madri and Kunti{{mdash}}invoked different gods and were also blessed with children.<ref name="johnson-pandu">{{cite Q|Q55879169|last=Johnson|first=W. J. |article=Pandu}}</ref> According to the legend, Arjuna was a [[demigod]], who was born as a blessing after his mother Kunti invoked the god Indra on her husband's request.<ref name="coulter">{{cite encyclopedia|title=Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sEIngqiKOugC|first1=Charles Russell |last1=Coulter|first2=Patricia |last2=Turner|date = 4 July 2013|publisher=Routledge|page=69 |article=Arjuna |isbn =978-1-13596-390-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite Q|Q55879169|last=Johnson|first=W. J.|article=Pandavas}}</ref> The Mahabharata and Puranas such as ''[[Devi Bhagavata]]'' also records Arjuna as a reincarnation of a [[rishi]] called Nara.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk04ch01.htm |title=The Devi Bhagavatam: The Fourth Book: Chapter 1 |publisher=Sacred-texts.com |date= |accessdate=27 February 2022 |archive-date=28 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128154901/https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk04ch01.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk04ch05.htm |title=The Devi Bhagavatam: The Fourth Book: Chapter 5 |publisher=Sacred-texts.com |date= |accessdate=27 February 2022 |archive-date=28 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128155105/https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk04ch05.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Despite being the younger brother of [[Dhritarashtra]], it was Pandu who succeeded their father as king of [[Bharata (Mahabharata)|Bharata]]. This was because Dhritarashtra was blind, a disability that caused him to forfeit his right to the royal succession. Dhritarashtra fathered 100 sons, known as the [[Kaurava]] brothers, and ascended the throne on the death of Pandu.<ref name="narlikar"/><ref name="flood"/> The Pandava brothers were then brought up with their cousins, the Kauravas, and the education of all these boys was supervised by [[Bheeshma]].<ref>{{cite Q|Q55879169|last=Johnson|first=W. J. |article=Bisma }}</ref> Among their teachers was the [[brahmin]] warrior called [[Drona]], who considered Arjuna to be his favourite.<ref>{{cite Q|Q55879169|last=Johnson|first=W. J. |article=Drona}}</ref> According to Swami Parmeshwaranand, Arjuna was Drona's most accomplished pupil. He notes an incident where Drona deemed that out of all his students, none but Arjuna had the steadfast focus to shoot the eye of a toy bird on a tree using a bow and arrow, and that Drona was proven right.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|last=Parmeshwaranand|first=Swami|title=Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Purāṇas|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_6F0ZIBIL2ZAC|year=2001|publisher=Sarup & Sons|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-8-17625-226-3|pages=512–513|edition=1st}}</ref>

After the princes completed their training, Arjuna defeated [[Drupada]] of [[Panchala]], who was impressed by the prince's skills, as the ''[[Dakshina|gurudakshina]]'' for his beloved teacher Drona.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Mani|first=Vettam|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mvXsDwAAQBAJ&q=arjuna+defeated+drupada&pg=PA252|title=Puranic Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Work with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature|date=1 January 2015|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=978-81-208-0597-2|language=en|access-date=14 October 2020|archive-date=16 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416075908/https://books.google.com/books?id=mvXsDwAAQBAJ&q=arjuna+defeated+drupada&pg=PA252|url-status=live}}</ref> Later, [[Duryodhana]] and his maternal uncle [[Shakuni]] planned to burn the Pandavas alive along with their mother Kunti. They built a palace out of lac in a village named Varanāvata. The Pandavas, though, managed to escape the house of lac with the help of [[Vidura]] through a secret tunnel.<ref>{{cite web|date=2 November 2017|title=ASI grants permission to excavate palace Kauravas commissioned to kill Pandavas|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/asi-house-of-lac-lakshagriha-mahabharata-kauravas-pandavas-yudhishthira-bhima-duryodhana-1077215-2017-11-02|access-date=8 August 2020|website=India Today|language=en|archive-date=17 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017083833/https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/asi-house-of-lac-lakshagriha-mahabharata-kauravas-pandavas-yudhishthira-bhima-duryodhana-1077215-2017-11-02|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Marriages and children===
[[File: Swayamvara Draupadi Arjuna Archery.jpg|thumb|Arjuna piercing the eye of the fish as depicted in [[Chennakeshava Temple, Belur|Chennakesava Temple]] built by [[Hoysala Empire]]]]
Arjuna married [[Draupadi]],<ref name="williams">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Handbook of Hindu Mythology |article=Arjuna |first=George M. |last=Williams |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2008 |page=61 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N7LOZfwCDpEC&pg=PA61 |isbn=978-0-19533-261-2 |access-date=22 June 2020 |archive-date=16 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416075935/https://books.google.com/books?id=N7LOZfwCDpEC&pg=PA61 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="johnson-arjuna">{{cite Q|Q55879169|last=Johnson|first=W. J. |article=Arjuna }}</ref> the fire born daughter of [[Drupada]], who was the king of [[Panchala Kingdom (Mahabharata)|Panchala]].<ref name="dalal38">{{cite book|first=Roshen|last=Dalal|title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DH0vmD8ghdMC&pg=PA38|year=2010|publisher=Penguin Books|isbn=978-0-14-341421-6|page=38|access-date=28 June 2020|archive-date=16 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416075927/https://books.google.com/books?id=DH0vmD8ghdMC&pg=PA38|url-status=live}}</ref>

After the event of [[Lakshagriha]], Arjuna, his mother and brothers decide to hide from Hastinapura. One day, Arjuna learns that Drupada is holding an archery tournament to determine who should marry his daughter. The tournament was to lift and string a bow, and fire arrows to pierce the eye of a golden fish only by looking at its reflection in the water. At the Swayamvara, almost all the assorted monarchs were unable to complete the challenge. In the end, Arjuna, dressed as a Brahmin, wins the tournament.<ref name=ryanjonesdraupadi>{{cite book | last1 =Jones | first1 =Constance | last2 =Ryan | first2 =James D. | year =2006 | title =Encyclopedia of Hinduism | publisher =Infobase Publishing | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=OgMmceadQ3gC | pages =136–137 | isbn =9780816075645 | access-date =23 September 2020 | archive-date =20 October 2022 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20221020070415/https://books.google.com/books?id=OgMmceadQ3gC | url-status =live }}</ref> Annoyed by their defeat, the kings attack Arjuna, but he defeats them and runs home to tell his mother of his success, shouting "look what we have found". Commentators vary as to whether Kunti thought he was referring to [[alms]] found in the forest or to some great prize unknown to her. She tells him that the find must be shared with his brothers, as they had always shared such things in the past.

This misunderstanding, combined with the protocol that the oldest of the brothers, Yudhishthira, should marry first, leads to the agreement that all five brothers marry her. This is one of the rare examples of [[polyandry]] in [[Sanskrit literature]].<ref name="williams"/><ref name="johnson-Draupadi">{{cite Q|Q55879169|last=Johnson|first=W. J. |article=Draupadi }}</ref> The brothers agreed that none should intrude if Draupadi was alone with one of the others, the penalty for doing so is a year to be spent in exile during which the culprit must remain celibate.<ref name="williams"/>

When Arjuna, his siblings, mother and Draupadi returned to Hastinapura, Dhritarashtra determined to avoid a rivalry developing for control of Hastinapur by splitting the kingdom, with half of it being left to his own eldest son, [[Duryodhana]], and half to the eldest son of Pandu, [[Yudhishthira]].<ref name="narlikar">{{cite book |title=Bargaining with a Rising India: Lessons from the Mahabharata |first1=Amrita |last1=Narlikar |first2=Aruna |last2=Narlikar |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2014 |isbn=978-0-19161-205-3 |page=225 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uMn6AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA225 |access-date=28 June 2020 |archive-date=16 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416075910/https://books.google.com/books?id=uMn6AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA225 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="flood">{{cite book |title=The Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation |first1=Gavin |last1=Flood |first2=Charles |last2=Martin |publisher=W. W. Norton & Company |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-39308-385-9 |page=6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7uePAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT6 |access-date=28 June 2020 |archive-date=16 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416075840/https://books.google.com/books?id=7uePAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT6 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Arjuna inadvertently broke the pact with his brothers, intruding as he sought to collect weapons whilst Yudhishthira, was alone with Draupadi. He felt obliged to go into exile despite Yudhishthira's attempts to dissuade him.<ref name="dalal38"/> It was this event that led to him forming a close relationship with his cousin [[Krishna]]{{efn|The cousin relationship existing between Arjuna and Krishna was through Arjuna's mother, Kunti, and her brother, [[Vasudeva]], the father of Krishna. Both parents were children of the king [[Shurasena]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Roshen|last=Dalal|title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DH0vmD8ghdMC&pg=PA216|year=2010|publisher=Penguin Books|isbn=978-0-14-341421-6|page=216|access-date=28 June 2020|archive-date=16 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416075910/https://books.google.com/books?id=DH0vmD8ghdMC&pg=PA216|url-status=live}}</ref>}} because he ignored the celibacy condition of the pact<ref name="williams"/> and married three people on his travels, the first of whom was a Naga princess named [[Ulupi]], with whom he had a son called [[Iravan]]. His second marriage was with a princess of Manipura, [[Chitrāngadā|Chitrangada]], who bore a son named [[Babhruvahana]]. The third was with [[Subhadra]], the sister of Krishna. This last event, which took place in [[Dvaraka]],<ref name="dalal38"/> is not the first meeting between Krishna and the Pandavas in the story but it does mark the start of a bond, sealed with the birth of the couple's child, [[Abhimanyu]], whom Krishna adores.<ref name="Hiltebeitel">{{cite book |first=Alf |last=Hiltebeitel |author-link=Alf Hiltebeitel |title=The Ritual of Battle: Krishna in the Mahabharata |date=5 July 1990 |page=86 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vwWGX08JAx8C&pg=PA86 |isbn=978-0-79140-250-4 |publisher=SUNY Press |access-date=22 June 2020 |archive-date=16 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416075915/https://books.google.com/books?id=vwWGX08JAx8C&pg=PA86 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Burning of Khandava Forest===
[[File:Fire vs Rain - The Defeat of Indra.jpg|thumb|Burning of Khandava forest]]
It was while at [[Indraprastha]], the capital city of the Pandavas,<ref>{{cite book |title=Delhi: Ancient History |editor-first=Upinder |editor-last=Singh |publisher=Berghahn Books |year=2006 |isbn=978-8-18735-829-9 |pages=xvii–xviii |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KkpdLnZpm78C}}</ref> for the birth of Abhimanyu that Arjuna and Krishna become involved in what [[Alf Hiltebeitel]] describes as "one of the strangest scenes of the epic", this being the burning of the Khandava Forest. This [[story within a story]] has been interpreted in various ways.<ref name="Hiltebeitel" />

The essence of this part of the myth is that Arjuna and Krishna are in the forest when they are approached by a hungry person. They agree to help satisfy his hunger, at which point he reveals himself to be [[Agni]], the god of fire. Agni's hunger can only be sated by consuming the entire forest and everything in it but his previous attempts to do this were thwarted by Indra, who is a protector of the forest and sent down rains to quench the fire. The cousins agree to fend off Indra and anyone else who might interfere; to this end, Arjuna armed himself with the [[Gandiva]] bow and Krishna with his [[Sudarshana Chakra]], weapons suitable for a fight with the gods. They then begin to destroy the forest, battling against Indra and other gods, as well as demons, animals and snakes. Once the forest has gone, after six days of fire and slaughter, Arjuna and Krishna receive thanks from Indra, who had retreated with the other gods partway through the proceedings on being commanded by a mysterious voice to step back and watch.<ref>{{cite book |title=Hinduism and Environmental Ethics: Law, Literature and Philosophy |first=Christopher G. |last=Framarin |publisher=Routledge |pages=100–101 |isbn=978-1-31791-894-3 |year=2014 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VrPpAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT100 |access-date=22 June 2020 |archive-date=16 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416075936/https://books.google.com/books?id=VrPpAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT100 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===The game of dice===
As heir to the lordship of [[Kurukshetra]], Yudhishthira had attracted the unwelcome attention of his Kaurava cousin, Duryodhana, who sought the throne.<ref>{{cite Q|Q55879169|last=Johnson|first=W. J. |article=Yudhisthira }}</ref> The royal consecration involved an elaborate [[Veda|Vedic]] ceremony called [[rajasuya]] which extended over several years and included the playing of a ritualised [[pachisi|game of dice]].<ref>{{cite Q|Q55879169|last=Johnson|first=W. J. |article=Rajasuya }}</ref> This particular game, described as "Indian literature's most notorious dice game" by Williams,<ref name="williams" /> was rigged by Duryodhana, causing Yudhishthira to gamble and lose everything, including his kingdom and his shared wife Draupadi.<ref name="johnson-Draupadi" /><ref name="johnson-mahab">{{cite Q|Q55879169|last=Johnson|first=W. J. |article=Mahabharata }}</ref> 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.<ref name="johnson-Draupadi" /> During her humiliation, Karna called her an unchaste for marrying five men. This led Arjuna to take a vow of killing Karna.<ref>{{Cite book|last=McGrath|first=Kevin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YkmXk3-1j7UC|title=The Sanskrit Hero: Karṇa in Epic Mahābhārata|date=1 January 2004|publisher=BRILL|isbn=978-90-04-13729-5|pages=82–83|language=en|access-date=28 June 2020|archive-date=16 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416075912/https://books.google.com/books?id=YkmXk3-1j7UC|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref name="johnson-mahab" />

===Exile of the Pandavas===
While in this exile, Arjuna visited the [[Himalayas]] to get celestial weapons that he would be able to use against the Kauravas. Thereafter, he honed his battle skills with a visit to [[Swarga]], the heaven of Indra, where he emerged victorious in a battle with the [[Daityas]] and also fought for Indra, his spiritual father, with the Gandiva.<ref name="coulter"/>

After the [[Khandava Forest|battle at Khandava]], [[Indra]] had promised Arjuna to give him all his weapons as a boon for matching him in battle with the requirement that [[Shiva]] is pleased with him. During the exile, following the advice of [[Krishna]] to go on meditation or ''[[tapasya]]'' to attain this [[Astra (weapon)|divine weapon]], Arjuna left his brothers for a penance on Indrakeeladri Hill (Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh).<ref name="ABC-CLIO">{{Cite book|last1=Sharma|first1=Arvind|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2A0lg1xRehIC&q=Pashupati+Arjuna&pg=PA116|title=Asian Perspectives on the World's Religions after September 11|last2=Khanna|first2=Madhu|date=15 February 2013|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-37897-3|language=en|access-date=14 October 2020|archive-date=16 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416075910/https://books.google.com/books?id=2A0lg1xRehIC&q=Pashupati+Arjuna&pg=PA116|url-status=live}}</ref>

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.<ref name="ABC-CLIO"/><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Sharma|first1=Mahesh|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uLFmds7elBAC&q=Pashupati+Arjuna&pg=PA115|title=Tales From the Mahabharat|last2=Chaturvedi|first2=B. K.|date=2006|publisher=Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd.|isbn=978-81-288-1228-6|language=en|access-date=14 October 2020|archive-date=16 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416075905/https://books.google.com/books?id=uLFmds7elBAC&q=Pashupati+Arjuna&pg=PA115|url-status=live}}</ref>

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|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.<ref name="Chandramouli">{{Cite book|last=Chandramouli|first=Anuja|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-ucDRHzIx_AC&q=Arjuna+Pandava:+The+Double+Hero+in+Epic+Mahabharata|title=ARJUNA: Saga Of A Pandava Warrior-Prince|date=15 December 2012|publisher=Leadstart Publishing Pvt Ltd|isbn=978-93-81576-39-7|language=en|access-date=14 October 2020|archive-date=16 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416075938/https://books.google.com/books?id=-ucDRHzIx_AC&q=Arjuna+Pandava:+The+Double+Hero+in+Epic+Mahabharata|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Bhanot |first=T. R. |title=The Mahabharata |publisher=Dreamland Publications |year=1990 |isbn=9788173010453 |location=New Delhi |page=19}}</ref>

=== At Matsya Kingdom ===
[[File:Arjuna Sets Kama's Arrow Alight, folio from the Razmnama (Book of War), 1598–99.jpg|thumb|Arjuna Sets Kama's Arrow Alight, folio from the Razmnama (Book of War)]]
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 (Mahabharata)|Uttarā]]. After Kichaka humiliated and tried to molest Draupadi, Arjuna consoled her and Bhima killed Kichaka. When Duryodhana and his army attacked Matsya, [[Uttara (Mahabharata)|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]].<ref name="Chandramouli"/><ref>{{cite book|title=India through the ages|url=https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada|last=Gopal|first=Madan|year= 1990| page= [https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada/page/80 80]|editor=K.S. Gautam|publisher=Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India}}</ref>

===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, {{blockquote|The conversation deals with the moral propriety of the war and much else as well. The ''Gita'' begins with Arjuna in confusion and despair, dropping his weapons; it ends with Arjuna picking up his bow, all doubts resolved and ready for battle.<ref>{{cite book |last=Davis |first=Richard H. |title=The "Bhagavad Gita": A Biography |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-69113-996-8 |page=10 |year=2014}}</ref>}}

==== In the war ====

{{Main|Kurukshetra 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.<ref name="Chandramouli"/><ref>{{Cite book |last=Debroy |first=Bibek |title=The Mahabharata: Volume 5 |publisher=Penguin Books India |date=September 1, 2012 |isbn=978-0143100201 |edition=Volume 5 |location=India |publication-date=September 1, 2012 |pages=500–656 |language=English}}</ref>
* '''Death of [[Bhagadatta]]''': On the 12th day of the war, Arjuna killed the powerful king of [[Pragjyotisha Kingdom|Pragjyotisha]] ''Bhagadatta'', along with his mighty elephant [[Supratika#Supratika (Bhagadatta's elephant)|Supratika]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Barpujari|first=H. K.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hl6KtAEACAAJ&q=Arjuna+Bhagadatta|title=The Comprehensive History of Assam: Ancient period|date=1990|publisher=Publication Board, Assam|language=en|access-date=12 August 2020|archive-date=16 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416075912/https://books.google.com/books?id=Hl6KtAEACAAJ&q=Arjuna+Bhagadatta|url-status=live}}</ref>
* '''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]] .<ref name="Chandramouli"/><ref>{{Cite book |last=Debroy |first=Bibek |title=The Mahabharata: Volume |publisher=Penguin Books Indiq |year=2015 |isbn=978-0143425205 |edition=Volume 7 |location=Haryana |publication-date=June 1, 2015 |language=English}}</ref>

===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 [[Babruvahana|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.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7WbXAAAAMAAJ&q=Arjuna+fights+Babruvahana|title=Krishna & Human Relations|date=2001|publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan|isbn=9788172762391|language=en|access-date=14 October 2020|archive-date=16 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416075928/https://books.google.com/books?id=7WbXAAAAMAAJ&q=Arjuna+fights+Babruvahana|url-status=live}}</ref>

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, accompanied by a dog, made their final journey of pilgrimage to the [[Himalayas]]. The listener of the Mahabharata is [[Janamejaya II|Janamejaya]], Parikshit's son and Arjuna's great-grandson.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|last=Bowker|first=John|title=The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|year=2000|doi=10.1093/acref/9780192800947.001.0001|isbn=9780192800947|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780192800947}}{{clarify|reason=article name needed|date=October 2019}}</ref>