Arjuna

Arjuna (, , [ɐɾd͡ʒun̪ə]) was an ancient prince of the Kuru Kingdom, located in the present-day India. He is one of the main protagonists of the Hindu epic ''Mahābhārata''. He was the third of five Pandava brothers, from the lineage of the Kuru. In the Mahabharata War, Arjuna was a key warrior from the Pandava side in the battle of Kurukshetra. Before the beginning of the war, his mentor Krishna gave him the supreme knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita, guiding him through his moral dilemmas. Throughout the epic, Arjuna is the closest friend and companion of Krishna.

In Ashṭādhyāyī, authored by the ancient grammarian Pāṇini (probably belonged to the 5th or 6th century BCE), Vāsudeva and Arjuna, as recipients of worship, are referred to together in the same sutra.

Arjuna was the son of Kunti, the wife of Kuru King Pandu, and the god Indra, who fathered him due to Pandu's curse. Renowned for his archery skills from an early age, he excelled in his training under the guidance of Drona. He emerged as the primary adversary of the Kauravas. He married Draupadi, who became the common wife of the Pandavas.

Arjuna's life was marked by two periods of exile. The first exile stemmed from a broken pact with his brothers, while the second followed the tragic loss of their kingdom through the game of dice. During his first exile, Arjuna married Ulupi, Chitrāngadā and Subhadra. From these unions, he fathered four sons: Shrutakarma, Iravan, Babhruvahana and Abhimanyu. His second exile saw him acquire many celestial weapons. Beyond his martial prowess, Arjuna was also a skilled musician and dancer. At the end of the epic the Pandavas, accompanied by Draupadi, retire to the Himalayas, where everyone in time passes away to arrive in heaven. Provided by Wikipedia