Arjuna, the protagonist of the great epic of Mahabharata is a very personification of heroism. His character and charisma have inspired and writers and poets for centuries. Here is a poem and my tribute to this great character, followed by the purport to each stanza:
Unending glory, Undying fame
Unmatched was he, Unwavering his aim
Shooting swiftly using two Hands
Subdued many Unconquerable Lands
‘Dhananjaya’, forged by Outer Conquest
‘Vijaya’, moulded by his inner quest
Yet, when faced with a dilemma to slay one’s dear
Came to his rescue, his glorious Charioteer
Conqueror of Sleep, Preceptor’s Pride
A Life lived like a Roller Coaster Ride
Purport:
Unending glory, Undying fame
Unmatched was he, Unwavering his aim
Arjuna’s glory lives till date. India’s third-generation tank T-90 is named after him. Every year, the Indian government gives out Arjuna award to outstanding achievers in sports. He was truly unmatched and his aim was unwavering.
Shooting swiftly using two Hands
Subdued many Unconquerable Lands
Arjuna’s uniqueness lay in his ambidexterity since he could shoot arrows with both hands with equal ease. Hence he was also called as ‘Savyasachi’. This gave him an edge over other warriors enabling him to conquer far-off lands including Kashmir.
‘Dhananjaya’, forged by Outer Conquest
‘Vijaya’, moulded by his inner quest
He won immense wealth whenever he went for a conquest. Hence he was also named as ‘Dhananjaya’. However, his ability to subdue the outer foes was surpassed by his control over his self. Hence he was also named as ‘Vijaya’.
Yet, when faced with a dilemma to slay one’s dear
Came to his rescue, his glorious Charioteer
A hero is not the one who fakes perfection but admits his imperfections and weaknesses, in order to rise above them. Although being phenomenal, he faced a dilemma to kill his own Grandfather Bhishma and revered preceptor Drona, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. At this juncture, his glorious charioteer, the great Krishna came to his aid and helped him transcend the perplexity
Conqueror of Sleep, Preceptor’s Pride
A Life lived like a Roller Coaster Ride
Another name of Arjuna was ‘Gudakesa’ the one who conquered his sleep. He had mastered his sleep right in his childhood days so that he could practice archery in the dark. His dedication towards his skill made him Dronacharya’s favourite and took him places. His phenomenal skills and situations around him took him to all extremes and his life was no less than a roller coaster ride.
Notes
- Read more related articles: When Krishna and Arjuna met for the first time
- All the images have been obtained from Mrinal Rai’s book Kurukshetra Yuddha. Know more about Mrinal Rai here: “The lotus of Saraswati” by Mrinal Rai.
