About Arjun गांडीव (धनुष)
The celestial bow known as the Gandiva belonged to the Pandava prince Arjuna, who is renowned as history’s greatest archer. Later become famous as Arjun Gandiv. Even the gods were terrified of the bow because it was so strong. Arjuna used the Gandiva to defeat numerous mighty soldiers and gods in the fabled battle of Kurukshetra.
When Brahma himself made the bow, he declared that it would be used to punish the unjust and the evil. It could be used to battle lakh foes at once because it was such a powerful weapon!
Before reaching the Pandava prince, the bow passed through several hands. The bow was wielded by Brahma for 1000 years, Indra for 3585 years, and Chandra for 500 years. Then Varuna got hold of it and used it for a hundred years before handing it to Arjuna!
According to Veda Vyasa’s Mahabharata, Arjun gave the bow back to Varuna at the end of the Dwarapa Yuga when the Pandavas retired.
Who was Arjuna?
Pandu and Kunti’s son was named Arjun. He was a superb archer and is regarded as the best archer in the entire globe. Kunti received a boon promising that whenever she wished, God would give birth to a kid for her. As a result, Kunti asked Lord Indra for a son, who was ultimately Arjun.
After Yudhistir and Bheem, Arjun is thought to be the third Pandava and was entrusted with carrying the magnificent Gandiv bow. As a result, he is often referred to as “Gandivdhari” or “one who owns the Gandiv bow.” In addition to being a brave fighter, he was a brilliant battlefield thinker and one of the very few individuals who could truly shatter the “Chakravyu” (a formation of armies in a circle that was very deadly).
Arjun is regarded as Lord Shree Krishna’s cherished companion. On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, when his thoughts wandered from the task he was supposed to be performing, he was the one who was taught the spiritual wisdom of the Gita by Lord Krishna himself.
In addition to this, Arjun was married to Draupadi, Subhadra, Chitrangda, and Ullopi. Abhimanyu, his son from Subhadra, was also a brave fighter like his father, but he subsequently perished in the Chakravyu because he was unable to flee.
Arjun, one of the key figures in the Mahabharata, is renowned for his exceptional archery abilities and the fact that he was the one who learned the Bhagavad-Gita from Lord Shree Krishna.
How did Pandav Putra Arjun attain Gandiv?
Agni, the god of fire wants to reclaim its power and might and desires to eat Khandavaprastha’s forest. The two heroes, Krishna and Arjuna, had been engaged in this cause. In order to match Agni’s strength, dexterity, and the might of celestial weapons, Arjuna, the greatest archer and best warrior in history, demanded of Agni a bow.
Then, the Agni god of fire pleaded with Varuna to grant Arjun’s wish for specific weapons. The Gandiva bow and two quivers with an endless supply of arrows were gifts from Varuna to Arjuna.
8 Facts About Arjun Gandiv
- Arjun Gandiv was a divine celestial bow.
- Out of the 108 divine strings in Arjun Gandiv, one was unbreakable. The 1 string was the mantra that was adorned to Gandiva.
- Arjun Gandiv shows up in Arjun’s palms as he recites the mantra.
- It can only be lifted by whom the Gandiva thinks to be worthy.
- When twanged it creates a very deep sound and reverberation that can be heard across the three worlds, silencing those who dare challenge the bow or the wielder.
- Arjun Gandiv was so mighty that it can release any Brahmastra weapon that may not be released by any ordinary bow. Any bow less high than the Gandiva, if summons by the higher weapons can turn to ashes with the high spiritual power of the astras, and its flame can engulf the wielder too. Thus, Arjuna really needed such a bow.
- Arjun Gandiv can release hundreds of astras in the blink of an eye that too all together in one shot.
- The bow was worshiped by Devas, Danavas, Gandharavas, Yaksha, and other celestial gods.
What happened to Arjun Gandiv After the Epic Mahabharat Battle?
Krishna left Earth and headed to Vaikuntha at the end of the Dvapara Yuga. As Krishna was leaving, he instructed Arjuna to save the Dwarika residents because he was about to drown the town in the sea. When Dwarika was drowning, Arjuna momentarily lost the ability to string the bow or recall the spells required to summon his celestial weapons. Given that Vyasa had warned him that this event would occur and that once it did, Arjuna understood that his time on earth had also come to an end. The Pandavas eventually retired and traveled to the Himalayas. Arjuna was still holding his Gandiva.
Agni, the god of fire, approached them and pleaded with the Pandavas to persuade Arjuna to return Gandiva to Varuna because Varuna is the guardian of all celestial weapons. Gandiva will visit Arjuna once again at the appropriate time, according to Agni. All the brothers persuaded Arjuna to follow Agni’s advice after hearing this. Arjuna tossed Gandiva along with his two endless quivers into the ocean.
