Arjuna and His Wives - The Four Marriages of a Great Warrior
The epic Mahābhārata details the extraordinary life of Arjuna, the intimate friend of Lord Kṛṣṇa and the hero of the Kurukṣetra war. Beyond his legendary skills as an archer, Arjuna's personal life was woven into the complex political fabric of Vedic society through his various marriages. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains the fascinating histories behind Arjuna and his wives, demonstrating how a great devotee can fulfill the duties of a royal householder while maintaining pure, unalloyed devotion to the Supreme Lord.
The Four Principal Marriages
In ancient Vedic royalty, it was customary for kings and great warriors to accept multiple wives for political alliances and the expansion of their dynasties. Śrīla Prabhupāda identifies the four principal wives of Arjuna and the powerful sons born from these unions, while emphasizing that Arjuna's ultimate attachment was never to his family, but always to Kṛṣṇa.
- Arjuna married four wives, Draupadi, Subhadra, Citrangada and Ulupi, from whom he got four sons of the names Srutakirti, Abhimanyu, Babhruvahana and Iravan respectively.
- Arjuna met Ulupi at Haridvara and was attracted by that girl, who belonged to Nagaloka, and thus Iravan was born. Similarly, he met Citrangada, a daughter of the King of Manipura, and thus Babhruvahana was born.
- His (Arjuna's) wonderful acts on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra are vividly described in the Mahabharata. Arjuna was defeated, however, by his son Babhruvahana at Manipura and fell unconscious when Ulupi saved him.
- Although Arjuna was a warrior, a fighter, a householder having more than dozen wives, but he was sannyasa. Because he sacrificed everything for Krsna. That is wanted. That is Krsna conscious.
Winning the Hand of Draupadī
The marriage of Arjuna to Draupadī is one of the most famous events in Vedic history. King Drupada arranged a grand svayaṁvara featuring a nearly impossible archery test to ensure that only Arjuna could win his daughter. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how Arjuna, living incognito in the dress of a brāhmaṇa, successfully pierced the target and subsequently fought off jealous rivals like Karṇa to claim his bride.
- Draupadi was the most beautiful daughter of King Drupada, and when she was a young girl almost all the princes desired her hand. But Drupada Maharaja decided to hand over his daughter to Arjuna only and therefore contrived a peculiar way.
- This trick (piercing the eye of a fish hanging on the ceiling) was especially made because only Arjuna could do it, and he (Maharaja Drupada) was successful in his desire to hand over his equally worthy daughter (Draupadi) to Arjuna.
- Arjuna's brothers were at that time living incognito under agreement with Duryodhana, and Arjuna and his brothers attended the meeting of Draupadi's selection in the dress of brahmanas.
- Karna and the other disappointed princes offered an unusual stumbling block to Arjuna while he was leaving with Draupadi. Specifically, Karna fought with him very valiantly, but all of them were defeated by Arjuna.
The Disguise of a Sannyāsī
Arjuna's marriage to Kṛṣṇa's sister, Subhadrā, required a brilliant tactical maneuver. When Arjuna heard that Lord Balarāma was planning to marry Subhadrā to Duryodhana, he became extremely anxious. Śrīla Prabhupāda narrates how Arjuna disguised himself as a renounced sannyāsī to gain access to Dvārakā, spending months devising a plan to win her heart.
- In Prabhasa-ksetra he (Arjuna) heard the news that Lord Balarama was negotiating the marriage of Subhadra, the daughter of Arjuna’s maternal uncle, Vasudeva.
- As he thought of Subhadra and her beauty, Arjuna became more and more captivated with the idea of marrying her, and with a plan in mind he dressed himself like a Vaisnava sannyasi, carrying a tridanda in his hand.
- Arjuna, in the dress of a tridandi-sannyasi, remained in the city of Dvaraka for the four months of the rainy season, devising a plan whereby he could get Subhadra as his wife.
- Subhadra dedicated herself to Arjuna, and he resolved to marry her by any means. He then became absorbed twenty-four hours a day in thought of how he could get Subhadra as his wife.
The Kidnapping of Subhadrā
To execute the marriage, Kṛṣṇa actively helped Arjuna plan a daring kidnapping. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how Arjuna seized the opportunity when Subhadrā came out of the palace fort. Taking her onto his chariot, he fearlessly fought off the guards. Although this act initially enraged Lord Balarāma, the marriage was ultimately accepted and celebrated, tying Arjuna even closer to the Supreme Lord's family.
- Lord Sri Krsna made a plan to help Arjuna to kidnap Subhadra, sister of Sri Krsna, because Baladeva was inclined to hand her over to Duryodhana. Yudhisthira also agreed with Sri Krsna, and thus Subhadra was taken by force by Arjuna.
- Once upon a time, Subhadra, seated on a chariot, came out of the palace fort to see the gods in the temple. Arjuna took this opportunity, and with the permission of Vasudeva and Devaki he kidnapped her.
- While Subhadra was thus being kidnapped by Arjuna, her relatives and family members began to cry, but still he took her, just as a lion takes his prey and departs.
- When it was disclosed to Lord Balarama that the so-called sannyasi was Arjuna, who had planned such a device simply to take away Subhadra, and that he had actually taken her, He became very angry.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the marriages of Arjuna provide a profound look into the life of a rājarṣi, or saintly king. Śrīla Prabhupāda masterfully illustrates that while Arjuna accepted many wives and fathered powerful sons like Abhimanyu and Babhruvāhana, he was never a slave to domestic attachment. His marriages to Draupadī, Subhadrā, Citrāṅgadā, and Ulūpī were not mere acts of sense gratification, but were often tied to the Lord's supreme plans and the establishment of dharma. Arjuna demonstrated that even a householder with extensive family responsibilities can be a perfect sannyāsī if his heart is solely dedicated to the service of Kṛṣṇa. Whether using a brilliant disguise to win Subhadrā or winning Draupadī through a miraculous archery test, Arjuna acted as an instrument of the Lord's will. Ultimately, his life teaches us that the highest goal of human existence is to fulfill one's social and familial duties while remaining internally absorbed twenty-four hours a day in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
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