Arjun was the 3rd of the five Paandav (Paandu's sons). He was the son of Indra and Kuntee. He was a very good archer.  He had four brothers more Yudhishthir, Bheem, Nakul and Sahadev. Arjun was very handsome and soft-spoken man. Everybody loved him. Drone, Guru of Paandav and Kaurav, loved him so much that he had decided to declare him the best archer, and for that he did not hesitate even to ask Eklavya's right hand thumb in Guru Dakshinaa, envisaging him a better archer than Arjun. Bheeshm also loved him very much.

Arjun had 10 names which were assigned to him because of his so many qualities - Arjun, Phaalgun, Jishnu, Kiriti, Shwetvaahan, Vibhatsu, Vijaya, Paarth, Savyashachee and Dhananjaya. [See MBH this Page for their explanation]

(1) To prove to Kaurav, especially Duryodhan, and his own son Ashwatthaamaa, Drone had to set two tests for them. In one test, he set a clay bird on a tree branch and asked everybody to aim at its eye. But when others came to aim at its eye they did not satisfy Drone except Arjun. On asking what they were seeing, all described its vicinity. It was only Arjun who did not see any other thing than its eye. Drone told everybody that while you are aiming at something one, you must see only your aim, nothing else.

In another setting he made a mechanical crocodile and left it in a river. He went to take bath in that river and Paandav and Kaurav were on the bank. When he was taking bath, the crocodile came caught his leg in its mouth. He started shouting for help. While everybody went to look for some kind of help, Arjun picked his bow and threw three arrows towards its mouth such that its mouth remained open and Drone could take out his leg out from its mouth. By this he wanted to tell his students that one should act immediately. This he proved while Bheeshm asked for water and a pillow in battlefield.

(2) It was Arjun who paid Guru Dakshinaa by bringing Drupad tied behind his chariot. And seeing his skill in archery Drupad wished for a daughter. When he had got the daughter, Draupadee, he put such a condition for her marriage which could be fulfilled only by Arjun.

(3) When Paandav were wandering in hiding (n Braahman's disguise) after the Laakshaa Grih escape, they heard about Draupadee's Swayamvar. They went there in disguise only and Arjun won Draupadee, but seeing a Braahman taking his daughter Drupad got very sad, although he could not say anything to him as he fulfilled the condition of marriage. He sent his son Dhrishtdyumn to follow them and see who had taken his daughter. When Dhrishtdyumn told him that it was Arjun, then only he took a sigh of relief and got happy to know that Paandav were alive after the Laakshaa Grih incident.

(4) When Dhritraashtra divided his kingdom and gave Khaandav Van to Paandav as their half kingdom, he satisfied Agni Dev by burning Khaandav Van. Agni Dev asked Varun Dev to give Arjun a bow, two quivers which never went empty and a fast running chariot.

He saves Maya Daanav from burning Khaandav Van. To show the gratitude to Arjun, he built the Divine court for Yudhishthir. This was the same court seeing which Duryodhan got confused and Bheem laughed at him.

(5) Once when they were in exile, Jayadrath (Dushalaa's husband), misbehaved with Draupadee and took her away in his chariot. It was only he who brought her back along with Jayadrath. When asked for his punishment, Draupadee said - "Don't kill him. After all he is Dushalaa's husband. Great uncle should not say that we made his only daughter widow. So just free him after shaving his head irregularly. So Arjun shaved his head leaving five tusks of hair as a mark of five Paandav and freed him.

(6) It was only he who could go to Swarg to bring Divine weapons. There also only he could kill Nivaatkavach named Raakshas. There he was given Shaap by Urvashee to become a eunuch and Indra softened it to be useful to him when he was supposed to spend his one year in incognito. There he learnt music and dance also which also proved to be useful during that one year. That year he passed as Brihannalaa (an eunuch) and taught music and dance to King Viraat's daughter Uttaraa. Later he married his son Abhimanyu to her.

(7) He also loved his Pitaamaha Bheeshm and Drone very much. When his chariot was brought in the battlefield, he asked Krishn to take it in between the two armies. Seeing this both armies got surprised that what he was going to do? Seeing Pitaamaha and Drone he just fell so weak that he kept his bow and arrows in the back of the chariot and sat down saying, "O Krishn, I cannot fight." Then Krishn preached him Geetaa which is so famous today that it has been translated in over 150 languages. Thus it is not only useful for us, but is considered an important philosophical book all over the world.

(8) He was so good in fighting that he alone could defeat Kaurav army. At the end of the incognito year, when Bheem's killing of Keechak, opened the secret of Paandav's living at Viraat's place on Duryodhan, he attacked Viraat. They attacked in such a way that first they sent Viraat somewhere else for fighting, and then when Kaurav attacked there was no other option for Viraat's people except to send his son Uttar to fight with them. Uttar was merely a boy for them, that is why Yudhishthir managed to send Brhannalaa (Arjun) with him. At the time he alone pushed back all the great warriors and brought their clothes and some crowns.

(9) It was only he who knew the operation of Chakra Vyooh, in his whole army. That is why Drone had to remove him from the battlefield to trap Yudhishthir. Fortunately or unfortunately, Yudhishthir did not go to that Vyooh so he was saved and sent Abhimanyu (Arjun's son) who knew only entering the Vyooh and did not know to come out of the Vyooh. He was killed by seven great warriors.

(10) In the last when Ashwatthaamaa killed Draupadee's five sons in sleep, it was only he who went to take revenge of this inhuman killing. Only he knew the operation of Brahmaastra, even Ashwatthaamaa did not know it. He knew only how to initiate it but he did not know how to call it back, that is why he directed it towards Uttaraa's womb where Pareekshit was growing up. It had killed him but Krishn brought him back to life. Arjun brought Ashwatthaamaa to Draupadee to decide his punishment. Poor Draupadee again did not punish him and just freed him. Krishn suggested Arjun to take out his Mani (gem) which was on his forehead.