IPLE ASSIGNMENT 1 :

ARJUNA

Prepared By:
Rohan Gupta (RollP10044)

The Relevance of the Charaiveti mantras in

todays context

t seems rather strange, sometimes to observe, how much advanced

our ancient thoughts and wisdoms were, and more so, how much
relevance they still hold in todays context. One such excellent
mantra, is the charaiveti mantra, which advices us to keep moving,
and reminds us of the results we can acquire if we keep moving. It is very
interesting to note here that this priceless thought of charaiveti is
aligned with the laws of the
universe itself. Today, it has
been proved that nothing in
this universe is static. Since
the creation of the universe
through the big-bang, the
universe has ever since
been expanding, and all
matter in this universe is
moving. Coming closer,
even in our solar system,
the earth along with all the
Charaiveti: Everything in our universe
planets
(and
their
is moving!
satellites) are continuously moving around the
sun, which in turn is also
moving in the milky-way galaxy.

Can any of us imagine what will happen

if the earth stops moving one day. It will
definitely be the end of life on earth. The
charaiveti mantra preaches exactly that.
It says that we can achieve nothing in
this world by staying stationary. We live
in a dynamic world, and to live life
efficiently, to achieve success in life, we
must keep moving and moving. In fact
the 5th Charaiveti mantra, makes a
reference to the sun and asks us to derive inspiration from the sun, which
never tires of moving. Even the laws of physics, the famous laws of
Newton, clearly says, that a body moving in this universe will continue to
remain in its position of motion unless acted by some force, and same
hold good for static bodies. In other words, if we keep stationary, chances
are we will stay lazy and inactive throughout our lives; we need to
overcome the inertia which will urge us to change into the motion from
rest. The charaiveti mantras are the force of dynamism which tells us to
change from our state of rest to state of motion. The charaiveti mantras
are a call to the tamasic man to become more rajashic.
It is also interesting that, even our own body teaches us charaiveti or to
keep moving. The heart starts beating even before we are born, and
continues beating on non-stop through-out our lives. Similarly, all our
internal body parts like lungs, kidney, liver, intestines are constantly
working. The moment, a vital organ like heart or lungs stop working even
for a very short time, we die. Not only our internal
Charaiveti & the Dynamism of
body parts, but even our external body parts need
our Body!
exercise for proper functioning. We need to move for keeping ourselves
healthy. The 2nd Charaiveti mantra (the thighs of the man who keeps
walking flowers...) says exactly the same thing.
All of us have heard the proverb Time is money, which is especially
relevant in todays context. The more we utilise time, more we can
achieve success, in this world. Sleeping, or, wasting time lazily, leads us
nowhere. To earn money, we need to work hard, we need to move. We
cannot obtain wealth by lazing around. We need to act to reap the good
fruits of our action. The third charaiveti mantra and also the first and the
fifth one preach exactly that.

How does Arjuna prove/disprove the message of

these five verses?

rjuna, whose name means bright/shinning like silver, is the

third of the Pandavas and is not only one of the central
characters of the Mahabharata, but also one of the most
dynamic characters. The Mahabharata speaks of Arjuna in heroic
terms as one of the best warriors of
the
Mahabharata, who is sometimes
referred to
as
Jishnu
or the
unbeatable one. Apart from the fact
that he
was a great warrior, it is not widely
known
that he was a great traveller and it
is said
that he had criss-crossed the entire
ancient India, thus proving himself to
be one
of the strongest proponents of the
concept of charaiveti even in its most
literal
as well as actual sense.
Charaiveti Inherent
at his Birth

in

Arjuna,

even

While the fact that he was born of Indra and Kunti may be debateable, but
what can be said beyond doubt, is that Arjuna was the greatest archer of
Mahabharata, second only to probably Karna,
Statue of Arjuna in
Indonesia
and had a well-round personality which probably maybe
the cause of
extrapolating him to the son of King of Gods, in the later versions of
Mahabharata. Arjuna was born and brought up along with his brothers
Yudhishthira, Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva in recluse of sages, in a forest
surrounding the valley of Satasringa mountains, which gave Arjuna the
Rajas of a prince and also the Sattva of the saints. From birth, Arjuna is
said to have been well-built and extremely handsome. The dynamism of
Arjuna, was evident even at his birth, which was one of the reasons why
he was called the son of Indra, though he may not be actually born of
him as widely supposed, but definitely had all the kingly and godly
qualities that we associate with Indra. This dynamism is what the
charaiveti mantras propose and we find full evidence of them in Arjuna.
Infact the 1st charaiveti mantra says Indra is a friend to the one who is on
the move, which also proves the fact that the Indra-like qualities
attributed to Arjuna was due to the mantra of Charaiveti which was
inherent in him.
Charaiveti in Early Life
Arjuna had shown the true spirit of charaiveti from childhood itself. He was
on the move throughout his life and rarely had settled at a particular place
for a long time. After his birth in the Satasringha mountains, along with his

brothers Arjuna had journeyed from Satasringa mountains in high

Himalayas to Hastinapura the capital city of the Kurus, while he was a
small child. This journey
probably marked the
first of many journeys
that this great warrior
would undertake in his
later life. While living
with their cousins viz.
the Kauravas, Arjuna
and his brothers went
for a pleasure trip
towards a place called
Cartoon depicting the Young
Pramanakoti. All this
Pandavas
shows how Arjuna was
introduced to the concept of charaiveti even at a very early age.
Charaiveti in education: Arjuna The Dynamic and Diligent
Student

The Mahabharata describes Arjuna as the most diligent and thus the most
favourite pupil of Dronacharya. The foundation for Arjuna's career as a
warrior was laid at a young age. He was described as a sincere student of
the combative arts, learning everything that his guru, Dronacharya, could
teach him, and attaining the
status of "Maharathi" or
outstanding warrior. Arjuna,
however, did not stop after
attaining
mastery
in
archery. He was always
finding ways to upgrade his
skills to newer levels by
practising, fine-tuning and
finding ways of gaining new
skills, which again proves
the charaiveti mantras for
Arjuna. An example of this is Dronas favourite student Arjuna shoots at
Arjuna once noticed his
brother, Bhima, who was a voracious eater, eating in the dark as though it
was daylight, and realized that if he could practice archery in the dark he
would become an even greater master of this skill. This skill proved to be
instrumental in the slaying of Jayadratha during the Kurukshetra war. As
Dronacharya's best pupil, Arjuna received instruction in the use of the
Brahmasira, an immensely powerful weapon of mass destruction. Arjuna
also updated his skills in archery by learning from the tribes of and the
tribes of Devas (in Tibet). This enhanced his knowledge of using arrows in
connection with advanced weaponry. Thus we see, that by constantly
acquiring and upgrading his skills, Arjuna, again proves the charaiveti
mantra even in his education.
Arjunas Early Conquests: Another Proof of Charaiveti
During his internship as a student of preceptor Drona he went to Panchala
to capture king Drupada. Arjuna with the help of his brother Bhima is
mentioned as setting forth in military expedition and defeating many
kings including the kings of Sindhu and Sauvira, which were difficult in
vanquishing. Arjuna had shown his skill in archery by defeating the
Panchala king Drupada and his troops, for the sake of Drona. These all
facts goes on to show that Arjuna was not sitting quiet anytime even in his
early life. True to the charaiveti mantras, he was constantly on the move,
whether to gain new skills or on conquests to defeat kings and thus finetuning his skills.
Role of Charaiveti in the Pandavas escape from Varanavata

Arjunas travels continued even as he grew up. After Duryodhana tactfully

banished the Pandavas to Varanavata and after their building was burned,
Arjuna along with his brothers were lucky to have secretly escaped from
that murder attempt and they traveled through forests and mountains.
Even, in their escape story, charaiveti played a very important role. Vidura
had warned the pandavas before they left for varanavata, but it was left to
the Pandavas to understand, interpret and act on that warning. With the
help of a miner which, Vidura sent, a subterranean passage was
constructed for their escape. Arjuna, along with other Pandavas had to act
smart, so as not to invite suspicion about their escape attempts all the
time. Finally, they managed to escape. This escapade can again be
attributed to the charaiveti mantra, because, had the Pandavas not been
swift in their actions and decision making and had yielded to the grand
welcome they had got in Varanavata, they would have probably died. It
was charaiveti mantra which was in them that made them escape
successfully.

Draupadi as the fruit of Arjunas Charaiveti

After Arjuna along with his brothers escaped from that murder attempt,
they traveled through forests and mountains and finally they reached
Ekachakra a village close to the Panchala kingdom. His skill in archery
played an unusual role in
his life, in that it won him
the hand of Draupadi, his
first wife, the daughter of
Drupada, king of Panchala.
Drupada held a contest to
choose a suitable match for
his daughter. A wooden fish
was suspended high above
a reflective pool of oil;
furthermore,
the
fish
rotated. Contestants were
Arjuna wins Draupadi at her
Swayamvar
required to string a heavy
bow and then hit the eye of the rotating fish, but were allowed to aim only
by looking at the fish's reflection in the pool of oil. Many princes and
noblemen vied for the hand of the princess of Panchala. Although the
Pandavas were in hiding at that time, Arjuna had dressed as a high-caste
snaataka Brahmin and was allowed to compete. Only Arjuna was able to
accomplish the set task. Subsequently, Draupadi was married to Arjuna.
Clearly, Draupadi was like the fruit of Arjunas hardwork, as the 5 th
charaiveti mantra clearly says It is by walking that man gets honey; it is
by walking that he gets the tasty udumbara fruits. So, we see, Arjuna
getting his fruit of charaiveti as Draupadi.
Arjunas adherence to duty and subsequent exile : Another
example of Arjunas Charaiveti
After Draupadis marriage to the five Pandavas, the brothers agreed upon
a number of protocols governing their relations with Draupadi. One of the
foremost points of this agreement was that no brother would disturb the
couple when another brother was alone with Draupadi. The penalty for
doing so was exile. Once, when the Pandavas were still ruling over a
prosperous Indraprastha, a Brahmin came in great agitation to Arjuna and
sought his help, informing him that a pack of cattle-thieves had seized his
herd. Arjuna was thrust into a dilemma: His weaponry was in the room
where Draupadi and Yudhishthira were alone together for the night, and
disturbing them would incur the penalty he had agreed upon earlier.
However, Arjuna hesitated only a moment, for in his mind he knew that
coming to the aid of a subject in distress, especially a brahmin, was the
duty of a prince. The prospect of exile did not deter him from fulfilling the

duty of aiding the brahmin, and so he

disturbed the conjugal couple, took up his
weaponry and rode forth to subdue the cattlethieves. Once he had finished the task, he
insisted upon going away on exile, despite
opposition from his entire family, including the
two people whom he had disturbed. This all
proves that Arjuna is filled with the charaiveti
mantra to the truest spirit, which says when
you sit quietly, you are accruing sins, it is only
with your good action, that you can make a
mark in the world, which is what Arjuna had
done.
Arjunas Charaiveti continues: His life as
a Military General of Yudhistira

Arjuna &
Subhadra

Arjuna was banished to exile for twelve years. Over the course of this
time, he traveled and married his three additional wives.
When Yudhisthira became king, Arjuna, and his brothers Bhima, Nakula
and
Sahadeva became military chiefs. As a military general,
Arjuna led two crucial military campaigns for
Yudhisthira. The first one was for the Rajasuya
Yajna and another was for the Ashwamedha
Yajna.
During the military campaigns that preceded
the Rajasuya Yajna of king Yudhisthira, Arjuna
was sent to the northern regions where as his
brothers were sent to other directions. Arjuna
was sent to the north since the foremost of
archers were found in the north. He fought with
the tribes of Yakshas and Kimpurushas in Tibet. He
also traversed through a route that lead him to
Simhapura, a city of the Kambojas and to the silk
Yudhistira's
route which passed through modern day Leh
Rajsuya Yagna
(then known as Loha). He also reached the Uttarakuru territory, which is
speculated as the same as or close to the territory of the Devas with Indra
as their king. This territory was also known as Harivarsha.
During the Aswamedha military campaign, Arjuna went to western and
eastern regions. In the west he defeated the kingdoms like Sindhu (Sindh)
ruled by Jayadratha's son and Gandhara (north-western Pakistan) ruled by
Sakuni's descendants. In the east he reached Anga and Vanga (Bengal) as

well as the kingdom of his own son Vabhruvahana situated in southernKalinga. From there he travelled along the sea coast of India towards
south and reached the southern sea coast and turned northward along the
western sea coast. Finally he reached Dwaraka in the western sea coast.
There he obtained Krishnas sister Subhadra as his wife and returned to
his capital Indraprastha.
Arjuna traveled along with Bhima and Krishna to Magadha to kill
Jarasandha a threat to the dominance of the Pandavas. All these
conquests clearly show that Arjuna was always on the move, and never
sitting still thus proving that he was a good example of the charaiveti
mantra.
Charaiveti and Arjunas obtaining the Gandiva

Shortly after his return to Indraprastha, Krishna accompanied Arjuna on

his visit to the Khandava forest. Here they encountered Agni, the fire-god,
who was faced with the task of burning down the forest in order to relieve
a sickness from which he was suffering. Agni asked for their help in
consuming the forest in its entirety, since he had failed repeatedly at the
task since Takshaka the serpent-king, a friend of Indra, had been residing
in it. In each of the firegod's previous attempts
to burn down the forest,
Indra had caused rain to
fall. Arjuna told Agni that
although he has been
well-trained in the divine
weapons,
he
must
possess an exceptionally
powerful
bow
to
withstand the power of
his father. Agni then
invoked Varuna, who gave Arjuna the Gandiva, an unbreakable bow, which
affords its user sure victory in battle and played a significant role in
Arjuna's later battles. Additionally, Varuna also gave Arjuna a divine
chariot, with powerful white horses that never
tired and could withstand wounds by earthly
weapons. Arjuna instructed Agni to proceed,
and meanwhile took up a duel with Indra. The
ensuing battle lasted several days and nights,
until finally a voice from the sky proclaimed
Arjuna and Krishna to be the victors, and told
Indra to withdraw. And so, the forest was
burnt and Agni was sated. The whole incident
shows the fact that Arjuna was ready to take
up any challenge, and perform and live upto
the challenge. Thus, even in this case, he
lives upto the true spirit of the charaiveti
mantra.
Arjunas life during the Pandavas exile:
Charaiveti even in exile!
After the fateful game of dice, Arjuna along with his brothers left
Hastinapura and went to the forests of Kamyaka and Dwaita. But even
during this time he does not sit still but goes on long journeys, sometimes
to get new weapons, sometimes on conquests, or sometimes for
upgrading his skills and thus lives upto the true spirit of charaiveti. While

living in forest Arjuna embarked on a solo

journey towards the northern side of Himalayas Shiva presents Pashupata
to Arjuna
in search of advanced weapons. While living in the territories of Deva king
Indra he also went to destroy some Asura cities. During this time Arjuna's
brothers traveled along Indian sea coasts following the same path Arjuna
had taken in his circuitous journey around India. After reaching back to
where they started, Arjuna's brothers followed his path towards high
Himalayas to meet him. Arjuna joined his brothers at Gandhamadana a
Himalayan territory and trekked back to their abode in the forest. After the
12 year long forest life was over, Arjuna along with his brothers went to
the kingdom of Matsya ruled by king Virata.
Arjuna-The Dancer : Another aspect of Arjunas Charaiveti !
An interesting aspect of Arjuna's skill and diversity is revealed during the
one year life in anonymity of the Pandavas in the kingdom of the Matsyas.
During this period, Arjuna chose to be a eunuch dancer.
Arjuna had studied music and dance while he was at the
palace of Indra (in Tibet), under the Gandharva dancers
whose skill in music and dance were then known to the
whole world. Arjuna also had got chance to observe
the behavior of Sikhandi, his brother-in-law, who was
of neuter gender. Arjuna was probably acting out
Sikhandi at palace of king Virata combining it with
the skill of music and dance he learned. This also
Arjuna as the Eunuch shows Arjuna's skill as an actor and an imitator.
This skillDancer
was crucial because without this, for a great warrior like Arjuna, it
will be too difficult to live without being easily recognized by the spies of
Duryodhana. This really again proves that nothing could make Arjuna rest,
he was always acquiring new skills in diverse fields, when he was not
fighting, which proves the presence of Charaiveti Mantra in Arjuna.
Charaiveti : The true essence of the Bhagavad Gita

Arjuna with Krishna at the start

of the war

Upon finishing the period of their

exile, the Pandavas seek the return of
their kingdom from the Kauravas, who
refuse to honour the terms of the
agreement. War breaks out. Before the
war begins, however, Arjuna is
reluctant to take part in the battle.
Riding into the Kurukshetra battlefield
on his chariot steered by Krishna,
Arjuna looks upon the faces of his
Kaurava cousins and is filled with

trepidation:
Given the slaughter he knew that he would cause in the enemy ranks,
which included many of his own relatives, Arjuna laid down his arms and
decided that he would not fight. This was the first time when we find the
dynamic Arjuna, grief stricken, and not wanting to act. Probably for the
first time in his life, he goes against the charaiveti mantra and refuses to
fight with his own relatives.
Thereafter, Krishna counseled Arjuna and convinced him that the
difficulties he was experiencing are merely delusions, and that he has no
choice but to fight. The godly charioteer explains that the nature of the
soul is eternal, and while Arjuna may kill the fleshly bodies of his relatives,
their souls will live on forever. In addition, Krishna also expounded for
Arjuna the importance of following caste duties without consideration of
personal gain or losssince Ajuna was a member of the warrior caste, it
was his duty to fight without question. The discharge of one's caste
dharma (duty), Krishna says, supersedes all other pursuits in life, whether
spiritual and material. He advices Arjuna to keep on doing Karma, without
thinking about the results because the results are not in his hands. The
charaiveti mantras are in a way a manifestation of the Bhagavad Gita
itself. It also preaches us to keep on moving (or working), the fruits will
automatically follow. By the conclusion of the Gita in the eighteenth
chapter, Arjuna has accepted his duty and enters the battle to fight,
essaying a vastly important role in the winning of the war. Arjuna regains
the charaiveti mantra within him at the end of the Bhagavad Gita. Thus
we can say that the Gita communicates the essence of the charaiveti
mantra.
Charaiveti and the Battle of Kurukshetra
After hearing the advice of the Gita from Krishna, Arjuna regains the
charaiveti mantra, and now he is fully convinced about his decision to

fight the war. Arjuna played a very significant role in winning the war for
the Pandavas, sometimes helped by his charioteer Krishna. On the tenth
day of the battle he mortally wounded Bhishma, on the twelfth he
defeated Susarman and his four brothers, on the fourteenth he killed
Jayadratha; on the
seventeenth, he was
so stung by some
reproaches of his
brother, Yudhisthira,
that he would have
killed him had not
Krishna
interposed. On the
same
day
he
Arjuna taking unfair
advantage
of
Karna
fought
with Karna, who
had made a vow to slay him. He was near being vanquished when an
accident to Karna's chariot gave Arjuna the opportunity of killing him. So,
we see, before the battle Arjun was really depressed but once the urge to
fight came in him (a manifestation of the charaiveti mantra), nobody could
defeat him.
Charaiveti in Arjunas later years

After the conclusion of the war, the Pandavas took charge of Hastinapura,
the realm of their ancestors.
Their great victory and the
political power it afforded them
gave them the confidence to
hazard a further venture: the
performance of the Asvamedha
Yagna, where after one of them
could assume the title of
Chakravarti. Arjuna led the
armed host that followed the
horse
around
its
random
Pandavas performing the
wanderings. Over the years, he
Yagna
had occasion to receive the submission ofAswamedha
many tribes
and kingdoms,
sometimes using armed force, sometimes using none. Thus, he was
instrumental in the expansion of the Pandava domains, which shows that
he had charaiveti mantra in him even in the later years. In the course of
time, the aging Pandava brothers (including Arjuna) decide to renounce
the world. They entrust the kingdom to Parikshita, the son of the deceased
Abhimanyu and grandson of Arjuna who represents the sole surviving
dynast of the entire Kuru clan, and
then they retire to the Himalayas
and eventually depart the world.
Conclusion
Arjuna is one of the most adored
and celebrated human heroes in
Hindu scripture. He is the ideal
candidate
for
proving
the
charaiveti mantra in both word and
spirit. He had travelled extensively,
never sat still at a place for a long
time, and had cut across the entire ancient India. He had also worked
hard, as a student, as an archer to constantly acquire new skills and
update his skills. All these activities finally bore fruit, and he was
successful in whatever he did, true to the charaiveti mantra which says
The thighs of the man who keeps walking flowers and It is by walking
that man gets honey; it is by walking that he gets the tasty udumbara
fruits and he became one of the most talked about heroes of all times.
Thus Arjuna fully proves the essence of the charaiveti mantra in a positive
way.
References

1) K.M Gangulys English Translation of the Mahabharata

2) C.Rajagopalacharis Mahabharata
3) Yuganta translation by Iravati Karve
4) http://www.mahabharataonline.com/