What were some of the Defeats of Arjuna? Arjuna had a few defeats during his life time.

What were some of the Defeats of Arjuna? Arjuna had a few defeats during his life time. Contrary to popular belief, no warrior in Mahabharata has a perfect track record. Arjuna was incredibly powerful, but even he had to face defeats. Now for starters. What constitutes defeat? Swooning counts as a knockout, which means partial defeat. Since it is particularly used in this context. There's no reason to not count it. Running away or fleeing from the battlefield should count as a defeat. Even if it's a strategical retreat, it proves his inability to not being able to subdue his enemy. Death. Now this is obvious! Needs no further explanation for this! Now all his defeats I can recollect from Mahabharata. 1) Arjuna lost to Lord Shiva. No suprise here. He was easily beaten by a mortal form of Mahadeva. Some Arjuna fans claim as he’s a god, this should still be considered as a victory. But I doubt it. A defeat is a defeat, this should be no excuse to give him a victory. 2) Drona easily defeated all the Pandavas including Arjuna on the 11th day. Arjuna and Parshata, with their followers, surrounded him, together with all the maharathas—the Kekayas, Bhimasena, Subhadra’s son, Ghatotkacha, Yudhishthira, the twins, Matsya, Drupada’s son, Droupadi’s cheerful sons, Dhrishtaketu, Satyaki, the enraged Chekitana and maharatha Yuyutsu. O king! There were many other kings who followed the Pandavas. In accordance with their lineage and their valour, they performed many deeds. On seeing that the army of the Pandavas was thus protected in battle, Bharadvaja’s son glanced at them, with anger in his eyes. He was stationed on his chariot, invincible in battle, and was overcome by terrible rage. He pierced the Pandava army, like the wind scattering clouds. He attacked the chariots, horses, men and elephants in every direction. Though he was old, Drona roamed around, like a mad young man. His horses were crimson in colour and were as fleet as the wind. They were covered in blood. O king! Those horses thus assumed a beautiful appearance. On seeing that angry one, rigid in his vows, descend like death, the Pandava warriors fled in every direction. Some fled in fright. 3) On the very same day. Drona crushed Arjuna again. ‘“With the bow and arrows in his hand, Drona used arrows to penetrate the five brave ones from Kekaya and the king of Panchala and then attacked Yudhishthira’s army. Bhimasena, Dhananjaya, Shini’s grandson, Drupada’s son, Shibi’s son, the lord of Kashi and Shibi were delighted. They roared and covered him with a large number of arrows. They were assailed by arrows released from Drona’s bow. These were colourful and gold-tufted. They pierced the bodies of elephants and young horses and penetrated the ground, the tufts covered with blood. The earth was strewn with large numbers of warriors, chariots, elephants and horses, mangled by the arrows. They fell down on the ground and looked like dark clouds in the sky. Desiring the prosperity of your sons, Drona crushed the armies of Shinis’s descendant, Bhima, Arjuna, Shibi, Abhimanyu, the king of Kashi and many other brave ones in that battle. 4) Drona made Arjuna retreat on the 14th day. The mighty-armed Bibhatsu circumambulated Drona and departed, glancing backwards and shooting arrows. Drona spoke to him. ‘O Pandava! Where are you going? Is it not true that you do not retreat until you have vanquished the enemy in battle?’ Arjuna replied, ‘You are my preceptor. You are not my enemy. I am your disciple and am like your son. Nor is there any man in this world who can vanquish you in battle.’ He literally challenged Satyaki and says how his great mentor fled the battlefield and Satyaki swiftly agrees. He doesn’t even bother arguing with it. Sure we can argue that it was just a strategical retreat, but Arjuna's inability to counter Drona quickly and retreating should count as a defeat. 5) He also defeated Ajuna just after this strategical retreat and overpowered him. The intelligent Partha laughed at this mass of arrows released by the preceptor. He released sharp arrows and countered him in battle. Those two, supreme among rathas, were thus wounded by Drona. The unassailable one was like a sun that has arisen at the end of a yuga and they avoided him. They avoided the sharp arrows that were released from Drona’s bow. Arjuna straight up avoided Drona. He already retreated twice while fighting Drona on the 14th day. Then even Shree krishna indirectly later agreed on this statment on the 14th night. Source: Drona Vadha Parva, Chapter 1141(164, BORI CE, Mahabharat Vol:—6 So Drona all by himself defeated Arjuna about 4 times. 6) He was also defeated by Nikhumb a great Asura. Source: Harivamsa Purana. This is a straight forward defeated. He lost consciousness and was out of the battle. 7) Karna’s Bhargavastra encounter. By defintion Arjuna openly avoiding a weapon should easily count as a defeat. In Summary. Arjuna himself accepts his inability to counter Karna’s weapon. He praises Karna and compares to him to Mahadeva and Yama. He clearly states that Karna knows that he is the vicinity and that he can’t flee or run away from Karna, if he tries to engage in a battle. Arjuna openly admits that if he faces Karna, his death is certain. If we are using circular logic. Many warriors could have used Divyastras to come out of various situations during Mahabharat, but they failed to do so. Having the ability and performing a deed are two different things. Arjuna didn’t counter the Astra. Hence it’s a defeat, it doesn’t prove that he was weaker or unable to counter. Just that he lost this specific battle. 8) He clearly failed to counter Karna’s snake weapon. So much so that Shree Krishna had to save him. This is particularly mentioned in the critical edition in great detail. On seeing that Karna had affixed the serpent, Madhava, supreme among strong ones, used his strength to press down on the chariot with his feet. The chariot sank down on the ground and the horses sank down on their knees. “The arrow struck down the intelligent one’s diadem. The supreme gods were incapable of withstanding it. However, using the serpent, Vrisha now destroyed it. The flame of the poison uprooted it from his head and brought the beloved crown, with flaming rays, down on the ground. Partha’s supreme diadem fell down, like the blazing sun setting over Mount Asta. The crown was decorated with many gems. Source- Bori CE. Karna Parva. This is affirmed in both BORI CE, KMG and several other versions of Mahabharata. If Shree Krishna didn't push his chariot down. Arjuna would have been dead. 9) Arjuna also lost to the Saindava soldiers. Now some defenders claim, Arjun didn’t want to fight or he wasn’t fighting seriously, the Saindhavas were on a chariot, while he was on foot. Excuses! It doesn’t matter! By the same logic being unprepared and not ready to fight was his own fault. Just like how Karna wasn’t ready to fight the Gandharvas and lost for the very same reason. 10) He also lost to Susharma. He was struck by his weapons and fell unconscious on his chariot. Having used his own shower of great weapons to sever the shower of arrows, Vasava’s son, the destroyer of enemy heroes, remained stationed on his chariot in the field of battle. O King! Susharma used arrows with drooping tufts to pierce Arjuna in the chest and pierced Arjuna in the chest and pierced him again with three other arrows. Having been severely wounded and pained, he sank down on the floor of his chariot. When he regained his senses, the one with the white horses, immeasurable in his soul and with Sri Krishna as his charioteer, quickly invoked the Aindra weapon. Karna Parva: Chapter 1187(37) The same example follows, maybe Arjuna wasn’t serious, hence why he suffered a minor defeat, but a loss nonetheless. 11) He also lost against his own son Babruhavana. "Vaisampayana said, 'That lady of eyes like lotus petals, having indulged in copious lamentations, and burning with grief, at last lost her senses and fell down on the Earth. Regaining consciousness and seeing Ulupi, the daughter of the snake chief, queen Chitrangada endued with celestial beauty, said unto her these words, 'Behold. O Ulupi, our ever-victorious husband slain in battle, through thee, by my son of tender years. Anugita Parva section 80. This is not an illusion, like some people claim. He actually died and was revived back to life. 12) He was also briefly swooned by the Acyutayus. Swooning or even momentarily losing the battle easily counts as a defeat. He lost consciousness and had to be saved. "Meanwhile, the mighty car-warrior Achyutayus forcibly struck the son of Pandu with a keen-pointed spear. Deeply pierced therewith, Partha supported himself by seizing the flag-staff. Then a leonine shout was sent forth by all the troops, O monarch, in the belief that Dhananjaya was deprived of life"And Krishna also was scorched with grief upon beholding Partha senseless. Drona Parva: Jayadratha- Vadha Parva: Section 92. 13) He had to retreat from fighting with the Samshaptakas. द्रोणपर्व ततश्चित्रं बहुवृत्तान्तमुच्यते | यत्र संशप्तकाः पार्थमपनिन्यू रणाजिरात् ||१६०|| भगदत्तो महाराजो यत्र शक्रसमो युधि | सुप्रतीकेन नागेन सह शस्तः किरीटिना ||१६१|| Translation by Bibek Debroy: Then follows the wonderful Drona Parva with many accounts, where Partha had to retreat before the samshaptakas in battle and Kiriti vanquished King Bhagadatta, equal to Shakra in war. 14) He was also saved from the Vaishnava astra by Shree krishna. विसृष्टं भगदत्तेन तदस्त्रं सर्वघातकम् | उरसा प्रतिजग्राह पार्थं सञ्छाद्य केशवः ||१७|| वैजयन्त्यभवन्माला तदस्त्रं केशवोरसि | ततोऽर्जुनः क्लान्तमनाः केशवं प्रत्यभाषत ||१८|| Translation by Bibek Debroy “Having been thus pierced and pained, he angrily resorted to the vaishnava weapon. He invoked the mantra on his goad and hurled it towards Pandava’s chest.99 That weapon was capable of slaying everything and was released by Bhagadatta. Covering Partha, Keshava received it on his own chest. On Keshava’s chest, that weapon became the vaijayanti garland. 15) His chariot was completely burned down due to the assault of the Kaurava warriors. The intelligent Krishna, abandoning the reins of the steeds, then dismounted from the car of Dhananjaya. After the high-souled Lord of all creatures had dismounted from that car, the celestial Ape that topped the mantle of Arjuna's vehicle, disappeared there and then. The top of the vehicle, which had before been burnt by Drona and Karna with their celestial weapons, quickly blazed forth to ashes, O king, without any visible fire having been in sight. Indeed, the car of Dhananjaya, with its quick pairs of steeds, yoke, and shaft, fell down, reduced to ashes. Source:-Book 9: Shalya Parva, section 62. Seriously there is no point in pointing out baseless claims, when the text openly says that without Hanuman’s help, Arjuna wouldn’t have perfomed this well. Now Arjuna fans suffer from selective bias. Whenever Krishna praises someone other warrior like Karna, it is supposed to be hyperbolic or false, such as these statments. But when Shree Krishna praises Arjuna, it’s supposed to be literal. So we are supposed to belittle Bhagwan Shree Krishna’s statment who has been stated to never utter a single lie from his mouth? Now for the more ambiguous defeats. 16) Karna allegedly defeated the Pandavas including Arjuna on the 16th day. He then fought against the all the Pandavas possibly Arjuna as well. They surrounded him from all sides and were still quickly defeated. In this specific instance. Arjuna is specifically seen rushing towards Karna and then the Pandavas battle him and are defeated. After this Arjuna is not mentioned for a while. Which probably means that he was defeated. But it is not confirmed. 17) On the 17th day. It is again stated that all the kings and the Maharatha Pandavas rushed and were utterly defeated. Whether this included Arjuna as well or not is debatable. It says Maharatha Pandavas. I see no reason why they all the kings and Pandavas but not include Arjun in it. It says Parthas. But whatever. I will give him the benefit of doubt. 18) He was momentarily made unconscious by Sudakshina. Then the brave Sudakshina, filled with wrath, hurled at the wielder of Gandiva a terrible dart made wholly of iron and decked with bells. That dart blazing as a large meteor, and emitting sparks of fire, approaching that mighty car-warrior pierced him through and fell down on the earth. Deeply struck by that dart and overcome with a swoon, Arjuna soon enough recovered. Drona Parva: Jayadratha-Vadha Parva: Section XCI Although he did defeat them just after this, hence whether this counts as a defeat or not is rather debatable. Also I want to point out some things. 19) Arjuna and the Bandits incidents. His powers vanished and he was no longer able to battle and hence quickly retreated from the battle. Arjuna was also always protected by Hanuman and Viswakarma’s illusion. This protection helped him conquer the Kauravas in Virat war. Without it he most likely wouldn’t have succeeded. It literally dampened the energy of his foes. Thus addressed, Hanuman said unto Bhimasena, 'From fraternal feeling and affection, I will do good unto thee, by diving into the army of thy foes copiously furnished with arrows and javelins. And, O highly powerful one, O hero, when thou shall give leonine roars, then shall I with my own, add force to shouts. Remaining on the flagstaff of Arjuna's car will I emit fierce shouts that will damp the energy of thy foes. Thereby ye will slay them easily.' Having said this unto Pandu's son, and also pointed him out the way. Hanuman vanished at that spot." Source: Book 3 Vana Parva Section 150. Also don't bother with Vyasa's statment about Arjuna. His statments can have inconsistencies as well. The same inconsistent text also stated that Karna never retreated from battle. Which is clearly not true. Use your own logic and see how it turns out. This is to point out that despite opinions, the texts in Mahabharata can be contradictory. Hence, like all the other warriors in Mahabharata, Arjuna also suffered defeats, albeit few compared to other warriors and had many victories. Even if we remove the robbers incidents and some questionable retreats. He still lost some battles. He was arguably the greatest warrior of Mahabharata, no doubt about it, atleast the guy with the best track record. Yet Arjuna was far from being invincible. At the end of the day he was still a mortal. Even gods have defeats. Still his track record was better than all the other warriors.