Created by Jijith Nadumuri at 20 Sep 2010 08:20 and updated at 24 Nov 2011 06:08
This article describes the travels of Arjuna as narrated in Mahabharata. These travel narratives are extremely important for researchers who study about the ancient geography that existed during the period of Mahabharata. Among all the five Pandavas, Arjuna had traveled most. He had traveled along with his brothers as well as alone.
Early Travels
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 was his first long journey. While living with their cousins viz. the Kauravas, Arjuna and his brothers went for a pleasure trip towards a place called Pramanakoti. During his internship as a student of preceptor Drona he went to Panchala to capture king Drupada. He had also set forth for a military expedition along with Bhima to Sindhu and Sauvira kingdoms that lied to the west along the Sindhu (Indus) river.
After Duryodhana tactfully banished the Pandavas to Varanavata and after their building was burned, Arjuna along with his brothers escaped from that murder attempt and traveled through forests and mountains. Finally they reached Ekachakra a village close to the Panchala kingdom. From there they reached Kampilya the capital of the Panchalas where Arjuna obtained Panchali as bride.
Travels during city life
The next journey undertaken by Arjuna was a lone journey. In this journey Arjuna started from Indraprastha and traveled along the shores of river Ganga towards east and reached the eastern see shore in Vanga. From there he traveled 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 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. After this king Yudhisthira started his Rajasuya. For collecting tributes from various kingdoms for Rajasuya, Arjuna traveled towards kingdoms that lied to the north. In this journey, he encountered many trans-Himalayan kingdoms and tribes in the north.
Travels during forest life
After the fateful game of dice, Arjuna along with his brothers left Hastinapura and went to the forests of Kamyaka and Dwaita. While living in forest Arjuna embarked on a solo journey towards the northern side of Himalayas 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 meat 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
Post Kurukshetra-war travels
After Kurukshetra war was over Arjuna embarked on another military expedition to collect tribute for Yudhisthira's Ashwamedha sacrifice. In this journey, he defeated kingdom in the east and west. Arjuna also went to Dwaraka while it was submerging into sea and took the survives back to Indraprastha. Arjuna's final journey was along with his brothers back to the place where they were all born, in the high Himalayas where he met his death.
List of Arjuna's journeys
- Satasringa to Hastinapura
- Hastinapura to Pramanakoti
- Hastinapura to Panchala
- Arjuna's military campaign after education
- Hastinapura to Varanavata
- Varanavata to Kampilya
- Kampilya to Hastinapura
- Hastinapura to Khandavaprastha
- Arjuna's Pilgrimage
- Indraprastha to Magadha
- Arjuna's military campaign for Rajasua
- Hastinapura to Kamyaka and Dwaita
- Arjuna's travel to Indra's city
- Arjuna's travels to Asura cities
- Gandhamadana to Kamyaka
- Kamyaka to Virata's city
- Arjuna's military campaign for Aswamedha
- Arjuna's travel to and from submerging Dwaraka
- The final journey
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