Daśa-Nāmāni Arjunasya: The Ten Names of Arjuna

The Daśa-nāmāni Arjunasya are “the ten names of Arjuna”, the great archer of the Mahābhārata. Arjuna declared these ten names to Prince Uttara of the Matsya kingdom in Chapter 44 of the Virāṭa Parva, to prove who he really was.

For a whole year the Pāṇḍavas had lived in ajñātavāsa (living in hiding, unrecognised), and Arjuna had been disguised as Bṛhannalā, a eunuch who taught dance. When he revealed himself, he gave his ten names as proof. Each name tells of a particular quality, event or side of Arjuna’s life and nature.

How the Names Came to Be Declared

The great Kaurava army raided the cattle herds in the north of King Virāṭa’s kingdom. Prince Uttara was sent to fight them, with Bṛhannalā as his charioteer. But when Uttara saw the gathered Kaurava forces, he lost his courage. To steady him, Arjuna revealed his true identity. As proof of who he was, Arjuna declared his ten names. He explained that each had been given for a particular reason and was known throughout Bhāratavarṣa (the land of India).

The Ten Names

  1. Arjuna: the pure, the spotless, the brilliant white. This name speaks of Arjuna’s flawless character, the purity of his actions and his shining nature. He is also said to have been born under the Phālguna nakṣatra (lunar star), which links to name 2, but “Arjuna” speaks especially of his pure, unstained quality.
  2. Phālguna: born under the Phālguna star (the Uttara-Phālgunī or Phālguna nakṣatra). Arjuna was born at the auspicious time of this lunar star, and the name celebrates the divine moment of his birth.
  3. Jiṣṇu: the unconquerable, the triumphant. This name speaks of Arjuna’s quality of never being defeated, the one who wins over every enemy. His weapons cannot be overcome and his resolve in battle cannot be broken.
  4. Kirīṭī: the wearer of the kirīṭa (diadem, crown). Indra himself placed his divine crown on Arjuna’s head during Arjuna’s stay in svarga (the heavenly world). So this name speaks of the honour given to him by the king of the devas.
  5. Śvetavāhana: he of the white horses. Arjuna’s chariot is drawn by divine white horses: śveta (white) vāhana (steeds). These horses came from the worlds of the devas and were given to him by Agni (or are otherwise understood as divine gifts). They drew his chariot into battle throughout his life as a warrior.
  6. Bībhatsu: he who takes no pleasure in wrong or ugly deeds. This name expresses Arjuna’s dislike of adharma (what is against dharma), his unwillingness to do impure acts, and his inner disgust at cruelty and treachery. Even in battle, Arjuna fights by the dharma of war.
  7. Vijaya: the ever-victorious. Arjuna wins wherever he goes. His name Vijaya expresses his steady, sure success in righteous battle.
  8. Kṛṣṇa: the dark-skinned. This name refers to Arjuna’s own complexion. He is dark, as the Virāṭa Parva confirms when Uttara describes him as “that dark-complexioned youth”. This name should not be confused with Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, though both names share the root meaning “dark”.
  9. Savyasācī: he who can shoot with the left hand as easily as with the right. This refers to Arjuna’s rare skill of archery with both hands. Trained by Droṇācārya, he could shoot from either side with equal power and aim, which made him doubly dangerous in every direction.
  10. Dhanañjaya: the winner of wealth. Arjuna earned this name when he was sent on the digvijaya (campaign of conquest in all directions) for Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rājasūya yajña. He brought all the kingdoms of the north under Yudhiṣṭhira’s rule and returned to Indraprastha with vast tribute, wealth of every kind. He is the one who wins the wealth of the world by the strength of his bow.

Why These Names Matter

In the story of the Virāṭa Parva, the ten names have a clear purpose. They are Arjuna’s declaration of who he is, at the very moment when the year of hiding ended and concealment gave way to revelation. Each name bears witness to a different side of Arjuna’s life: divine, moral, physical and historical. Together they give a full portrait of the archer who would shake all of Bhāratavarṣa.

The declaration also calmed the frightened Uttara. If even one of these names was known to him, he now knew that he was standing beside the greatest warrior of the age. Reassured, Uttara served bravely as Arjuna’s charioteer in the battle that followed.

Sources

  • Mahābhārata, Virāṭa Parva, Chapter 44