Was Arjuna the only Savyasachi of Mahabharata?

 Savyasachi's other than Arjuna

Was Arjuna the only Savyasachi of Mahabharata?

Well, Arjuna bhakts seems to think so. They are Literally degrading all the great warrior's Bharata produced just to stroke their ego. Contrary to popular TV serial belief Arjuna was not the only Savyasachi of the epic. There were many.

Let's expose the truth from the actual text:
___________________________________________

A) Savyasachi Karna

1) KMG Version:

"While employed with HIS HANDS in taking up an arrow, fixing it on the bow-string, stretching the string and letting it off, none could notice any interval between those acts. And while Karna was thus engaged in shooting his arrows RIGHT AND LEFT, his bow incessantly drawn to a circle, like a terrible circle of fire.

http://sacred-texts.com/hin/m07/m07135.htm

2) Gita Press Version:

Screenshot - http://goo.gl/WNFrmj

कराभ्यामाददानस्य संदधानस्य चाशुगान ।।28।।
कर्षतो माश्चतो बाणान नान्तर दद्यशे रणे ।।
अग्निचक्रोपम घोर मण्डलीकृतमायुधम ।।29।।
कर्णस्यसीन्महोपाल सव्यदक्षिणमस्यत:

उस रणभुभीमे दोनो हाथोसे बाणोंको लेते, धनुषपर रखते, खीचते और छोडते हुए कर्णके इन कार्योमे कोई अंतर नही दिखाई देता था ।। दाये-बाये बाण चलाते हुए कर्णका मण्डलाकार धनुष अग्निचक्रके समान प्रतीत होता था

Point-1: In this incident, Karna had picked up arrows using his both hands, sometimes using the right hand and sometimes using the left hand.

Point-2: Again Karna has been described shooting arrows by his right as well as a left arm with such massive speed that everyone failed to measure the speed of his shooting.

NOTE -

कराभ्याम - Means two hands NOT one

Proof -

तरुणाम्बुदसुन्दरस्तदा त्वं
ननु धन्वन्तरिरुत्थितोऽम्बुराशे:।
अमृतं कलशे वहन् कराभ्या-
मखिलार्तिं हर मारुतालयेश॥१०॥

Word to Word Translation -

तरुण-अम्बुद-सुन्दर:- beautiful like fresh rain clouds

तदा त्वं ननु -Then Thou indeed

धन्वन्तरि:-उत्थित:- in the form of Dhanwantari emerged

अम्बुराशे: - from the ocean

अमृतं कलशे वहन् - nectar carrying in a pot

कराभ्याम्- with Thy two hands

अखिल-आर्तिम् हर - be pleased to remove all my ailments

मारुतालयेश - O Lord of Guruvaayur!

From the ocean, then, Thou emerged beautiful like a fresh rain cloud in the form of Dhanwantari holding in Thy two hands the pot of nectar. O Lord of Guruvaayur! Deign to remove all my ailments.

(Conclusion) - We can safely conclude that कराभ्याम means two hands and कर means one hand. BORI CE confirmed that it's "कराभ्याम"

LOGIC -

There are two sides to shooting arrows - left and right. Shooting from the right side - Right-handed archer can do it holding a bow with the left hand. In contrast, shooting from the left side - left-handed archer can do it holding the bow with the right hand. According to the law of science, the man does not exist who can shoot from the right side using the left hand or vice versa.

The result - Karna was shooting arrows using his both hands

___________________________________________

B) Savyasachi Ashwatthama

1) KMG Version:

"He then shot at me, with skill and force and resolution, thousands of other arrows, all sped from his bow-string stretched to his very ear, even like a black cloud in the season of rains pouring in torrents the water with which it is charged. So quickly did Drona's son's career in that battle that we could not discern FROM WHICH SIDE, THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT, he shot his arrows, nor could we notice when he took up his arrows and when he let them off. Indeed, the bow of Drona's son was seen by us to be incessantly drawn to a circle. At last, the son of Drona pierced me with five whetted arrows and Vasudeva also with five whetted arrows."

http://sacred-texts.com/hin/m08/m08067.htm

2) Gita Press Version:

Screenshot - http://goo.gl/Vef7JX

नैवाददानं न च संदधानं जानीमहे कतरेणास्यतीति |
वामेन वा यदि वा दक्षिणेन स द्रोणपुत्र: समरे पर्यवर्तत्त ||
तस्याततं मंडलमेव सज्यं प्रदस्यते कार्मुकं द्रोणसुनो: |

वह कब बाण लेता , कब उसे धनुष पर रखता और कब किस हाथ से बायें अथवा दायें से छोडता था , यह हम लोग नही जान पाते थे || केवल प्रत्यंचा सहित तना हुआ उस द्रोण पुत्र का मंडला कार धनुष ही दिखायी देता था

Point: In this incident, it's clearly visible that Ashwatthama too was able to shoot arrows by using both arms. So, like Karna, Ashwatthama too was real Savyasachi.

___________________________________________

C) Savyasachi Sahadeva

"Do they remember the mighty Sahadeva, the son of Madri, who in Dantakura conquered the Kalingas, SHOOTING ARROWS BY BOTH the LEFT and RIGHT HAND?"

http://sacred-texts.com/hin/m05/m05023.htm

Point: In this incident, Sahadeva, the youngest Pandava, conquered the Kalingas by shooting arrows using both right and left arms. So, Sahadeva too was a Savyasachi.

Note: Savyasachi Sahadeva was defeated and captured by Karna (who was another Savyasachi) in battle, and Karna spared Sahadeva's life. [This incident is interesting because, in this incident, a Savyasachi (Karna) defeated and spared the life of another Savyasachi (Sahadeva)]

___________________________________________

Last but not least:

Arjuna was NOT a real Savyasachi. Krishna himself exposed his dear friend's failure to lift his bow by using his own power.

[Krishna told Arjuna]

"By me have all these been already slain. Be only (my) instrument. O thou that CAN'T DRAW the bow with even the left hand."

http://sacred-texts.com/hin/m06/m06035.htm

[According to Krishna's own words, without Krishna's power, Arjuna was incapable of lifting any bow using his left hand. ]

CONCLUSION - So, friends, we can safely conclude that Karna, Ashwatthama, and Sahadeva were REAL SAVYASACHIS without the assistance of any god. Arjuna was once again proved a spoiled egg without Krishna.

Credits: Arya