Was Arjuna undefeated?

Was Arjuna undefeated?
Short Answer : NO

Arjuna wasn’t undefeated. But his defeats are more glorious than the life-time victories of many over-hyped warriors. Here are the few magnificent defeats of Arjuna that defined the true hero here was.

First Defeat of Arjuna by Lord Shiva

The incident takes place in Kairata Parva or Vana Parva. Arjuna goes to please Mahadeva to obtain his grace. There to test him, Shiva himself comes in disguise of a Kirata and entices Arjuna to fight him. Arjuna started to fight thinking him an ordinary person. But who in this universe can defeat Mahadeva Shiva! Arjuna was defeated. He fell unconscious. He had guessed he was fighting the invincible Mahadeva. But he didn’t run away. He didn’t flee, knowing he couldn’t win and death is imminent. Here is what Shiva said after Arjuna’s first ever defeat —

‘The illustrious god said, “O Phalguna! I am pleased with you because of your matchless deeds. There is no kshatriya who is equal to you in valour and endurance. O unblemished one! Your energy and valour has been equal to mine today. O mighty-armed one! O bull among men! I am pleased with you. Behold me. O large-eyed one! I will give you eyes.

— Kairata Parva, BORI
Now tell me, what victory is more cherishable than this defeat? Shiva himself praising Arjuna valour and endurance! calling his energy equal to his! And giving him that divine eye by which Arjuna can see the greatest sight there is to see in the world — Shiva!

No wonder even his worst enemies envied his defeat.

Second Defeat of Arjuna at the hand of Babhruvahana

Babruvahana was the son of Arjuna from Chitrangada. The father and the son clashed during the Ashwamedha Parva where Arjuna was slain by his son with the help of a Divyastra provided by Arjuna’s other wife — the serpent queen Uulipi.

However if you go through the Ashwamedha Parva carefully you would find this more like a fixed match than a battle —

Babhruvahana had no intention to fight and Arjuna provoked him into fighting in the name of Kshatriya Dharma.
Arjuna fought without much willingness and trying not to oppress his son excessively.
Now the question is why would Arjuna do that. Babruvahana was provoked by UUlipi the other wife of Arjuna. And here is what she offered as an explanation —

The daughter of the king of serpents grasped it and spoke these words, which delighted the minds of the soldiers. “O son! Arise. Jishnu has not been slain by you. He is incapable of being defeated by men and not even by the gods, with Vasava. For the sake of causing pleasure to your illustrious father, Indra among men, I invoked the maya known as Mohini today. O son! Kourava desired to test your strength.

—Ashwamegha Parva, BORI
As it is clear, Arjuna (Kourava) desired to test his son’s strenght and enlisted the help of his wife in doing so. Uulipi used Maya (illusion) of Arjuna’s death. And she did it for a more important reason. Ganga and Vasu’s had cursed Arjuna for killing Bhishma and the whole fight was an elaborat attempt to nullify that curse —

O Partha! My act has freed you from that. O brave one! You did not bring down Bhishma while he was fighting with you. He was slain by you while he was engaged in a duel with Shikhandi. Had you given up your life without pacifying that sin, there is no doubt that because of that wicked deed, you would have descended into hell. Through your son you have now obtained pacification. O lord of the earth! O immensely intelligent one! Earlier, when the Vasus were with Ganga, I heard the Vasus talk about this, when they came to the banks of the Ganga after the king who was Shantanu’s son had been slain. Having approached the great river, the gods, the Vasus, bathed there. With Bhagirathi’s permission, they then uttered these terrible words. ‘This Bhishma, Shantanu’s son, has been slain by Savyasachi, though he was not fighting in the battle with him. O beautiful one! He was engaged with someone else. O beautiful one! Because of that reason, we are pronouncing a curse on Arjuna.’ She agreed to this. My senses were greatly afflicted and I reported this to my father. On hearing this, he was also plunged in supreme grief. For your sake, on many occasions, my father went to the Vasus and repeatedly tried to seek their favours. They eventually told him, ‘O immensely fortunate one! The lord of Manipura is young. Using his arrows, in the midst of the battle, he will bring him down to the ground. O Indra among serpents! If this is done, he will be freed from the curse.’

—Ashwamegha Parva, BORI
So I am not sure if we can call it a fair battle — victory or defeat of Arjuna if —

Arjuna didn’t fight it with his strength.
He wanted to test his son.
UUlipi created an illusion and provided Divystra to bring down a willing Arjuna
It was a plan to nullify Vasu’s curse.
Third and Final defeat of Arjuna at the hands of the robbers.

This is perhaps the most hyped and most glorious battle of Arjuna’s career. This is also one the greatest cherisable memory for the critics of Arjuna. After Krishna finished his mortal existence, Arjuna tries to secure the devasted grieving people of Dwarka that not only included Krishna’s wives but also may helpless women, old people and children.

Arjuna took them into his fold and started his journey back to Hastinapur when robbers attacked the convoy. At this stage Arjuna couldn’t recall his divyastra, his inexhaustible quiver lost its arrows and hie couldn’t string Gandiva. Arjuna’s convoy had no warriors left. He alone fought the robbers without any divine aid. Robbers finally retreated, but not without abducting many women, many of whom went with them on their own accord.

People say, Arjuna was defeated because he couldn’t protect them all. The see Arjuna retreated (after robbers did) without trying to save those who were taken away by robbers.

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