Citrāṅgadā and Arjuna in Maṇipura

During his twelve years of exile, Arjuna went to the eastern kingdom of Maṇipura, which was ruled by the good king Citravāhana. There he saw Citravāhana’s daughter Citrāṅgadā and wished to marry her. The king agreed on one condition: the son born of this marriage would stay in Maṇipura as his heir. Arjuna accepted. Their son was Babhruvāhana, who was raised as the prince of Maṇipura.

Arrival at Maṇipura

On his journey to the tīrthas (holy places), Arjuna came to the kingdom of Maṇipura in the east of Bhāratavarsha. The kingdom was ruled by Citravāhana, a righteous king of good family. His daughter Citrāṅgadā was very beautiful and of noble character. She was the king’s only child and his only heir. (Ādi Parva, Chapter 215)

The king’s condition

Arjuna went to Citravāhana and asked for Citrāṅgadā in marriage. The king received him with great honour. He knew Arjuna as the son of Indra and one of the greatest warriors of the age. He agreed, but with one condition.

He said: “I have no son. This daughter is my only child and my only heir. By the custom of my family, I may give my daughter in the putrikā form of marriage, in which the son born of the marriage belongs to my family and carries on my line. If you agree to this, Citrāṅgadā is yours.”

Arjuna accepted the condition, and the marriage was held. (Ādi Parva, Chapter 215)

The birth of Babhruvāhana

Arjuna lived with Citrāṅgadā in Maṇipura for the time that was needed. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son of great strength and beauty, Babhruvāhana. He was raised in Maṇipura as the grandson and heir of Citravāhana, and in time he became king of Maṇipura himself.

Babhruvāhana appears again later in the Mahābhārata, during the Aśvamedha yajña of the Pāṇḍavas. There he fought his own father Arjuna without knowing him and killed him in battle. Later Ulūpī helped to bring Arjuna back to life. (Ādi Parva, Chapter 215)

Arjuna departs

Arjuna had done his duty as a husband and had seen the birth of his son. He said farewell to Citrāṅgadā and Citravāhana and went on with his journey. The child stayed in Maṇipura as agreed, to be raised by his mother and his mother’s father. (Ādi Parva, Chapter 215)

Sources

• Mahābhārata, Ādi Parva, Chapter 215