Citrasena the Gandharva

Citrasena is the king of the gandharvas in the Mahābhārata. The gandharvas are celestial beings who live in the celestial regions, are known for music and war, and serve in the court of Indra. Citrasena appears in the Vana Parva in two ways. He was a friend and fellow student of Arjuna in svarga (heaven). He also leads the Ghoshayātrā episode, in which he captures Duryodhana at the Dvaitavana lake and later frees him.

Who he is

The Mahābhārata calls Citrasena the king of the gandharvas. It says he came to the lake near Dvaitavana by the order of Kubera. He came to play with the apsarās (celestial women) in the way of the celestial world, and he brought a large following.

Friendship with Arjuna

Citrasena and Arjuna were close friends before the Ghoshayātrā episode. Arjuna spent twelve months in Indra’s realm in svarga, where he learned sixty divine astras (weapons). Citrasena was one of the teachers and companions who stayed with him. They studied together and became true friends. This friendship matters later, because when Citrasena makes himself known to Arjuna, the fighting stops at once.

The Ghoshayātrā encounter

Duryodhana came to the Dvaitavana lake with a huge following of thousands of chariots, elephants, horses and foot soldiers. His stated purpose was a ghoshayātrā, an inspection of the cattle. Citrasena’s gandharvas were already at the lake. The Kaurava soldiers were used to royal authority, and they tried to clear the gandharvas away. Citrasena refused. When the Kauravas pressed on, he sent his full gandharva army against them.

The battle went very badly for the Kauravas. Karṇa fought bravely at first but in the end had to flee. Duryodhana kept fighting alone and showed great personal courage, but Citrasena took him alive. Duśśāsana, several other Kaurava princes and the women of the Kaurava camp were also taken. The Kauravas who survived fled to the Pāṇḍavas for help. The Mahābhārata tells this in Vana Parva, Chapters 240–242.

The battle with the Pāṇḍavas

Yudhishṭhira gave the order, and the Pāṇḍavas armed themselves and fought the gandharva forces. The battle was fierce. The gandharvas rose into the sky with their prisoners. Arjuna then made a cage of arrows around them so that they could not escape. Cornered, and with the prisoners in his hands, Citrasena chose to show who he was. He came down and made himself known to Arjuna as his old friend from svarga.

Arjuna at once put down his weapons. The two friends greeted each other warmly. Citrasena then told Arjuna, and after that Yudhishṭhira, what had really happened. Duryodhana had come to Dvaitavana for no good purpose. He had come to gloat over the suffering of the Pāṇḍavas. Indra himself had sent Citrasena to teach Duryodhana a lesson. Citrasena said the whole confrontation was approved by Indra. The Mahābhārata tells this in Vana Parva, Chapter 245.

What Citrasena told Yudhishṭhira

Citrasena spoke plainly to Yudhishṭhira. He said that Duryodhana had come to humiliate the Pāṇḍavas and not to inspect cattle. He said that Indra knew this and had sent him. He said that what had happened to Duryodhana was the right result of Duryodhana’s own adharma (wrong conduct).

Yudhishṭhira heard this calmly and generously. He thanked the gandharvas. By capturing Duryodhana before he could reach the Pāṇḍavas and humiliate them, Citrasena had, even if without meaning to, kept the honour of the Kuru kula (family). Yudhishṭhira asked for Duryodhana’s release and set no further condition and no humiliation. Citrasena agreed. Duryodhana was freed and sent home. The Mahābhārata tells this in Vana Parva, Chapter 246.

Duryodhana had come hoping to see the Pāṇḍavas suffer. Instead he suffered the same humiliation he had come to bring. The Mahābhārata shows this as arranged by Indra’s command.

The Narasiṃha Purāṇa

The Narasiṃha Purāṇa has a separate account of Indra and a gandharva named Citrasena. It is a separate episode and is not part of this Mahābhārata account.

Sources

• Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapters 240–246
• Narasiṃha Purāṇa (a separate episode of Indra and a gandharva named Citrasena)