Chitrangada (2)

Arjuna’s wife.

Once Narada visited the Pandavas and advised that having a common wife should not cause a quarrel amongst them. From then on, Draupadi decided to spend one year each with every husband, and stated that if any of the other husbands saw her during that period, they would go for a pilgrimage for one year. Once, a brahmin came to the palace and complained that his cows had been stolen. Arjuna agreed to help him, but his weapons were stored in Yudhishtira’s palace. That was the year that Draupadi was staying with Yudhishtira. Arjuna, in his haste, forgot about this, and entered Yudhishtira’s palace. Thus he had to go on a pilgrimage for a year.

He married Ulupi during this time, and after visiting many places, reached Manalur. Its king was Chitravahana and his daughter was Chitrangada. Chitravahana’s ancestor Prabhanjana prayed to Shiva once for offspring, and was blessed that each generation would definitely be blessed with a child. From then on, usually a son was born per generation, but in Chitravahana’s case, it was a girl. Arjuna met Chitrangada by chance and they fell in love. They were married as per the king’s request and their son was Babhruvahana. Arjuna promised to take them both to Hastinapura later and continued his pilgrimage as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapters 219-222.

After the Mahabharata war, Yudhishtira conducted an ashwamedha and Arjuna led the horse. He reached Manalur and fought Babhruvahana without recognising his son. Arjuna was felled by Babhruvahana’s arrow, but Ulupi and Chitrangada arrived there and the former revived him using Mritasanjeevani. Following this, all four of them left for Hastinapura as per Mahabharata Ashwamedhaparva Chapter 79-82.

Chitrangada arrived at Hastinapura, paid respects to Kunti, Panchali etc and lived with Subhadra as per Mahabharata Ashwamedhaparva Chapter 88 verse 2. All of them gifted her with jewels as per Mahabharata Ashwamedhaparva Chapter 88 verse 3. She served Gandhari as a maid would as per Mahabharata Ashramavasikaparva Chapter 1 verse 23. She wept when Dhritarashtra, Kunti and Gandhari left for the forests in their final days as per Mahabharata Ashramavasikaparva Chapter 15 verse 10. She was beautiful as a flower as per Ashramavasikaparva Chapter 25 verse 11. After the Pandavas ascended heaven, she went to Manipur as per Mahabharata Mahaprasthanikaparva Chapter 1 verse 18.