Chitrāngada (, ) was the king of Kuru Mahajanapada with his capital Hastinapura. He belonged to the

Lunar Dynasty The Lunar dynasty (IAST: Candravaṃśa) is a legendary principal house of the Kshatriyas varna, or warrior–ruling varna (Social Class) mentioned in the ancient Indian texts. This legendary dynasty was said to be descended from moon-related ...

of Bharata Tribe He was the elder son of Shantanu and

Satyavati Satyavati (, ; also spelled Satyawati) was the queen of the Kuru Kingdom in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. Satyavati is married to king Shantanu of Hastinapura, and is a great-grandmother of the Pandava and Kaurava princes. She is also the m ...

, who ascended the throne of Hastinapura after his father's death.

Legend

Following the wishes of queen Satyavati,

Bhishma Bhishma (), also known as Pitamaha, Gangaputra, and Devavrata, is a central figure in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. He was a statesman and military commander of the ancient Kuru Kingdom. Renowned for his wisdom, valor, and unwavering principles, ...

had placed Chitrangada on the throne of the kingdom of the Kurus after Shantanu's departure. Chitrangada was a great warrior and defeated many powerful enemies and

Asura Asuras () are a class of beings in Indian religions, and later Persian and Turkic mythology. They are described as power-seeking beings related to the more benevolent Devas (also known as Suras) in Hinduism. In its Buddhist context, the wor ...

s. But soon he developed pride and began disrespecting everyone. Bhishma who tried to correct his young brother's bad behaviour was ignored and rendered powerless on account of his oath to perpetually serve the Kuru King. Finally, the king of the Gandharvas, who was his namesake, came to challenge him saying there could be only one Chitrangada which was himself. A fierce battle took place between the two warriors on the bank of the river Hiranyavati, lasting three years. In the end the king of the Gandharvas defeated the Kuru king and killed him. After having performed the rites of the dead,

immediately consecrated Chitrangada's younger brother Vichitravirya to the kingdom.van Buitenen (1973), p. 227; Mbhr. 1.95.5-14 (Pune Critical Edition)

References

Bibliography

* ''Citrangada'' in: M.M.S. Shastri Chitrao, ''Bharatavarshiya Prachin Charitrakosha'' (Dictionary of Ancient Indian Biography, in Hindi), Pune 1964, p. 213 * J.A.B. van Buitenen, ''Mahabharata'', vol. 1, The University of Chicago Press, 1973

External links

Persons and Stories from Mahabharata
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chitrangada Characters in the Mahabharata Mythological kings of Kuru