Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.3118

c4.3118

2) Arjuna defeats Citrasena. While the Pāṇḍavas were in exile, Duryodhana knew through a spy that they were camping in the Dvaitavana forest. Prompted by Karṇa Duryodhana programmed to go to Dvaitavana with his retinue to enjoy the sight of the suffering Pāṇḍavas. So they started to the forests under a pretext of an annual stock-taking of the cows. They reached Dvaitavana with a huge army. They split into parties and roamed about making merry by themselves. Soon one of the parties reached a pond near the hermitage of the Pāṇḍavas. They saw a few gandharvas making merry in the pond. With the usual haughtiness they commanded the gandharvas to leave the pond and make room for Duryodhana to come and bathe. The gandharvas did not pay heed to their words and on being informed of this Duryodhana went to fight with the gandharvas. It was Citrasena who led the gandharvas and by his incessant shower of piercing arrows split the Kaurava forces and made them flee for life. Duryodhana was isolated from his army, was bound hand and foot and taken a prisoner. In their sheer helplessness they approached Dharmaputra in his hermitage and acquainted him with the pitiable plight of Duryodhana. Dharmaputra asked Arjuna to go to the help of the Kauravas. Arjuna faced Citrasena in a grim combat. Citrasena then appeared in his real form and Arjuna knew that he was fighting a friend. Then at the request of Arjuna Citraratha released Duryodhana. (Chapters 239 to 243, Vana Parva).