Kunti considered it wise to leave Ekachakrapura, as Bhima’s killing of Bakasura was sure to attract attention from all over the kingdom. They had reached the banks of river Ganga, when a warrior in a chariot challenged them and asked them not to go near the river. He was Angaraparna, a gandharva chieftain who had come for some leisure to the forest with his wife and retinue. The Pandavas, thus challenged, stood up to him to battle and after combat with Arjuna, the gandharva fell down unconscious. His wife ran up to plead for mercy and for her husband’s life. The Pandavas spared him and he returned to consciousness. In return, he gave them the gift of divine inner vision and a hundred horses, that would be available when they needed them. They thanked him and went on their way.
The Gifts of the Gandharva
