THE LIVING ARCHIVE
About Chitraratha
This Chitraratha is identified by his royal parentage and son. He is not the Gandharva encountered by Arjuna, whose story involves a different family and setting. The distinction is particularly useful because both names can appear in English as Chitraratha or Citraratha.
AT A GLANCE
Identity & Context
- Identity
- King
- Form
- Kroshtu Branch of the Yadavas
- Tradition
- Puranic Royal Genealogy
Family & Relationships
- ParentRushadru
Rushadru is the parent of Chitraratha in this account.
- ChildShashavindu
Chitraratha is the parent of Shashavindu in this account.
IN THE TRADITION
Recorded Context
ROLE & ESSENCE
Attributes & Significance
Chitraratha’s place connects the earliest Kroshtu ancestors to the Shashavindu household. It does not make him the owner of every chariot suggested by his name, nor does it attach the Gandharva’s confrontation with the Pandavas to an early Yadava king.
Role
Chitraratha is an early Yadava king, the son of Rushadru and the father of Shashavindu. His family belongs to the Kroshtu branch of Yadu’s descendants, rather than to the Gandharva household of the similarly named celestial figure.
TRADITION & MEANING
Traditions & Interpretations
A shared name is not a shared biography. Rushadru as father and Shashavindu as son establish the identity followed here.
From the Sacred Texts
Explore the sacred texts behind these stories in the Suvarnaveda library.
FOLLOW THE THREADS
Connected Cards
2 connected profiles. Every path leads to an original record.
Characters & Cosmic Entities2
Rushadru is the parent of Chitraratha in this account.
Chitraratha is the parent of Shashavindu in this account.