A gandharva. Arjuna encountered him on the way to Pañcāla (Panchala) after evading the fire that burned down the House of Lac (jatugṛha; jatugriha). Aṅgāra-parṇa, (Angara-parna) on the bank of the river Gaṅgā (Ganga), is the name of the forest named after the gandharva himself. When Aṅgāraparṇa (Angaraparna) impeded Arjuna and the other Pāṇdavas (Pandavas) from touching the water of Gaṅgā in that area, a battle ensued between him and Arjuna. Arjuna used the āgneya (agneya) weapon and defeated him. It was then that Kumbhinasī (Kumbhinasi), Aṅgāraparṇa’s wife and also a gandharva, begged Arjuna to spare her husband’s life. Following Yudhiṣṭhira’s (Yudhishthira’s) noble intentions, Arjuna retracted from the destructive fight. Aṅgāraparṇa then related to them the tale of his cursed life and revealed that he was previously known as Citraratha (Chitraratha). He and Arjuna later became friends. Aṅgāraparṇa was the first one to suggest that the Pāṇdavas had better seek assistance of a priest. According to ancient political norms, it was customary for a noble and ambitious king to appoint an erudite priest educated in all scriptures. Aṅgāraparṇa (Citraratha), too, advised the Pāṇdavas who had lost their kingdom to engage a priest—
purohitaṃ prakurvīta rājā guṇasamanvitam/ purohitamate tiṣṭhed ya icchedbhūtimātmanaḥ.