Citrasena
| Title | Citrasena - (Raden) - Mahabharata |
|---|---|
| Other names | Astabrata, Wicitrawirya, Citrawirya |
| Size | 60 cm |
| Personal data | Citrasena (Wicitrawirya) is the son of Prabu Santanu and Dewi Satyawati (Durgandini), daughter of Prabu basuketi and Dewi Yukti from the Wirata country. He has an older brother named Citranggada. Citrasena also had an older brother named Dewabrata (Bisma) from another mother named Dewi Gangga. Wicitrawirya married Dewi Ambiki/Ambalika, the youngest of three children of Prabu Darmahumbara's daughter with Dewi Swargandini from the country of Kasi, who was successfully brought to Astina by Resi Bisma after winning a competition in the Kasi Kingdom. |
| Appearance | Wicitrawirya (Citrasena) means "Amazing Heroic Attitude", this is also reflected in his personality. Citrasena has a fairly friendly character. He has a very handsome face like Dewa Aswin and is able to easily charm women. Citrasena (Wicitrawirya) is known as a skilled archer.
Citrasena has a pointed nose, kedelen eyes, face covered in red, curled up lizard menek, wearing (sampires, clothes, shoes and Dewa rapekan cloth). If this puppet is not in one of the puppet boxes provided, you can use the Raden Utara and Wratsangka puppets. This interpretation is done for no other reason than to add to the number of puppets, especially the Surakarta Style. Right and wrong are reversed for the Dalang and puppet lovers. |
| Collection | Private collection |
Citrasena – (Raden) – Mahabharata
Prabu Citranggada died at a young age, he fell when the Astina Kingdom was invaded by an army of giants led by a powerful giant king of Gandarwa who coincidentally had the same name, Prabu Citranggada too. Although in the end the giant king died at the hands of Citrasena’s older brother Dewabrata, Prabu Citranggada's soul could not be saved. When Citranggada died, he had not had time to have a son.
Citrasena, who was still young, replaced his biological brother Prabu Citranggada, to rule the Kuru Kingdom which fell due to a battle. Because he was very young, he also was assisted by his brother named Bisma (Dewabrata). Although Bisma himself is not Wicitrawirya's biological brother. Prabu Wicitrawirya did not rule the country of Astina for long, he died of illness, without leaving any descendants. With the approval of Resi Bisma, Dewi Durgandini appointed Bagawan Abiyasa as king of the country of Astina with the title Prabu Kresnadwipayana.
How Arjuna saved Citrasena
Citrasena had many roles in the Puranic and Epic literature.
While flying overhead in his celestial chariot, Citrasena accidentally spat on the sage Galava, who complained to Krishna, who in turn vowed to kill Citrasena before sunset. The good old sage Narada telepathically learned of all this and told Citrasena. So Citrasena’s two wives, Sandhyavali and Ratnavali, made a firepit before the abode of Subhadra, wife of Arjuna and sister of Krishna. They planned either to win her help or to die with their husband on his funeral pyre. Subhadra granted them the boon that they could live with their husband before knowing the full story. So Arjuna had to come to the aid of Citrasena and to stop all of the arrows that Krishna aimed at Citrasena. He did this so well that it became a fight between Arjuna and Krishna. Subhadra was finally able to stop their fight and Krishna advised Citrasena to bow down and touch the feet of Gālava. Citrasena obeyed and the issue settled without harm to both the parties.
On an occasion in the Mahabharata, at a time when mortals could see gandharvas, Duryodhana and his army came into the Dvaitavana forest to kill the Pandavas. They stumbled upon Citrasena and his troop bathing in a forest pond. Haughtily they ordered the gandharvas out so that their king could bathe alone. A fight ensued, with Citrasena routing the Kaurava army and binding the captured Duryodhana.
A helpless Kaurava went to Arjuna and begged his help to free Duryodhana from this terrible foe. Ofcourse Arjuna went to his enemy’s aid and fought a foe that he did not recognize. Finally after much combat, Citrasena took the form that Arjuna recognized. So Arjuna was able to ask Citrasena to release Duryodhana. After a short time Duryodhana and the Kauravas expressed their gratitude by renewing their evil ways. (It still delights the hearers of all ages that they know the nature of Duryodhana better than Arjuna.)
Next Citrasena taught Arjuna dance and music in the court of Indra. While there the much-celebrated apsara Urvasi became attracted to Arjuna. However Arjuna declined her advances. The frustrated Urvasi cursed Arjuna to become a eunuch. This curse was a blessing to Arjuna and enabled him to stay incognito as a dance teacher in the palace of King Virata during a year when he needed to go unrecognized. It was through Citrasena that Indra sent a message to Urvasi to remove her curse.
Batara Citrasena and his brother Citranggada appear in the show in the play "Sudamala". Where the two twin Gods guarding the Tinjomaya Heaven are told to receive punishment transformed into two giants because they were accused of peeping at Batara Guru who was bathing in a spring with the Angels. The two giants were named Ditya Kalanjaya and Ditya Kalantaka. In order to be able to be healed and become Gods, these two giants came to the country of Astina to meet Begawan Durna, a priest who was very famous for mastering all kinds of knowledge. Begawan Durna was able to perform the exorcism but on the condition that the two giants could present a human roast of five brothers. All five brothers were Pandawa, this was a strategy by the Korawa to destroy the Pandawa before the Baratayuda war occurred.
On the way to find the human roast, Ditya Kalanjaya and Kalantaka met a Parangalas priest named Begawan Tambrapeta and his two daughters Dewi Soka and Padapa who were looking for Raden Nakula and Sadewa. Seeing two beautiful women, the two giants chased them. In this pursuit they met Raden Nakula and Sahdewa, so that the two giants were defeated by hitting their heads until they died. The death of the two giants turned into Batara Citrasena and Batara Citranggada. For the services of purifying these two giants and indeed the wishes of the two princesses, Dewi Soka became the wife of Raden Nakula and Dewi Padapa became the wife of Raden Sadewa.
Source: Wayang Kulit Purwo - Suwadi Krijo Taruno – 2012
