Chaitraratha Parva recounts Arjuna’s pivotal encounter with the Gandharva king Chitraratha, a meeting that begins as a confrontation but transforms into a moment of learning. It explains how Arjuna earns Chitraratha’s respect through skill and humility, leading to the gift of rare celestial knowledge and music-related disciplines. The episode highlights how even in exile, Arjuna keeps growing—absorbing arts, strategy, and spiritual wisdom that later define his supremacy. It also shows how alliances with celestial beings quietly strengthen the Pandavas long before the war begins.