Chekitana
Chekitana had a warrior rank of Rathi. Affiliation: Pandava. Chekitana was a Vrishni warrior who was close to Pandavas. He was present at Draupadi Swayamvara and when Pandavas entered the hall constructed by Maya in Indraprastha for the first time.] Cekitāna was with them. He was a valorous warrior, who fought with warriors like Susharma, Kripacharya and Dronacharya. He stalemated Kripacharya in battle and survived a direct battle with Dronacharya. He also rescued Nakula from the clutches of Duryodhana. On the 18th day, he was killed by Duryodhana. Many believe that the modern Jat community descends from Chekitana.
Quote
“Those mighty car-warriors, those tigers among men, Chekitana, and Satyadhriti, are two of the best Rathas of the Pandavas in my judgment.” – SECTION CLXXII Pg 765
“Chekitana of the Vrishni race, in the very sight of all the troops, covered with his shafts Gautama, that foremost of car-warriors. Baffling all those arrows, Kripa the son of Saradwat, pierced Chekitana in return who was fighting with great care, O king, with arrows in that battle. Then, O Bharata, with another broad-headed arrow he cut off Chekitana’s bow, and endued with great lightness of hand, he also felled with another broad-headed arrow the former’s charioteer. Kripa then, O monarch, slew Chekitana’s steeds, as also both the warriors that protected the latter’s wings. Then Chekitana of the Satwata race, quickly jumped down from his car, and took up a mace. The foremost of all wielders of the mace, Chekitana, with that hero-slaying mace of his, slew the steeds of Gautama and then felled his charioteer. Then Gautama, standing on the ground, shot sixteen arrows at Chekitana. Those arrows, piercing through that hero of the Satwata race, entered the earth. Thereat, Chekitana excited with rage, once more hurled his mace, desirous of slaying Gautama, like Purandara desirous of slaying Vritra. Then Gautama with many thousands of arrows checked that huge mace, endued with the strength of adamant, that was coursing towards him. Then Chekitana, O Bharata, drawing his sabre from the sheath, rushed with great speed towards Gautama. Thereupon Gautama also, throwing away his bow, and taking up a polished sabre, rushed with great speed towards Chekitana. Both of them possessed of great strength, and both armed with excellent sabres, began to strike each other with those sharp-edged weapons of theirs. Then those bulls among men, struck with the force of each other’s sabres, fell down on the earth, that (common) element of all creatures. Exhausted by the efforts they had made, the limbs of both were motionless in a swoon.” – The Mahabharata, Book 6: Bhishma Parva: Bhagavat-Gita Parva: Section LXXXV
