Travels fo Arjuna

One day, a brahmana's cow got stolen by a thief. The brahmana met Arjuna and asked him to help. Arjuna decided to help. He went to get his weapons when he realized that Yudhistira was in the room where the weapons were kept, with Draupadi. He went out but the brahmana asked him to help.
Arjuna decided that the exile of twelve years was nothing compared to the grief of a brahmana. He went inside, got the weapons, captured the thieves and restored the cows to the brahmana.
He then said to Yudhistira, as he had broken the rule, he would be leaving for twelve years of exile.
Yudhistira said helping a needy was not a crime. Also, as Arjuna was younger, he was excused.
Arjuna said it was the love and affection that was talking, which was not correct. The rule was not to be broken.
Arjuna took leave of his mother and the other brothers and left, along with some brahamas.
Travelling, he reached the holy pilgrimage of Haridwar.
On the banks of Ganga, Arjuna lit a fire and wanted to offer his prayers. He realized he needed to have a bath first. He decided to take a dip in the river. The moment he stepped into the water, he was pulled in by the Naga princess. Arjuna was dragged into the nether world. He a fire there, and he offered his prayers in that fire. He then started exploring the place he had come in. He asked the princess who she was and whose palace was he in and why had he been brought there?
The princess said this was the palace of the Naga king Kauravya, son of the Naga Airavata. She was the daughter of Kauravya and her name was Ulupi. Seeing Arjuna she had lost her heart and thus had brought him over.
Arjuan said he was not family man at the moment as he was in exile.
Ulupi said she knew why he was in exile. As a prince, there was no sin in being with another woman. Also this was with consensus of both parties so there was no harm in the union. All that Ulupi wanted was a child. Once that was done, Arjuna was free to leave. Arjuna spent the night with Ulupi and the next day he went back to the spot, from he had been dragged in.
The accompanying brahmanas wanted to know where Arjuna had disappeared. Arjuna told them all that and happened.
Arjuna continued travelling. He first went south wards, and then traveled towards the east crossing the lands of Anga and Banga. He would stop and stay for sometime in the pilgrim spots on the way. Thus travelling he reached the land of Manipur.

Chitrabhanu was king of Manipur. He had a daughter called Chitrangada. Chitrangada was very beautiful. Arjuna saw her and lost his heart. he went to Chitrabhanu and asked for his daughter's hand. The king asked him who he was, and Arjuna told him he was a Pandava, in exile.
Chitrabhanu said he would be delighted to give his daughter to Arjuna but he had a condition. In his dynasty, Shiva had given a boon that every king would have only child, who would rule the kingdom. As Chitrangada was his only daughter, the king wanted Chitrangada to stay with him, even after her marriage with Arjuna. Arjuna agreed and stayed for a year with Chitrangada.

After a year, Arjuna resumed his travels. He traveled southwards where he reached the ocean. Nearby he saw a pilgrim spot which was deserted. He wanted to know this was so. The people around told Arjuna they feared the crocodile infested waters. Hearing this, Arjuna decided to see it for himself, and stepped into the waters. A crocodile came and snapped at his foot. Arjuna pulled his foot along with the crocodile onto the land. The moment the crocodile touched the land, it turned into a woman. Arjuna asked her who she was and why she was in the guise of a crocodile. She said she was an apsara named Varga. As Varga, she once spotted a brahmana meditating. She, in fun, went and started dancing in front of the brahmana and tried to break his penance. Disturbed, the brahmana had cursed her to become a crocodile.
Varga and her friends then went to Narada and asked how they would be relieved from the curse. Narada said when Arjuna would come in that place, his touch would relieve her. Varga said in other pilgrim places she had four other friends who had been cursed similarly and asked Arjuna to help. Arjuna went with her and released the others also from the curse.

Arjuna then went back to Manipur where Chitrangada had given birth named Babruvahana. Placing his son on the throne of Manipur, Arjuna left and went towards Prabhasa.