Gandharvas are celestial singers and musicians. The root
word of Gandharva is ‘gandha’ meaning scent. It is stated that Gandharvas
appeared from Brahma’s nose. Some scriptures are of the view that Gandharvas
are sons of Sage Kashyapa. Their mothers are the daughters of Daksha Prajapati.
The most important Gandharva is Kubera – the treasurer of Gods.
Gandharvas are all said to have sweet voices, and they are
seen as radiant, graceful, and beautiful. They are mentioned in Vedas, epics
and Puranas. They are magicians and they can multiply at will and take any
form.
Most stories of Gandharvas have them being cursed by
demi gods or saints. They are then born on earth and get relief from the curse
due to the avatars of Vishnu.
There are numerous stories of them residing on earth. In the Mahabharata, Chitraratha Gandharva and his friends
are attacked by an arrogant Duryodhana aided by Karna. The Gandharvas easily
over power the Kuru army and capture them. All except Karna are put inside a Gandharva
net. Finally, the Pandavas come to the rescue of the Kauravas.