Virata

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For other uses, see Virata (disambiguation).
Virata
Virata
A lithograph of Virata in his court by Ravi Varma Press, 1920
Information
FamilySahtanika (brother)
SpouseSudeshna
ChildrenUttara, Uttarā, Shveta, and Shankha

Virata (Sanskrit: विराट, IAST virāṭa), was the king of Matsya Kingdom with its Virata Kingdom, in whose court the Pandavas spent a year in concealment during their exile. Virata was married to Queen Sudeshna and was the father of Prince Uttara and Princess Uttarā, who married Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna. Abhimanyu and Uttara's son Parikshit succeeded Yudhishthira to the throne of Hastinapura, after the war of Mahabharata. he is mentioned in the epic Mahabharata [1]

Life[]

Virata was a good ruler. He married his commander-in-chief Kichaka's elder sister Sudeshna. Though he was a fierce warrior, he was afraid of Kichaka's might. So he obeyed all orders of Kichaka. He was warned by Kichaka that if he wouldn't obey his orders, he (Kichaka) will destroy his whole kingdom. He was unable to stop Kichaka when he was insulting Draupadi in disguise of Sairandhari. After Bhima killed Kichaka, Virata became independent. He also insulted Duryodhana who was blaming Virata for Kichaka's death. When Trigarta's king Susharma attacked him on Duryodhana's order from another direction, he fought with him bravely but when Susharma was about to kill him, he was saved by Bhima. His daughter Uttarā was married to Arjuna's son Abhimanyu whose son Parikshita succeeded Yudhishthira's throne.

Role in the Kurukshetra War and Death[]

He supported Pandavas in the war. Before, the war Sahadeva preferred Virata to be the commander-in-chief of their army, but Yudhishthira and Arjuna preferred Dhrishtadyumna.

He was killed by Drona on the 15th day of the war. In a different version, he was killed during a Kaurava attack in the Kurukshetra War along with his sons.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Dowson, John (1888). A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History, and Literature. Trubner & Co., London. p. 1.
  • Swami Ramsukhdas: Shrimad Bhagvadgita - Sadhaka-Sanjivani, translated into English by S.C. Vaishya, Gita Press Gorakhpur, ISBN 81-293-0063-X
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