Virata (, IAST virāṭa) was the King of Matsya, a prominent figure in the Indian epic Mahabharata, and the titular character of the epic's fourth book, Virata Parva, which recounts the Pandavas’ year of ajnatavasa—incognito exile—in his kingdom. He is best known for unknowingly sheltering the Pandavas during this period, with each of them assuming disguised roles in his court. Virata was married to Queen Sudeshna and was the father of Prince Uttara and Princess Uttarā, who married Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna.
Literary background
The Mahabharata, one of the Sanskrit epics from the Indian subcontinent, other being the Ramayana. It mainly narrates the events and aftermath of the Kurukshetra War, a war of succession between two groups of princely cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandavas. The work is written in Classical Sanskrit and is a composite work of revisions, editing and interpolations over many centuries. The oldest parts in the surviving version of the text may date to near 400 BCE.
The Mahabharata manuscripts exist in numerous versions, wherein the specifics and details of major characters and episodes vary, often significantly. Except for the sections containing the Bhagavad Gita which is remarkably consistent between the numerous manuscripts, the rest of the epic exists in many versions. The differences between the Northern and Southern recensions are particularly significant, with the Southern manuscripts more profuse and longer. Scholars have attempted to construct a critical edition, relying mostly on a study of the "Bombay" edition, the "Poona" edition, the "Calcutta" edition and the "south Indian" editions of the manuscripts. The most accepted version is one prepared by scholars led by Vishnu Sukthankar at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, preserved at Kyoto University, Cambridge University and various Indian universities.
Biography
Family and early life
Virata was born into the royal family of the Matsya Kingdom and is described as being born from a portion of the celestial Maruts. He married Sudeshna, the daughter of King Suta of Kekaya. With Sudeshna, Virata had two sons, Shankha and Uttara, and a daughter, Uttarā. Sudeshna's brother, Kichaka, become the commander-in-chief of Matsya army. Virata had ten brothers, most prominent being—Shatanika (also called Suryadatta), who commanded Virata’s army before Kichaka, and Madiraksha (also known as Vishalaksha). The Southern Edition of the Mahabharata adds further details to Virata’s family life, according to which, he also had a first wife, Suratha, a princess of Kosala, with whom he had a son named Shveta. In this version, Virata married Sudeshna after Suratha’s death. Translators of the epic suggest the possibility of Virata having additional wives, as the women's quarters of his palace are described as being populated by numerous women.
Virata’s military ineptitude becomes apparent during the Trigarta cattle raid in the final month of the year. When the Trigartas, led by King Susharman, attack Matsya following Kichaka's death (who had previously defeated Susharman), Virata recklessly mobilizes his entire army, leaving the city vulnerable. During the battle, he is captured by the Trigartas, but with disguised Bhima's intervention, he is rescued and the Matsya army triumphs. Bhima captures Susharma and brings him to Virata. Virata rewards the Pandavas for saving him, expressing gratitude. Meanwhile, Duryodhana and the Kauravas seize the opportunity to launch a separate attack on Matsya from the north. They raid 60,000 heads of cattle from the kingdom. With no one in Kingdom, prince Uttara, along with Brihannada (Arjuna in disguise) as charioteer, is sent to defend the kingdom. Uttara hesitates, explaining that he lacks experience in combat, leading to Brihannala defeating the entire Kaurava forces.