Virata

For other uses, see Virata (disambiguation).

Virata
Virata Virata in his court
Information
Spouse(s)	Sudeshna
Children	Uttara, Uttarā, Shveta, Satanika and Shankha

Virata (Sanskrit: विराट, lit. huge) in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, was a king 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. Their son Parikshit succeeded Yudhishthira to the throne of Hastinapura, after the war of Mahabharata.

He is killed during a Kauravas attack in the Kurukshetra War along with his four sons: Uttara, Shveta, Satanika and Shankha. In other versions he is killed by Drona on the 15th day of the war.

See also

• Virata Kingdom
• Biratnagar

References

• Swami Ramsukhdas: Shrimad Bhagvadgita - Sadhaka-Sanjivani, translated into English by S.C. Vaishya, Gita Press Gorakhpur, ISBN 81-293-0063-X