Virata

Family: Matsyas · Role: king of the Matsyas · First appears: Book VI (Cattle-Lifting) · Introduction

In Book VI (Cattle-Lifting) · Introduction, the disguised Yudhishthir, Bhima, Arjun, Nakula and Sahadeva entered Virata’s service during their year of concealment. When the Trigartas and Kurus invaded Matsya to seize its cattle, Virata went out with most of his troops against the Trigartas, and in Book VI (Cattle-Lifting) · I. Complaint of the Cowherd he marched against their chieftains from the south. The invasion also brought Duryodhan, Bhishma, Drona and Karna against his kingdom. Virata’s child Uttara is named in the account of the campaign.

In Book VI (Cattle-Lifting) · V. Warrior's Guerdon, Virata offered his daughter, the princess of the Matsya house, to Arjun as a bride. Arjun declined and proposed instead that she marry his son Abhimanyu, born to Subhadra; Virata agreed. At the wedding in Book VI (Cattle-Lifting) · VI. The Wedding, Arjun took his daughter as Abhimanyu’s bride. In Book IX (Fall of Drona) · V. Fall of Drona, Virata charged beside his friend Drupad, and both were slain in battle.