Virāṭa Parva

The Virāṭa Parva is the fourth of the eighteen great parvas of the Mahābhārata, composed by Maharshi Kṛshṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa. It tells of the thirteenth and last year of the Pāṇḍavas’ exile, the ajñātavāsa (the year of living unknown). In that year they lived in disguise at the court of King Virāṭa of the Matsya kingdom. The parva ends with the marriage of Arjuna’s son Abhimanyu to Virāṭa’s daughter Uttarā.

The Virāṭa Parva comes within the frame of Vaiśampāyana telling the Mahābhārata to King Janamejaya at the sarpa-yāga (the snake yajña).

Overview

The Virāṭa Parva has six sub-parvas and seventy-two adhyāyas (chapters). It opens at the end of the twelfth year of the Pāṇḍavas’ forest exile at the Dvaitavana. It closes with the celebration of the marriage of Abhimanyu and Uttarā at Upaplavya, a city within the Matsya kingdom. Between these events it covers the whole year of concealment: the Pāṇḍavas entering Virāṭa’s service in disguise, the crisis caused by Kīcaka’s harassment of Draupadī, the two cattle raids that tested their concealment, Arjuna’s great battle alone against the whole Kaurava army, and at last the revealing of who they were.

The sub-parvas

1. Pāṇḍava Praveśa Parva (chapters 1–12)

As the twelve years of araṇya-vāsa (life in the forest) came to a close, Yudhishṭhira gathered the Pāṇḍavas in the Dvaitavana. They discussed how best to pass the thirteenth year, the ajñātavāsa, the year of living unknown. The paṇḍitas (learned men) and Dhaumya gave counsel. The purohita (family priest) Dhaumya gave a full teaching on rāja-sevā dharma, the code of conduct for a noble who serves another king. In the end they chose Virāṭa’s Matsya kingdom as the best refuge, and agreed on their disguises.

Before entering, the Pāṇḍavas hung their weapons in the branches of a great śamī tree at the edge of Virāṭanagara. They wrapped the weapons in cloth and scented them with human bones to keep the curious away, and told the local cowherds that the bundle was a corpse. Yudhishṭhira Dharmarāja then called on Durgā in a stotra of devotion. Devī Durgā appeared and gave her vara (a boon) of protection and final victory. The Virāṭa Parva gives this in chapter 6.

Each Pāṇḍava then entered Virāṭanagara on his own:

• Yudhishṭhira as Kaṅka Bhaṭṭa, a brāhmaṇa, an expert at dice, and an adviser
• Bhīmasena as Vallava, the royal cook and wrestler
• Draupadī as Sairandhrī, a skilled handmaiden to Queen Sudeshṇā
• Nakula as Granthika, keeper of the royal horses
• Sahadeva as Tantipāla (also called Arishṭanemi), keeper of the royal cattle
• Arjuna as Bṛhannaḷā, a eunuch who taught dance and music to Princess Uttarā

2. Samayapālana Parva (chapter 13)

The Pāṇḍavas kept their vows of concealment all through their service. In one well-known incident, the wrestler Jīmūta had been challenging everyone in Virāṭanagara. Bhīmasena, as Vallava, defeated him, and the hidden strength of the royal cook became famous.

3. Kīcaka Vadha Parva (chapters 14–24)

The central crisis of the parva came when Kīcaka, the commander of Virāṭa’s forces and the queen’s powerful brother, was inflamed with desire for Sairandhrī (Draupadī). Draupadī refused him again and again. She warned that her Gandharva husbands would kill anyone who harmed her, but Kīcaka kept on. He had Sudeshṇā send her to his quarters with wine. When she sought Virāṭa’s protection, Kīcaka kicked her in front of the gathered court, a deed of grave adharma. Yudhishṭhira held back the enraged Bhīma at great cost to himself.

Draupadī then went to Bhīma in secret. Bhīma made a plan: Kīcaka would be drawn to the nāṭyaśālā (dance hall) at night, believing that Draupadī would meet him there. Bhīma went in disguise and killed Kīcaka in fierce hand-to-hand combat, crushing his body. Then the 105 Upakīcakas, Kīcaka’s brothers, seized Draupadī to burn her on Kīcaka’s pyre. Bhīma followed and killed them all. Word spread through Virāṭanagara that mysterious Gandharvas had killed Kīcaka and his brothers. The Virāṭa Parva tells this in chapters 14–24.

4. Dakshiṇa Gograhaṇa Parva (chapters 25–34)

Duryodhana sent spies across Bhāratavarsha to find the Pāṇḍavas, but they came back without finding them. Suśarmā, the king of Trigarta and an ally of the Kauravas who owed them service, proposed a raid on Virāṭa’s southern herds of cattle, to draw out any hidden warriors. With Duryodhana’s approval, Suśarmā made a great raid. Virāṭa rode out to battle, and in the fighting Suśarmā captured him. Yudhishṭhira urged Bhīma to rescue the king, and the Pāṇḍavas Yudhishṭhira, Bhīma, Nakula and Sahadeva, still in disguise, fought to free him. Virāṭa was rescued and Suśarmā was captured. On Yudhishṭhira’s counsel Suśarmā was released, with the command to live truthfully. The Virāṭa Parva tells this in chapters 25–34.

5. Uttara Gograhaṇa Parva (chapters 35–67)

At the same time as the Trigarta raid, the great Kaurava army under Bhīshma, Droṇa, Karṇa, Aśvatthāmā, Kṛpa, Duryodhana and others made a separate cattle raid on the north of Virāṭa’s kingdom. Its true purpose was to expose the Pāṇḍavas if they were hiding in Matsya. With Virāṭa’s main forces away in the south, only Prince Uttara was left to defend the capital. Uttara had boasted of his valour to the women of the court. Sairandhrī (Draupadī) cleverly suggested that the eunuch Bṛhannaḷā, once a disciple of Arjuna, could be his charioteer, and Uttara agreed. When Uttara saw the vast Kaurava army he lost his courage and tried to flee, but Bṛhannaḷā (Arjuna) pulled him back by force.

Arjuna then told Uttara who he really was. He led Uttara to the śamī tree and took down the hidden weapons: the Gāṇḍīva bow, the divine quivers and the weapons of all five Pāṇḍavas. He declared his ten names (Daśa-nāmāni). With Uttara as charioteer in name and Arjuna as the warrior, they rode into battle. Arjuna blew the Devadatta conch, and the Kaurava army trembled. In the battle that followed, Arjuna fought alone against Bhīshma, Droṇa, Karṇa, Kṛpa, Aśvatthāmā and Duryodhana in turn. He used the Sammohana astra to make parts of the enemy army fall unconscious, and took the outer garments of the Kaurava mahārathas (great chariot warriors) as trophies. The cattle were recovered. The Kaurava army, now sure that Arjuna and the Pāṇḍavas were in Matsya, withdrew. The Virāṭa Parva tells this in chapters 35–67.

6. Vaivāhika Parva (chapters 70–72)

On the third day after the great battle, the five Pāṇḍavas appeared before Virāṭa in full royal splendour, having completed the thirteen years without being discovered. Arjuna formally presented each brother and Draupadī to the astonished Virāṭa. Virāṭa, full of joy and of remorse for the insult he had given Yudhishṭhira without knowing him, offered his whole kingdom. He also offered his daughter Uttarā to Arjuna as wife. Arjuna declined, on grounds of dharma: he had lived as her teacher in the antaḥpura (the women’s quarters), so taking her as wife would be improper and would cast doubt on his conduct. Instead he proposed that Uttarā marry his son Abhimanyu, born of Subhadrā, the sister of Kṛshṇa. Virāṭa gladly agreed.

Invitations went out to allies all over Bhāratavarsha. The marriage was celebrated in great splendour at Upaplavya, another city in the Matsya kingdom. Vāsudeva Kṛshṇa came with his elder brother Balarāma and the great Yādava warriors, Sātyaki, Kṛtavarmā, Akrūra, Sāmba and others, bringing Abhimanyu and his mother Subhadrā. King Drupada, Dhṛshṭadyumna, Śikhaṇḍī, the sons of Draupadī, Kāśirāja and Śaibya also came. The marriage rites were performed with great ceremony, and Virāṭa gave rich gifts: horses, elephants, gold, garments and cattle. Yudhishṭhira gave the wealth brought by Kṛshṇa to the brāhmaṇas. The Virāṭa Parva ends with this auspicious gathering, which became the council ground from which the Pāṇḍavas planned their campaign to win back Indraprastha. The Virāṭa Parva tells this in chapters 70–72.

The phalaśruti

The parva closes with a phalaśruti (the fruit of hearing). Hearing the holy narrative of the Pāṇḍavas brings freedom from troubles of mind and body, victory over enemies, growing prosperity, health and puṇya (merit). One who meditates on Arjuna’s deeds conquers enemies even alone. The Virāṭa Parva gives this in its Śravaṇa Mahimā.

Chapters

Pāṇḍava Praveśa Parva

Samayapālana Parva

Kīcaka Vadha Parva

Dakshiṇa Gograhaṇa Parva (also called Gograhaṇa Parva)

Uttara Gograhaṇa Parva

Vaivāhika Parva

Sources

• Mahābhārata, Virāṭa Parva, chapter 6; chapters 14–24; chapters 25–34; chapters 35–67; chapters 70–72
• Mahābhārata, Virāṭa Parva, Śravaṇa Mahimā
• Mahābhārata, Virāṭa Parva, chapters 1–72 (chapter guide)