Uttamauja
Uttamauja was a prince of Pāñcāla and a great warrior. He fought on the Pāṇḍava side at Kurukshetra. The Mahābhārata names him as one of the chief commanders of the Pāñcāla army, always together with Yudhāmanyu.
Who he was
Uttamauja was a prince of Pāñcāla, the kingdom ruled by Drupada. Pāñcāla was later joined to Draupadī and to the Pāṇḍava alliance. His name can mean “one of supreme vitality” or “one of supreme radiance”. The name fits his standing as a strong warrior.
The Mahābhārata names him again and again beside Yudhāmanyu. The two are among the leading Pāñcāla commanders.
In the Yānasandhi Parva
The Pāṇḍava forces are listed in the Yānasandhi Parva of the Udyoga Parva (Chapters 51 to 55). This is at the war council at Upaplavya, as the Pāṇḍavas prepare for the final march to Kurukshetra. Uttamauja is named there among the commanders of the Pāṇḍava side. His place in this list shows how important he was in the Pāṇḍava army.
His part in the war
At Kurukshetra, Uttamauja was one of the guards of the wheels of Arjuna’s chariot. This was a post of great trust, because Arjuna was so central to the Pāṇḍava war effort. The duty shows how highly his courage was valued.
His death in the Sauptika Parva
Uttamauja died in the night attack that Aśvatthāmā made on the Pāñcāla camp after the fall of Duryodhana. Some men woke in the middle of the killing and tried to fight back. Uttamauja was one of them. Aśvatthāmā killed him, crushing and cutting him down before he could put up a real defence.
Uttamauja and Yudhāmanyu had guarded Arjuna’s chariot together all through the war. They both died in that same night. The Sauptika Parva, Chapter 8, tells of their deaths.
Sources
- Mahābhārata, Udyoga Parva (Yānasandhi Parva), Chapters 51–55
- Mahābhārata, Sauptika Parva, Chapter 8