Virata Parva in Mahabharata

The fourth parva in the eighteen books of Manahabharata, Virata Parva, also known as the “Book of Virata” exhibits the thirteenth year of incognito exile that the Pandavas had to spend to avoid another twelve years in forest.

This Parva has four sub-books (Upa parvas) and seventy two around chapters, comprising 2590 verses.

1. Pandavapravesa Parva
2. Samayapalana Parva
3. Kichakavadha Parva
4. Goharana Parva
5. Vivaha Parva

Thus, Virata Parva defines the stay of Pandavas in the court of Virata where they disguise as various identities. Yudhishthira becomes Kanka, the game entertainer to the king. Bhima undertakes the cook Ballava, Arjuna begins teaching dance and music as the eunuch Brihannala, Nakul joins the horse stable as Granthika, Sahadeva tended the cows as Tantipala, whereas Draupadi maids the queen Shudeshna as Sairandhri. The whole Parva revolves around these lives of Pandavas.

Pandavapravesa Parva

There are 12 chapters in this parva.

After losing another dice game to the Kauravas, Pandavas along with Draupadi, were duly exiled for thirteen years, twelve in the woods, and the thirteenth incognito.

When Janamejaya enquired Vaishampayana, he was told about the Pandava’s incognito stay in Virata’s court. It was known that Dharma had blessed Yudhishthira to not be recognised by the people. Thus, after spending twelve years in the woods, and returning the arani and churning stick to the Brahmins, chose Virata’s court for the thirteenth year of incognito stay. When they reached the city of Virata, all were faced by the question as to what should they disguise as in the court of King Matsyaraja. To this, Dharmaraj decided upon becoming the Brahmin game challenger Kanka in the royal assembly. Bhima came forward as the cook Ballava, Arjuna as the eunuch music teacher Brihannala, Nakula as the horse tender Granthika and Sahadeva as cattle rearer Tantipala. Draupadi decided to join as the queen’s maid Sairandhari. They even hid their weapons in the Sami tree outside the city and then entered the palace of Virata. While entering it, Dharmaraj praised the Divine Goddess Durga in his mind. Mother Durga showered her grace on all of them and promised to take up the responsibility of protecting them and disappeared from there. Later, the Pandavas took their employment in the royal court dis-guising themselves in accordance with their duties.

Samayapalana Parva

This parva contains 13 different chapters.

The Pandavas were spending their thirteenth year of disguise in the capital of Matsya, serving the king of Virata in the royal court by undertaking various duties. When Janamejaya was told by Vaishampayana how the Pandavas came to such exile by concurrently losing the game of dice to Sakuni and his conspiracy, he was also told how they dutifully accepted their loss and went into the forests, along with Draupadi rendering to her husbands. As in the mother’s womb, the Pandavas resided in secrecy following their roles in the royal court of Virata.

During the fourth month of the disguised stay of Pandavas, there took place a great honorary festival for Brahma in the Matsya kingdom. There had arrived thousands of wrestlers from all over the quarters to participate in the same. There was one wrestler however who defeated every other one throughout the fights and came out as the winner. When there was no man standing to fight against him, king Matsya ordered his royal chef Ballava (disguised Bhima) to fight. Like a cakewalk, Ballava killed him after a fierce fight. The King Matsya was greatly pleased and gave a large amount of money to Bhima as a token of appreciation. This further eased Pandava’s stay in Virata.

Kichakavadha Parva

There are 11 chapters in this parva.

Ten months had passed during the “Ajnatavasa” of the Pandavas and Draupadi was happily serving the queen Shudeshna as her maid. It was during this time that Kichaka, the queen’s brother and King’s army general, became infatuated with the exquisite beauty of Sairandhari (disguised Draupadi). When he approached his sister, he was told that she is her maid. He then gladly approached Sairandhari and offered her the marriage where all the former paramours would become her servant and he himself would submit to her as one. Draupadi maintained her calm and told him that it wasn’t righteous for a general to marry a maid and degrade his position. To this, Kichaka wanted to convince her further and started speaking lustfully to her. Angrily Draupadi told him that the five Gandharvas were her husbands and will always protect her. Any further step might result in his death altogether.

Unable to face rejection, Kichaka went and wept in front of Shudeshna, who also tried to convince him to leave her alone. When nothing seemed to work on Kichaka, her sisterly affection overwhelmed and she devised a plan to send Sairandhari to Kichaka’s abode to bring back some liquor whenever a festival came next. Thus Kichaka went away with Shudeshna’s promise.

When a festival arrived, the queen ordered Sairandhari to bring back brewed liquor from Kichaka’s residence. Weeping inside and praying to the Gods, Draupadi went to Kichaka’s place. When Kichaka tried touching and ill-treating her, she hit him and ran back to the royal court where an angered Kichaka followed and hit her back in front of Yudhishthira, Bhima and King Matsya. The servant appointed by Surya Devta for Drauapadi’s protection hurled Kichaka into the air and hurt him, turning him unconscious. Yudhishthira had a tough time controlling Bhima’s anger and just so that their identity remains intact, Sairandhari pleaded to King Matsya for Kichaka to be punished. When the king was unable to do so, Sairandhari returned to Shudeshna’s palace on Dharmaraj’s directions and vowed for Kichaka’s death.

She planned for Kichaka’s death later that night and visited Bhima. Together they decided that Sairandhari was to lure Kichaka into a dance hall late at night where Bhima would reside and finish him once and for all. Sairandhari visited Kichaka next cleverly asked him to follow and meet her at the hall next night.

When Kichaka arrived hoping to meet Sirandhari, he touched Bhima, who killed him after a fierce dual. When Kichaka’s servants found out about this murder, they found Sairandhari guilty and threw her alive into the fire. This is where Bhima entered and comforted her, burning all the hundred and five Upakichakas.

Goharana Parva

This parva has 45 chapters in all.

The spies who went in search of Pandavas returned to the Royal court of Hastinapura with the news that they weren’t able to find them anywhere. However, they had heard of an incidence where a Gandharva cook had managed to kill Kichaka and his army with the help of his brothers to avenge the queen’s maid.

All the intelligent people in the royal assembly, Drona, Karna, Kripacharya, Bhishma and others, argued as to how they should find the Pandavas before their exile is over.

Duryodhana expressed a doubt as to whether Bhima, in the name of a Gandharva, killed the mighty Kichaka for the sake of Draupadi. Most of the signs indicated by Bhishma tallied with the ones reported to him by his spies regarding the country of Matsya. If this was so, they should immediately attack Matsya. Karna snd Susarman, the king of Trigarta also supported this idea. Dushasana, the younger brother of Duryodhana made required arrangements and it was planned that Susarman first attacked Virata and seized the king, and will be later joined in by

Duryodhana. The battle went on as planned and King Matsya was held captive. Yudhishthira ordered Bhima to secure the King’s release. Thus, Bhima, along with Nakula, Sahadeva and Swetha, the prince of Virata, killed many Trigartas and managed to seize Susarman. When he was brought to the court, Yudhishthira released him and Susarman returned to his country respectfully. This event came to be known as Dakshinagograhana.

However, there was another story that went behind in the background. When King Matsya battled Susarman’s army and were held captive, Duryodhana, accompanied by Bhishma, Karna and Drona attacked Virata from the north, seizing there cattles. When Bhuminjaya (Uttar) found out about this siege, he decided to march upon the arm, the only objection was the death of his charioteer in a previous battle. Here, the incognito period of Pandavas was over and so Arjuna asked Sairandhari to request Uttar to take Brihannala as his charioteer, her being Arjuna’s favourite charioteer. Uttar agreed and unknowingly brought Arjuna into the battlefield as Brihannala. On seeing a huge army waiting for them, Uttar almost ran leaving the chariot, to which Arjuna explained Uttar the valour of a warrior and revealed to him his true identity by taking him to the Sami tree to present him with his own Gandiva. This however, raised Kaurava’s suspicion about the charioteer being Arjuna. Uttar became Arjuna’s charioteer instead and Arjuna returned to the battle. Duryodhana was confused if the period of incognito stay was complete or not as then Arjuna was revealed and thus the Pandavas were subject to another exile. But, Bhishma could have cleared that and when all the Kaurava warriors were fighting within themselves as to who should defeat Arjuna, Bhishma told all of them that the exile period was in fact over and so they should return the cattle and make peace with Arjuna. Duryodhana rejected this outright. This turned out to be a reckless decision as one by one Karna, Kripacharya, Drona, Bhishma, Dushasana and Duryodhana himself got defeated by Arjuna’s arrows. Thus, Arjuna returned back to Virata taking back all the cattle, victorious. This was known as Uttaragograhana.

Vivaha Parva

There are three chapters in this parva.

Having completed their exile righteously, Pandavas entered the royal court where princess Uttar introduced the court to their true identity and valour of Arjuna. Virata thus offered his kingdom to them and asked Arjuna to take Uttara (Uttar’s sister) as his wife. Arjuna instead took her as a daughter-in-law and Abhimanyu and Uttara’s marriage ceremony was performed.