Uttara

Quick Facts

About Uttara

The young prince of Matsya, son of King Virata, who boasted of battle until he saw the Kaurava host - and fled, until his charioteer Brihannala revealed himself as Arjuna. He fell on the very first day of Kurukshetra, struck down facing Shalya, one of the war's first and youngest sacrifices.

In Their Words

I would fight them all - if only I had a charioteer worthy of me!

Uttara

Traits

• Youthful
• Boastful
• Brave
• Tragic
• Redeemed by Courage

Story Appearances

• The Year of MasksPrince of Matsya, Arjuna's pupil❧ 21 min
• The Year of DisguiseStudent of Brihannala❧ 21 min
• The Northern Cattle RaidThe prince whose charioteer won the battle
• Eighteen Days of DestructionFalls on the first day of war❧ 30 min

Stories Featuring Uttara

15 further tales on this site name Uttara, in canonical reading order.

• Thirteen Years of FireThe exile teaches that suffering, accepted with dignity and used as a forge, transforms weakness into strength. The...Vana Parva ‧ 26 min
• The Ten Names of ArjunaA frightened prince demands proof at the burning groundVirata Parva ‧ 20 min
• The Day Karna RanThe boast in the dice hall, answered at lastVirata Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Grandsire Under the Golden PalmCelestial weapons, and Indra dropping flowersVirata Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Sleep Weapon and the Robes for the DollsSix great warriors disarmed, and a promise kept to some girlsVirata Parva ‧ 17 min
• Five Men on the ThronesThe morning the servants stopped pretendingVirata Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Lineage of GandivaBrihannala names five sets of weapons and the six who held the great bowVirata Parva ‧ 12 min
• Matsya, the Kingdom of the FishThe realm that hid five kings and a queenVirata Parva
• Brihannala, the Dancer in the Guarded QuartersArjuna's year in disguiseVirata Parva
• Arjuna's Message to the KurusSanjaya recites the message in open court, and names every man who will dieUdyoga Parva ‧ 21 min
• Kurukshetra Day 1: The Conches SoundThe First Royal DeadBhishma Parva
• Shveta Against the GrandsireThe Matsya prince who broke Bhishma's bow again and againBhishma Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Price of ShelterVirata, the old king who gave everythingBhishma Parva
• The Banners and the BowsSanjaya names every standard on the fieldDrona Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Return of the PortionsWho everybody turned out to have beenSvargarohana Parva ‧ 17 min

Character Arc

1. 1The FlightFlees the Kaurava army in terror
2. 2The First DayDies young at Kurukshetra

Key Relationships

• Father➝Virata
• Teacher & Charioteer➝Arjuna
• Sister➝Uttaraa

Places in Uttara's Story

Drawn from the stories Uttara appears in.

• Virataविराट
• Kurukshetraकुरुक्षेत्र
• Hastinapurहस्तिनापुर
• Upaplavyaउपप्लव्य
• Dwarakaद्वारका
• Amaravatiअमरावती
• Takshashilaतक्षशिला
• Saraswatiसरस्वती
• Khandava Forestखाण्डव वन

Related Characters

Others counted among the Pandavas.

• ❈Yudhishthira
• ⛏︎Bhima
• ◎Arjuna
• ✧Nakula
• ❧Sahadeva
• ✶Draupadi