After victory over the Trigartas, the king of Matsya returns to his palace and enquires about the whereabouts of his son, Uttara. When he learns that Uttara is out to fight on another front, where he is facing the entire Kuru army with all its eminent warriors, the king is nearly certain that his son will be slaughtered in battle. Yudhistira, in his guise as the brahman Kanka, tries to pacify the king’s fears, by telling him that since the eunuch Brihannada (Arjuna) is with the prince, nothing untoward is going to happen. The king is not convinced.
When news of victory on the second front reaches the palace, the king cannot at first believe his ears. He then organises a fest in anticipation of the prince’s arrival, and cannot help boasting of his son’s prowess. Hearing that, Kanka praises Brihannada, saying that it is because of the charioteer that success has been achieved. King Virata takes this as an affront, especially because it is tantamount to praising a eunuch before his son. In his anger, Virata throws a pair of dice at Kanka’s face with such force that the Pandava begins to bleed. Kanka, being Yudhistira, a master in drinking his own anger. He lets the blood drip in his
own hand till Sairandhari (Draupadi in disguise) brings a cup into which the blood then collects.
Apparently, had Yudhistira’s blood touched the floor, all hell would have broken loose. This is because of a vow that Arjuna has taken: if someone were to spill his brothers’ blood was outside battle, he would decimate that person. This is also the reason why, by the time prince Uttara and Brihannada return, it is imperative that Yudhistira’s bleeding stop. Which it does, thankfully for Virata.
When Uttara finally arrives, he clarifies that the victories over the Kurus were not achieved by him but ‘a son of god’. He also says that the son of god will reveal himself in a couple of days. This time period is probably what remains now of the year of anonymity imposed upon the Pandavas.
When this day arrives, the Pandavas reveal themselves to Virata, who, learning that his kingdom’s rescue happened not through the hands of his servants, but through men who are sovereigns themselves, is willing to lend abnegate his own sovereignty. At first, he offers his kingdom, with all its riches, to the Pandavas. When that offer is politely declined, he offers his daughter in marriage to Arjuna.
The princess’ hand is also offered because of the proximity Arjuna has enjoyed with her in the women’s quarters. Arjuna clarifies that he has only ever looked at the princess as a caretaker, and if King Virata indeed wants his daughter to enter the Pandava household, it can be as his daughter-in-law. Thus, Matsya princess Uttara is destined to be the wife of Abhimanyu. In the process, the Pandavas establish another alliance that shall be useful to the war effort.
Tanuj Solanki
Twitter @tanujsolanki
The writer is reading the unabridged Mahabharata