Uttara
Princess of Virata
The dancing princess of Virata who married Abhimanyu and became the mother of Parikshit — the child who carried the entire Pandava line into the future.
- Sanskrit/Telugu name: ఉత్తర
- Also known as: Uttaraa, Princess of Virata
- Symbols: Dance anklets, Cradle
Story
Uttara was the lively young princess of the Virata kingdom, where the Pandavas spent their thirteenth year of exile in disguise. Her dance teacher that year was a graceful teacher named Brihannala — who was actually Arjuna in disguise! When the year ended and the disguises fell away, King Virata offered Uttara's hand to Arjuna, but Arjuna gave a beautiful answer: he had been her teacher, and a student is like a daughter, so instead he welcomed her as a daughter-in-law, marrying her to his son Abhimanyu. Their happiness was heartbreakingly short — Abhimanyu fell in the Chakravyuha while Uttara was expecting their child. After the war, Ashwatthama aimed the unstoppable Brahmashira weapon at her unborn baby to end the Pandava line forever, and the child was born lifeless — until Krishna performed one of his most tender miracles, entering the world of the newborn and reviving him with the truth of his own dharma. That baby was Parikshit, the next king. In many tellings, Uttara's story — a girl who lost so much and still raised the future of the dynasty — is told as quiet, unbreakable courage.
Fun fact
Uttara's dance teacher and her father-in-law were the same person — Arjuna taught her while disguised as Brihannala during the year in hiding.