01Six disguises
Before entering Virata’s city, the Pandavas wrapped their weapons and tied them high in a shami tree near the cremation ground, with a corpse hung beside them so no one would climb it. Yudhishthira became Kanka, a brahmana who played dice with the king. Bhima became Ballava the cook, who also wrestled. Arjuna, under Urvashi’s curse, became Brihannala, teacher of dance and song to the princess Uttara. Nakula became Granthika in the stables, Sahadeva became Tantipala among the cattle, and Draupadi became Sairandhri, a maid who dressed the hair of Queen Sudeshna. Each took a secret name for calling the others.
02Kichaka
Kichaka, Sudeshna’s brother and commander of Matsya’s army, desired Sairandhri. The queen sent her to his house for wine, and he seized her. She ran to the king’s hall, where Kichaka kicked her before the court while Kanka, sitting at dice, could only tell her to go. That night she went to Ballava in the kitchen and woke him. Bhima told her to promise Kichaka a meeting in the dance hall after dark. Kichaka came, found Bhima waiting on the bed, and was crushed into a ball of flesh. His brothers, the Upakichakas, tried to burn Sairandhri on his pyre; Bhima tore up a tree and killed all of them. Matsya now feared the maid and her five gandharva husbands.
03Two raids
In Hastinapura, Duryodhana’s spies had failed to find the Pandavas. When news of Kichaka’s death came, he guessed that only Bhima could have done it. Susharma of Trigarta, Kichaka’s old enemy, raided Matsya from the south, and Virata rode out with Kanka, Ballava, Granthika and Tantipala behind him. Susharma captured Virata; Bhima pulled up a tree to fight, was told by Yudhishthira to use a bow so he would not be known, and freed the king. On the next day the Kurus came from the north, Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, Karna, Ashvatthama and Duryodhana, and drove off sixty thousand of Virata’s cattle. Only the young prince Uttara was in the city.
04The shami tree
Uttara boasted to the women that he would win back the cattle if only he had a charioteer. Sairandhri named Brihannala, who had once driven for Arjuna. At the sight of the Kuru army the prince jumped from the chariot and ran; Brihannala, braid flying, chased him down and brought him back. At the shami tree he sent Uttara up for the bundle, took down the Gandiva and told the prince who they all were. Uttara asked for proof, the ten names of Arjuna and their reasons. Arjuna gave them: Arjuna, Phalguna, Jishnu, Kiriti, Shvetavahana, Bibhatsu, Vijaya, Krishna, Savyasachi, Dhananjaya. Then he blew Devadatta and the Kurus heard it.
05One bow against the Kurus
Duryodhana claimed the thirteenth year was not yet over and the Pandavas must go back to the forest. Bhishma reckoned the months with their extra lunar months and told him the term was complete. Arjuna, with Uttara now driving, cut through Karna, then Kripa, Drona and Ashvatthama, and drove Duryodhana to turn back. At last he loosed the sammohana astra, and the whole host fell asleep on the field. Remembering the princess Uttara’s wish for dolls, he had the prince strip the fine upper cloths from the sleeping warriors, all except Bhishma, who knew the weapon’s remedy. The cattle were driven home.
06Uttara weds Abhimanyu
Virata came home crowing over his son’s victory, and when Kanka said it was Brihannala’s, the king struck him with a die and drew blood. Sairandhri caught the drops in a bowl, because Yudhishthira’s blood falling on the ground would bring ruin. On the third day the five brothers took their seats on the royal thrones in their own robes, and Arjuna told Virata who they were. Virata offered his daughter Uttara to Arjuna. Arjuna had taught her for a year as a father teaches; he accepted her for his son Abhimanyu. At the wedding in Upaplavya, Shri Krishna came with Balarama and the Vrishnis, Drupada brought his sons, and the allies began to gather.
Famous verses
अर्जुनः फाल्गुनो जिष्णुः किरीटी श्वेतवाहनः । बीभत्सुर्विजयः कृष्णः सव्यसाची धनंजयः ॥
Arjuna, Phalguna, Jishnu, Kiriti, Shvetavahana, Bibhatsu, Vijaya, Krishna, Savyasachi, Dhananjaya.Mahabharata 4.39.8cd–ef (BORI CE), Arjuna to Uttara