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<div>{{short description|Character from the epic Mahabharata}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2017}}<br />
{{Refimprove|date=September 2016}}<br />
{{infobox epic character<br />
| info-hdr=Information<br />
| title = Prince or Yuvaraja<br />
| image = Uttara and Arjuna discovering the arms.jpg<br />
| alt = Uttar<br />
| caption = Uttar and Arjuna discovering the arms<br />
| lbl21 = Birthplace<br />
| data21 = Virata Nagari<br />
| affiliation = [[Matsya Kingdom|Matsya]] dynasty <br />
| family = [[Virata]] (father)<br/>[[Sudheshna]] (mother)<br>[[List of characters in the Mahabharata|Shveta (half brother) and Shankha]] (elder brothers)<br>[[Uttarā]] (twin sister)<br />
| color = #FFC569<br />
}}<br />
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In the epic [[Mahabharata]], '''''Uttar''''' ({{lang-sa|उत्तर}}) was the prince of [[Matsya Kingdom]] and the eldest son of King [[Virata]], at whose court the [[Pandavas]] spent one year in concealment during their exile. His sister [[Uttarā (Mahabharata)|Uttarā]] married [[Abhimanyu]], son of [[Arjuna]].<ref>K M Ganguly(1883-1896)[http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m07/m07179.htm,October 2003,Retrieved 2015-03-08]</ref><br />
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==Major episode==<br />
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Uttara is the son of [[Virata]] in mahabharata. According in Manava Purana, Uttara was incarnation of [[Sudarshana Chakra|Sudharshana Chakra]]. <br />
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Towards the end of the year that the Pandavas spent at the [[Matsya Kingdom]], [[Duryodhana]] (suspecting that the Pandavas were hiding in Matsya) attacked that kingdom. The army of [[Hastinapura]] stood at the borders of Matsya, but King Virata had already taken his entire army to fight the [[Trigarta]] army attacking from the south. When news arrives at the palace, Uttar confidently boasts about how he will single-handedly wipe out the [[Kauravas]], downplaying their abilities. Upon the prodding of his [[Sudeshna|mother]] and [[Draupadi|her maid]], he takes his sister's dancing teacher, the eunuch [[Brihannala]], who was in reality [[Arjuna]], as his charioteer. As they approach the [[Kuru Kingdom|Kuru]] army, Uttar panics at the sight and asks Brihannala to turn back. When he refuses, citing [[Kshatriya]] [[dharma]], Uttar dismounts the chariot and runs for his life, only for Arjuna to run up to him and catch him. In order to fortify Uttar's courage, Arjuna revealed his true identity. Uttar was incredulous and initially refused to believe Arjuna; only after Arjuna had recited his ten aliases did Uttar believe that Brihannala was indeed Arjuna in disguise. Arjuna then took charge and single-handedly defeated the entire Hastinapura army.<ref>Pilikian, Vaughan. Mahabharata. New York: New York UP, 2009. Print.</ref><br />
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==Mahabharata war==<br />
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During the 18-day [[Kurukshetra war]], Uttar and his brothers fight in support of the Pandavas. Uttar is killed on the first day of the war by [[Shalya]]. <br />
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As the battle starts, the battle is tilted in favor of the [[Kauravas]] as [[Bhishma]] is unable to be contained. Going on the attack, Uttar aggressively takes his chariot deep into the [[Kaurava]] formation where he is checked by [[Shalya]] who asks Uttar to introduce himself. Uttar boasts about his martial skill and compares himself to Krishna, having been [[Arjuna|Arjuna's]] charioteer in the Virat war. Shalya sharply rebukes Uttar for his arrogance, telling him that "his tongue is sharper than his arrows." Uttar responds with a fierce attack. He snaps Shalya's bow, wounds him, kills his charioteer and horses while breaking the wheels of Shalya's chariot. As Shalya is defenestrated, Uttar aims the killing blow, mockingly asking Shalya "is this my tongue, or my arrow that will kill you?" From the ground, Shalya hurls a spear through Uttar's body mortally wounding him. As Uttar collapses in his chariot, Shalya comes over and mourns the death of such a brave child. In the Chatahurdi compilation, Uttar's brother Sweta, who witnessed the ghastly death of his brother, immediately went into a frenzy and started attacking the Kaurava army with hundreds of arrows and inflicted heavy losses on them. Bheeshma, unable to contain his rage shot the Bhramastra at Sweta, killing him instantly. Thus the two brothers died on the same day, within minutes of each other.<ref>K M Ganguly(1883-1896)[http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m07/m07179.htm The Mahabharatha Book 7: Drona Parva SECTION CLXXXII], October 2003,Retrieved 2015-03-08</ref><br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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[[Category:Characters in the Mahabharata]]</div>2402:3A80:E1C:B54:0:B:BF39:DC01