Shveta

Shveta, Shweta or Sweta is a character in the Mahabharata.

Personal life

He was the son of King Virata and Queen Sudeshna of Matsya Kingdom. He had many siblings, Uttar Kumar, Uttara Shankha (or Shankhya), and Satanika. He had a maternal uncle named Kichaka and a paternal uncle named Sahtanika. He was powerful and fearless as per the epic.

Rescuing his father from the Trigartas

When the Pandavas and Draupadi were incognito in their kingdom. Duryodhana tried to find them there and devised a plan to send King Susharma of Trigarta to capture the King. When he arrived and stole cows from the kingdom, King Virata with Sweta, Shanka, Satanika, Sahtanika, disguised Yudhishthir, Bhima, Nakula and Sahdeva with the army attacked and defeated him. But when Susharma was defeated he took them all far from the kingdom so all of them rested there itself. Meanwhile Kurus attacked the kingdom again so Uttar Kumar and disguised Arjuna attacked them and defeated them all and returned back when the resting Matsyas also returned. At that time the incognito period of the Pandavas and Draupadi was finished.

Role in the Kurukshetra war and death

On the very first day of the Kurukshetra war, Uttar Kummar was slain by Shalya. Sweta became furious and attacked Shalya, badly defeating him. But Bhishma came there and he had to spend hours on him. To save Shalya he shot his Brahmastra eventually killing Sweta.