( The U is a vowel, pronounced like u in 'put', both the 'TH's are pronounced like th in 'with'.)
She was the daughter of the king Viraata of the Mathsya kingdom , and his queen Sudeshna . Younger sister of prince Uththara ( who was also called Bhoominjaya ).
The names of both Uththara ( male , prince ) and Uththara ( female , princess ) are spelt the same in English as Uththara . Reference should be understood by context . ( In samskritham, the direction 'north' is also named Uththara, with the same spellig as this name. Do not get confused.)
She learnt music and dance for one year from Brihannala who was the guised Arjuna himself.
At the behest of Maalini ,the syrandhri of her palace ( guised queen Droupadi ), she successfully persuaded her dance teacher to accept to drive his brother Uththara's car in the intended attack on the invading Kouravas on the northern front of their city in the absence of her father who had already left to meet a similar urgency arose on the southern side. While her brother was about to leave, she requested him to fetch the turbains and upper garments of the Kourava warriors as a symbol of their victory for making dolls with those .
After the Paandavas disclosed themselves, she was married to Arjuna's son , the gallant Ahimanyu . She was pregnant when the war began . She lost her brother Uththara first on the first day, her cousins later in the war, her husband on the thirteenth day and her father too on the fifteenth day .
A few months after the war , she gave birth to her son Pareekshith who was born dead due to the stroke of Asvaththaama's asthra but was revitalised by Krishna . Hence the name Pareekshith ( born with gone life ) to him .
After the renounciation of the Paandavas , Pareekshith ascended the throne .
Thus Uththara was the mother of the Paandavas' successor. She constantly reminds us of the plight of innocent young war-widows produced by the result of ego-clashes of the elders and rulers . But the period of Mahaabhaaratham did not give scope to such sympethetic outlook towards women of ruling class, who considered death in the battle field as the sole goal of life .
"After praying to Naaraayana, Nara, Sarasvathi and Vyaasa, then one should read the Jayam."
DEDICATED TO MY DEAR NIECE VYSHNAVI KRISHNA