What was the name of the kingdom ruled by King Virata?

King Virata ruled the Matsya Kingdom in the Mahabharata.

Matsya was an ancient kingdom associated with the central region of northern India. In the epic, its king is Virata, whose court becomes the refuge of the Pandavas during the final year of their exile. That year required them to remain hidden, so each Pandava adopted a disguise and a courtly occupation.

The kingdom is especially important in the Mahabharata’s Virata Parva, the epic’s fourth major book. Its traditional capital was Viratanagara, also called Vairata, often identified with Bairat in present-day Rajasthan. Matsya was known for its cattle wealth, which helps explain why cattle raids become a major part of the surrounding narrative.

Readers sometimes confuse Matsya with Gandhara, Panchala, or Kuru because all are important kingdoms in the Mahabharata. Gandhara is associated with figures such as Shakuni, Panchala with Draupadi and her family, and Kuru with the central Kaurava-Pandava dynasty. Virata’s defining political identity, however, is his rule over Matsya.