Uttara’s father is Virāṭ, king of Matsya, and mother is Sudeṣṇā. In one place of Virāṭparva in Mahābhārata, he is called Bhumiñjaya. Uttara himself, introducing himself to Arjuna, has said,
ahaṃ bhumiñjaya nāma nāmnāhamapi cottaraḥ.

Nīlakaṇṭha, the commentator also refers to Bhumiñjaya as another name of Uttara.

bhumiñjayayitturasyaiva nāmāntaram.

In the Svayamvara-sabhā of Draupadī, Uttara and Śankha, the two sons of king Virāṭ werevalso present along with him.

Duryodhana and the other Kuru warriors, with a large army, took away almost sixty thousand cows of king Virāṭ. At that time, there was no other warrior except Uttara in the kingdom. All others have gone with king Virāṭ, in order to fight the Trigarta-king Suśarmā. Now the workmen in charge of the royal cow-stable informed Uttara about the stealing of the cows. Hearing this, Uttara started boasting in front of the ladies of the inner quareters, saying that– if only he could get a good charioteer, he would have defeated the Kuru army and rescued the cows.

Sairindhrī Draupadī, hearing this verbose boasting of Uttara, said– the person called Vṛhannalā , at present staying in the royal house, had been the charioteer of Arjuna, and also his disciple in archery. Make him/her your charioteer, and you will be victorious. Hearing this, the prince Uttara was willing to go to the battlefield, with Vṛhannalā as his charioteer. He, dressed in warlike costume, set out to fight, but seeing the huge and well-organised army of the Kaurava(s), Uttara was very much frightened. For him, it was impossible to fight such great warriors as Bhīṣma, and to achieve victory was outbof question. Crying, he told Arjuna, “I am a boy, alone and not an expert in warfare. Let’s go back.” Then Arjuna, dressed as Vṛhannalā, said, “O prince, having boasted in front of of the ladies of the inner quarter, if you escape now, you will be a target of joke for all. Further, Sairindhrī has praised my skill in charioteering and archery, so I can’t go back without rescuing the cows.” Hearing this, the Uttara started flying in fear, and Arjuna pursued him. Finally he brought him, grabbing him by the hair. Uttara was crying, ad Arjuna assured him, “You have no need to fear, I will fight the Kuru army and protect you. You become my charioteer.” Then, instructed by Arjuna, Uttara climbed the Śamī tree and brought down the weapons of the Pāṇḍava(s). At this time, Arjuna disclosed to him his true identity. Uttara said, if you can tell me the ten names of Arjuna, I’ll believe that you are Arjuna. Arjuna uttered and explained his ten names and wiped away Uttara’s doubt. Uttara paid his respect to Arjuna, and agreed to become his charioteer. Then Arjuna alone defeated all the Kuru warriors and rescued the cows belonging to the Matsya kingdom. After winning the battle, Arjuna requested Uttara not to disclose the identity of the Pāṇḍava(s). Uttara agreed, and gladly came back to the capital. When King Virāṭ, overjoyed at his son’s victory, asked him to describe his heroic conquest, Uttara said, “I didn’t win the battle, nor did I rescue the cows. Rather I was flying in fear, seeing the huge Kuru army. At that time a divine person appeared and asked me not to escape. Then he boarded my chaiot, defeated the Kuru army and protected your cows, and me also. After this, that divine person disappeared. Perhaps he will reappear tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. During this description, what comes out is Uttara’s profound respect for Arjuna and the Pāṇḍava(s).

On the first day of the battle of Kurukṣetra, a one-to-one fight took place between Uttara and Vīravāhu. On that very day, Uttara attacked Śalya and got killed by him.

Uttara was placed in a high position in svarga, because he met a heroic death in the battlefield.

In Purāṇa it is said that Uttara’s daughter Irāvatī got married to Parīkṣit, son of Abhimamyu. Uttara was the maternal uncle of Parīkṣit. In South India, there had been a custom of marrying the daughter of one’s maternal uncle. In Bhāgavata Purāṇa, it is because of South Indian influence that this kind of information is given regarding the marriage of Parīkṣit.