When the Pandavas had to remain undiscovered by the Kauravas, they decided to move to the city of Virata. They did not randomly choose disguises, said V.S. Karunakarachariar, in a discourse. King Virata was fond of playing dice. So, Yudhisthira would take the name of Kanka, a learned man, and would offer Virata advice. He would also occasionally play dice with him. Yudhisthira had been granted a boon by Yama, that for a period of one year, he would not be recognised, and Yudhisthira decided to choose the impending year for that boon to take effect.
Bhima and food could never be separated, and so the kitchen was the natural choice for him. Bhima knew that with his strength, he could lift huge piles of firewood easily. He was to go to Virata as cook Vallava. He would tell the king he had been chief cook to Yudhisthira. Arjuna’s disguise proved tricky, because there were callouses on his arm caused by his bowstring, and these would give away his identity as master archer. So, he decided to let Urvashi’s words take its effect, to help him out! Once when Arjuna visited the celestial kingdom, he happened to address Urvasi respectfully as he would an elderly lady. This angered Urvasi, who was accustomed to admiration of her beauty, not to such reverence. So, she said Arjuna would become a transgender. This, however, was later modified to a period of just one year as a transgender. So Arjuna decided that he would let Urvasi’s words come into force in Virata. He decided to go to Virata as Brihannala, a transgender. He would teach the princess dance. And since he was a transgender, he would wear bangles which would conceal the callouses on his arm. Nakula would tend horses and Sahadeva would tend cows. Draupadi was to be the hair dresser of the Queen.