Shloka 4
Virāṭa’s Mobilization to Recover the Cattle (गोधनरक्षणार्थ विराटस्य सैन्यसमायोजनम्)
असकृन्मत्स्यराज्ञा मे राष्ट्र बाधितमोजसा । प्रणेता कीचकस्तस्य बलवानभवत् पुरा,“मत्स्यनरेशने बहुत बार अपने बल-पराक्रमसे धावा करके मेरे समूचे राष्ट्रको क्लेश पहुँचाया है। पहले बलवान् कीचक ही उनका सेनानायक था
asakṛn matsyarājñā me rāṣṭraṃ bādhitam ojasā | praṇetā kīcakas tasya balavān abhavat purā ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Viele Male hat der König der Matsyas, auf seine eigene Macht vertrauend, mein ganzes Reich bedrängt. In früheren Tagen war sein mächtiger Heerführer Kīcaka.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a political-ethical tension: unchecked reliance on sheer strength (ojas) leads to repeated harassment of other realms, implying that royal power should be restrained by dharma and responsible governance rather than aggression.
Vaiśampāyana reports that the Matsya king has repeatedly attacked and troubled the speaker’s kingdom, and notes that in earlier times the Matsya ruler’s chief military leader was the powerful Kīcaka—setting context for the military and political situation.