Shloka 10
द्रौपद्याः भीमसेन-प्रबोधनम्
Draupadī Awakens Bhīmasena
इस प्रकार पकड़में आनेपर कीचकको धरतीपर गिराकर भयसे काँपती हुई द्रौपदीने भागकर उस राज-सभाकी शरण ली, जहाँ राजा युधिष्ठिर विद्यमान थे ।। तां कीचकः प्रधावन्तीं केशपाशे परामृशत् । अथीनां पश्यतो राज्ञ: पातयित्वा पदावधीत्
tāṃ kīcakaḥ pradhāvantīṃ keśapāśe parāmṛśat | athīnām paśyato rājñaḥ pātayitvā padāvadhīt ||
As Draupadī fled in terror toward the royal assembly seeking refuge where King Yudhiṣṭhira sat, Kīcaka rushed after her, seized her by the braid of her hair, threw her down before the very eyes of the king and the gathered nobles, and kicked her.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how adharma spreads when power is unchecked and a public court fails to protect someone seeking refuge. It also frames a moral tension: Yudhiṣṭhira and the Pāṇḍavas must uphold dharma while constrained by their vow of concealment, showing that ethical action can be tested by circumstance, fear, and political risk.
Draupadī runs to the royal hall for protection. Kīcaka chases her, grabs her by the hair, throws her down in front of the king and courtiers, and kicks her—an open act of humiliation that sets up the later response and retribution within the Virāṭa episode.