Shloka 32
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 21 — Kīcaka’s clandestine approach and Bhīma’s covert intervention (नर्तनागारे कीचकवध-प्रसङ्गः)
दुरात्मा कीचकके उस संकल्पको मैं जान गयी और राजाकी शरणमें पहुँचनेके लिये बड़े वेगसे भागी ।। संदर्शने तु मां राज्ञ: सूतपुत्र: परामृशत् । पातयित्वा तु दुष्टात्मा पदाहं तेन ताडिता
saṅkalpaṁ kīcakasya durātmano jñātvāhaṁ rājñaḥ śaraṇaṁ prāptuṁ mahāvegād apalāyitā | sandarśane tu māṁ rājñaḥ sūtaputraḥ parāmṛśat | pātayitvā tu duṣṭātmā padāhaṁ tena tāḍitā ||
Knowing the wicked Kīcaka’s intention, I fled with great speed to seek refuge with the king. But in the king’s very presence, that charioteer’s son seized me; the vile man threw me down and struck me with his foot.
भीमसेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that dharma includes safeguarding those who seek refuge; when authority fails to restrain wrongdoing, especially against the vulnerable, it becomes a moral collapse. It condemns coercion and public impunity, implying the necessity of accountability and protection.
The speaker recounts that after realizing Kīcaka’s intent, she ran to the king for protection. Yet Kīcaka brazenly seized her in the king’s presence, threw her down, and kicked her—an act that sets the stage for retribution and the restoration of justice.