Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 22

Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 22 — Draupadī’s Abduction Attempt and Bhīma’s Suppression of the Kīcakas

Devanagari script

आसीदभ्यधिका चापि श्री: श्रियं प्रमुमुक्षत: । निर्वाणकाले दीपस्य वर्तीमिव दिधक्षत:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

āsīd abhyadhikā cāpi śrīḥ śriyaṃ pramumukṣataḥ |

nirvāṇakāle dīpasya vartīm iva didhakṣataḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Even the splendor of Kīcaka increased beyond measure at that time, though he was one about to be permanently severed from royal fortune. It was like the flame of a lamp that flares up brightly at the moment of going out, as if wishing to burn the wick once more.

Word by Word

• आसीत्: was
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), 3, singular

• अभ्यधिका: exceeding, greater
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभ्यधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• श्रीः: splendour, beauty, fortune
• श्रीः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• श्रियम्: splendour (as object/goal)
• श्रियम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• प्रमुमुक्षतः: of (one) wishing to abandon/release
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + मुच् (धातु) → प्रमुमुक्षु (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• निर्वाणकाले: at the time of going out/extinction
• निर्वाणकाले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण-काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• दीपस्य: of a lamp
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• वर्तीम्: wick
• वर्तीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• दिधक्षतः: of (one) wishing to kindle/burn
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धा/धक्ष्? (धातु) → दिधक्षु (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, desiderative sense 'to burn/kindle')
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Śrī (Lakṣmī/fortune)
• dīpa (lamp)
• vartī (wick)
• Kīcaka

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches the impermanence of worldly splendor and the moral irony that arrogance and unrighteous desire may appear to flourish just before collapse—like a lamp flaring up at the moment it is about to go out.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Kīcaka episode of the Virāṭa Parva, Kīcaka’s outward magnificence and self-assured display intensify even as his downfall is imminent; the narrator marks this as a sign of approaching destruction.