Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 32
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 22 — Draupadī’s Abduction Attempt and Bhīma’s Suppression of the Kīcakas
सत्य भ्रातृश्व धर्म च पुरस्कृत्य ब्रवीमि ते । कीचकं निहनिष्यामि वृत्रं देवपतिर्यथा
satyaṁ bhrātṛśva dharmaṁ ca puraskṛtya bravīmi te | kīcakaṁ nihaniṣyāmi vṛtraṁ devapatir yathā ||
Placing truth, brotherly loyalty, and dharma foremost, I declare this to you: I shall slay Kīcaka, just as Indra, lord of the gods, struck down Vṛtra. This is not mere anger, but a vow grounded in righteousness and the protection of one’s own.
भीमसेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames decisive action as ethically grounded: Bhīma’s resolve is presented as a vow made with satya (truth), dharma (righteous duty), and loyalty to his brothers as the guiding standards, implying that force is justified when it protects honor and restrains wrongdoing.
In the Virāṭa court episode, Bhīma declares his intention to kill Kīcaka, invoking the paradigm of Indra killing Vṛtra to emphasize certainty, legitimacy, and heroic capability in removing a dangerous aggressor.