Shloka 42
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 22 — Draupadī’s Abduction Attempt and Bhīma’s Suppression of the Kīcakas
शयानं शयने तत्र सूतपुत्र: परामृशत् । जाज्वल्यमानं कोपेन कृष्णाधर्षणजेन ह
śayānaṃ śayane tatra sūtaputraḥ parāmṛśat | jājvalyamānaṃ kopena kṛṣṇādharṣaṇajenaha ||
Vaiśampāyana said: There, as Bhīmasena lay upon a couch, the charioteer’s son Kīcaka came and felt about with his hand. Bhīma, of immeasurable prowess, was blazing with anger born of the outrage done to Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī).
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical consequence of adharma: violating another’s dignity—especially a woman’s honor—provokes righteous resistance. Bhīma’s anger is framed not as mere rage but as a dharmic response to protect the wronged and to restrain an aggressor.
In the Virāṭa court episode, Kīcaka approaches the secluded couch where Bhīma lies and presumptuously touches him, searching or testing. Bhīma, already inflamed by Kīcaka’s outrage against Draupadī, is poised to act against him.