Shloka 63
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 22 — Draupadī’s Abduction Attempt and Bhīma’s Suppression of the Kīcakas
अथैनमाक्षिप्य बलाद् गृहमध्ये वृकोदर: । धूनयामास वेगेन वायुश्नण्ड इव द्रुमम्
athainam ākṣipya balād gṛhamadhye vṛkodaraḥ | dhūnayāmāsa vegena vāyuśṇāṇḍa iva drumam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then Vṛkodara (Bhīma), seizing him and hurling him about by sheer force within the hall, shook him violently with speed—just as a fierce gust of wind buffets and whirls a tree. The scene underscores swift justice against Kīcaka’s abuse of power and the protection of Draupadī’s honor, carried out with decisive strength rather than prolonged cruelty.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power used to violate dharma—especially the harassment and coercion of the vulnerable—invites swift and decisive correction. The episode frames Bhīma’s force as protective justice: ending an ongoing wrongdoing and safeguarding Draupadī’s dignity.
Bhīma (Vṛkodara) grabs Kīcaka inside the hall and violently whirls and shakes him, compared to a storm-wind shaking a tree. It is the immediate physical domination that precedes Kīcaka’s fatal punishment for his misconduct.