Shloka 69
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 22 — Draupadī’s Abduction Attempt and Bhīma’s Suppression of the Kīcakas
तलाभ्यां स तु भीमेन वक्षस्यभिहतो बली । कीचको रोषसंतप्त: पदान्न चलित: पदम्
talābhyāṃ sa tu bhīmena vakṣasy abhihato balī | kīcako roṣa-saṃtaptaḥ padān na calitaḥ padam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then the mighty Kīcaka was struck on the chest by Bhīma with both open palms. Though the blow landed, Kīcaka flared up in anger; yet he did not shift even a single step from where he stood—showing both his physical pride and the escalating arrogance that will soon invite retribution.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Unchecked pride and anger can make one outwardly unshaken yet inwardly blinded; the episode frames Kīcaka’s arrogance as a moral fault that hastens just consequences, while Bhīma’s controlled force serves a larger duty of protecting the vulnerable.
During the confrontation, Bhīma strikes Kīcaka on the chest with both palms. Kīcaka, though hit, becomes enraged and refuses to yield even a step, intensifying the conflict that will culminate in his downfall.