Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 73
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 22 — Draupadī’s Abduction Attempt and Bhīma’s Suppression of the Kīcakas
गृहीत्वा कीचकं॑ भीमो विरराज महाबल: । शार्दटूल: पिशिताकाड्क्षी गृहीत्वेव महामृगम्,जैसे कच्चे मांसकी अभिलाषा रखनेवाला सिंह महान् मृगको पकड़ ले, उसी प्रकार महाबली भीम कीचकको पकड़कर बड़ी शोभा पा रहे थे
gṛhītvā kīcakaṃ bhīmo virarāja mahābalaḥ | śārdūlaḥ piśitākāṅkṣī gṛhītv eva mahāmṛgam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Having seized Kīcaka, the mighty Bhīma shone with formidable splendor—like a tiger craving raw flesh that has caught a great beast. The image underscores Bhīma’s controlled ferocity: power employed to punish predatory wrongdoing and to protect the vulnerable within the bounds of righteous purpose.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Strength is ethically meaningful when directed toward protecting others and restraining predatory wrongdoing. The verse’s predator metaphor highlights not mere brutality, but decisive, dharma-aligned action against an oppressor.
In the Virāṭa court episode, Bhīma physically seizes Kīcaka, and his overpowering dominance is compared to a tiger capturing a great beast—foreshadowing Kīcaka’s imminent defeat as punishment for his misconduct.