Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 17
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 22 — Draupadī’s Abduction Attempt and Bhīma’s Suppression of the Kīcakas
द्रौोपदीने कहा--कीचक! मत्स्यराजने यह जो नृत्यशाला बनवायी है, उसमें दिनके समय कन्याएँ नृत्य करती हैं तथा रातमें अपने-अपने घर चली जाती हैं ।।
Draupady uvāca—Kīcaka! matsyarājena yā nṛtyaśālā kāritā, tasyāṁ divā kanyā nṛtyanti, rātrau ca sva-sva-gṛhān gacchanti. Tamas-tare tatra gacchethāḥ; gandharvāḥ tan na jānate. Tatra doṣaḥ parihṛto bhaviṣyati, na saṁśayaḥ.
Draupadī dit : « Kīcaka, dans la salle de danse que le roi Matsya a fait bâtir, les jeunes filles dansent le jour et, la nuit, retournent chacune chez elle. Va là-bas à l’heure la plus sombre. Les Gandharvas ne connaissent pas cet endroit. Si nous nous y rencontrons, tout blâme sera écarté—sans aucun doute. »
कीचक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how social blame (doṣa) and public perception can be manipulated by the powerful, and how the vulnerable may resort to strategic speech to protect dignity and safety. It also frames ethical tension: Draupadī’s words are a calculated ruse to avert immediate danger and set conditions for rightful protection, showing prudence under oppression rather than consent.
Kīcaka is pursuing Draupadī while the Pāṇḍavas live incognito in King Virāṭa’s palace. Draupadī, invoking the idea of ‘Gandharvas’ as her protectors, directs Kīcaka to come at deep night to the dance-hall, claiming it is unknown to the Gandharvas and thus free from scandal. In the broader episode, this arrangement becomes the setup for Bhīma to confront and punish Kīcaka.
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