Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 23

Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 22 — Draupadī’s Abduction Attempt and Bhīma’s Suppression of the Kīcakas

Devanagari script

कृतसम्प्रत्ययस्तस्या: कीचक: काममोहित: । नाजानाद दिवसं यान्तं चिन्तयान: समागमम्‌

Transliteration

kṛtasampratyayas tasyāḥ kīcakaḥ kāmamohitaḥ | nājānād divasaṁ yāntaṁ cintayānaḥ samāgamam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Aveuglé par la luxure, Kīcaka accorda une entière confiance à ses paroles. Absorbé à imaginer le plaisir de la rencontre, il ne remarqua même pas le passage du jour : son esprit était captif du désir et de l’illusion.

Word by Word

• कृतसम्प्रत्ययः: having formed full conviction (fully convinced)
• कृतसम्प्रत्ययः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतसम्प्रत्यय (बहुव्रीहि-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• कीचकः: Kichaka
• कीचकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• काममोहितः: deluded by desire
• काममोहितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काममोहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; मुह् + क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अजानात्: he did not know
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दिवसम्: the day
• दिवसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यान्तम्: passing (going on)
• यान्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: या (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• चिन्तयन्: thinking (while thinking)
• चिन्तयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• समागमम्: meeting, union
• समागमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: समागम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kīcaka
• Draupadī (implied as 'tasyāḥ')

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Unchecked kāma (desire) produces moha (delusion): it clouds judgment, makes one credulous, and erodes awareness and restraint. The verse ethically frames Kīcaka’s state as moral and cognitive impairment caused by lust.

What is happening in the narrative?

After being led to believe Draupadī (as Sairandhrī) will meet him, Kīcaka becomes convinced and spends the day fantasizing about the rendezvous, so absorbed that he fails to notice time passing.