Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 32
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 22 — Draupadī’s Abduction Attempt and Bhīma’s Suppression of the Kīcakas
सत्य भ्रातृश्व धर्म च पुरस्कृत्य ब्रवीमि ते । कीचकं निहनिष्यामि वृत्रं देवपतिर्यथा
satyaṁ bhrātṛśva dharmaṁ ca puraskṛtya bravīmi te | kīcakaṁ nihaniṣyāmi vṛtraṁ devapatir yathā ||
Plaçant au premier rang la vérité, la fidélité fraternelle et le dharma, je te le déclare : je tuerai Kīcaka, comme Indra, seigneur des dieux, abattit Vṛtra. Ce n’est pas une simple colère, mais un vœu fondé sur la justice et sur le devoir de protéger les siens.
भीमसेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames decisive action as ethically grounded: Bhīma’s resolve is presented as a vow made with satya (truth), dharma (righteous duty), and loyalty to his brothers as the guiding standards, implying that force is justified when it protects honor and restrains wrongdoing.
In the Virāṭa court episode, Bhīma declares his intention to kill Kīcaka, invoking the paradigm of Indra killing Vṛtra to emphasize certainty, legitimacy, and heroic capability in removing a dangerous aggressor.