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 ||
真実と兄弟への忠義、そしてダルマを先に立てて、汝に告げる。われはキーचकを討つ。天帝インドラがヴリトラを打ち倒したように。これはただの憤怒ではない。正義に根ざし、身内を護るための誓願である。
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.