Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 18
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 22 — Draupadī’s Abduction Attempt and Bhīma’s Suppression of the Kīcakas
(कीचक उवाच तथा भद्रे करिष्यामि यथा त्वं भीरु मन्यसे । एक: सन् नर्तनागारमागमिष्यामि शो भने ।।
kīcaka uvāca—tathā bhadre kariṣyāmi yathā tvaṁ bhīru manyase | ekaḥ san nartanāgāram āgamiṣyāmi śobhane || samāgamārthaṁ suśroṇi śape ca sukṛtena me | yathā tvāṁ nāvabudhyante gandharvā varavarṇini || satyaṁ te pratijānāmi gandharvebhyo na te bhayam || vaiśampāyana uvāca—tam artham api jalpantyāḥ kṛṣṇāyāḥ kīcakena ha | divasārdhaṁ samabhavan māsenaiva samaṁ nṛpa ||
ກີຈະກະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ເປັນດັ່ງນັ້ນ, ໂອ ນາງຜູ້ອ່ອນໂຍນ; ໂອ ນາງຜູ້ຂີ້ອາຍ, ຂ້ອຍຈະເຮັດຕາມທີ່ເຈົ້າເຫັນວ່າດີ. ໂອ ນາງຜູ້ງາມ, ຂ້ອຍຈະມາຫໍຟ້ອນລຳຕາມລຳພັງເພື່ອພົບເຈົ້າ. ໂອ ສຸສໂຣນີ, ຂ້ອຍຂໍສາບານດ້ວຍບຸນກຸສົນຂອງຂ້ອຍ. ໂອ ນາງຜູ້ຜິວພັນດີເລີດ, ຂ້ອຍຈະກະທຳໃຫ້ພວກຄັນທະວະບໍ່ຮູ້ອັນໃດເລີຍກ່ຽວກັບເຈົ້າ. ຂ້ອຍຂໍປະກາດສັດຈິງ: ເຈົ້າບໍ່ມີຄວາມຢ້ານກົວຈາກພວກຄັນທະວະ». ໄວສຳປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ພະຣາຊາ, ຫຼັງຈາກ ກຣິສນາ (ດຣາວປະດີ) ໄດ້ສົນທະນາກັບກີຈະກະດັ່ງນີ້ແລ້ວ, ເວລາຄື່ງວັນທີ່ຍັງເຫຼືອ ກັບຮູ້ສຶກໜັກແລະຍາວນານແກ່ນາງ ດັ່ງກັບໜຶ່ງເດືອນເຕັມ—ໃນຂະນະທີ່ນາງລໍຖ້າເພື່ອນຳເລື່ອງນັ້ນໄປກ່າວ (ແລະຂໍການຊົດເຊີຍ)».
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how unethical desire often masks itself with the language of virtue—oaths, promises, and assurances—while the victim experiences intense psychological burden. It implicitly contrasts empty pledges with true dharma: protection of the vulnerable and restraint of power.
Kīcaka tries to persuade Draupadī to meet him privately in the dance-hall, claiming he will come alone and that the ‘Gandharvas’ will not know—swearing by his merit. After this exchange, Draupadī feels the remaining half-day drag on like a month as she waits to act on the situation and seek help.