Shloka 226

धर्मरहस्योपदेशः

Dharma-rahasya Instruction: Vows, Truth, and Non-injury

Devanagari script

गूढभावं समाश्रित्य कीचक: सगणो हत: । “विराटनगरमें अज्ञातवास करते समय इन्होंने द्रौषपदीका प्रिय करनेकी इच्छासे छिपे- छिपे जाकर केवल बाहुबलसे कीचकको उसके साथियोंसहित मार डाला था

Transliteration

gūḍhabhāvaṃ samāśritya kīcakaḥ sagaṇo hataḥ |

Translation

Disse Sañjaya: Assumindo uma identidade oculta e agindo com intento velado, ele matou Kīcaka juntamente com seus seguidores. Isso recorda o tempo na cidade de Virāṭa, durante o exílio incógnito dos Pāṇḍava: quando Kīcaka tentou violar Draupadī, Bhīma foi em segredo e, confiando apenas na força dos braços, matou Kīcaka e seus companheiros, preservando sua honra e sustentando o dharma.

Word by Word

गूढभावम्hidden intention/secret motive

समाश्रित्यhaving resorted to / taking refuge in

कीचकःKīcaka

सगणःtogether with his followers/retinue

हतःkilled/slain

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Kīcaka

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that strength and strategy may be used ethically to protect the vulnerable and uphold dharma: wrongdoing driven by lust and abuse of power (Kīcaka) warrants decisive restraint and punishment, even if carried out discreetly to preserve a larger righteous purpose (the Pāṇḍavas’ incognito vow).

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reminds Dhṛtarāṣṭra of an earlier event: during the Pāṇḍavas’ year of incognito exile in Virāṭa’s city, Kīcaka pursued Draupadī with immoral intent; Bhīma, acting secretly, killed Kīcaka along with his associates.