Shloka 21
Bhīmasena’s Counsel on Grief, Inner Conflict, and the Duty of Kingship (भीमसेन-उपदेशः)
पुनरज्ञातचर्यायां कीचकेन पदा वधम् । द्रौपद्या राजपुत्र्याश्न कथं विस्मृतवानसि,“फिर अज्ञातवासके समय कीचकने जो आपके सामने ही राजकुमारी द्रौपदीको लात मारी थी, उस घटनाको आपने सहसा कैसे भुला दिया?
punar ajñātacaryāyāṃ kīcakena padā vadham | draupadyā rājaputryāś ca kathaṃ vismṛtavān asi ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: «E ainda, durante o tempo em que vivíeis incógnitos, como pudeste esquecer tão de repente aquele ultraje—quando Kīcaka atingiu com o pé a princesa Draupadī diante dos teus próprios olhos?»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores moral accountability: grave public outrages—especially against a protected woman and a royal lady—must not be minimized or forgotten. Remembering such adharma is part of sustaining dharma, because it grounds rightful indignation, protection, and just response.
Vaiśampāyana recalls a specific incident from the Pāṇḍavas’ incognito exile: Kīcaka assaulted Draupadī by kicking her. He challenges the listener’s apparent forgetfulness, emphasizing the seriousness of the insult and the ethical weight of witnessing such wrongdoing.