Shloka 21

Bhīmasena’s Counsel on Grief, Inner Conflict, and the Duty of Kingship (भीमसेन-उपदेशः)

Devanagari script

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?

Transliteration

punar ajñātacaryāyāṃ kīcakena padā vadham | draupadyā rājaputryāś ca kathaṃ vismṛtavān asi ||

Translation

మళ్లీ అజ్ఞాతవాస సమయంలో, నీ కళ్లముందే కీచకుడు రాజకుమారి ద్రౌపదిని కాలితో కొట్టాడు—ఆ అవమానాన్ని నీవు ఇంత త్వరగా ఎలా మరచిపోయావు?

Word by Word

पुनःagain

अज्ञातचर्यायाम्in the period of living incognito

कीचकेनby Kichaka

पदाwith the foot

वधम्killing; slaying

द्रौपद्याःof Draupadi

राजपुत्र्याःof the princess

नnot

कथम्how

विस्मृतवान्have you forgotten

असिyou are (auxiliary with विस्मृतवान्)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kīcaka

Draupadī

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 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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.