Shloka 24

Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 21 — Kīcaka’s clandestine approach and Bhīma’s covert intervention (नर्तनागारे कीचकवध-प्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त: सुदुष्टात्मा कीचक: प्रत्युवाच ह । नाहं बिभेमि सैरन्ध्रि गन्धर्वाणां शुचिस्मिते,मेरे ऐसा कहनेपर महा दुष्टात्मा कीचकने उत्तर दिया--'पवित्र मुसकानवाली सैरन्ध्री! मैं गन्धर्वोंसे नहीं डरता

Transliteration

evam uktaḥ suduṣṭātmā kīcakaḥ pratyuvāca ha | nāhaṁ bibhemi sairandhri gandharvāṇāṁ śucismite ||

Translation

ఇలా చెప్పబడినపుడు ఆ పరమ దుష్టాత్ముడు కీచకుడు ప్రత్యుత్తరం ఇచ్చాడు—‘ఓ శుచిస్మితే సైరంధ్రీ! నాకు గంధర్వులంటే భయం లేదు.’

Word by Word

एवम्thus

उक्तःhaving been spoken to / addressed

सुदुष्टात्माthe very wicked-souled (one)

कीचकःKīcaka

प्रत्युवाचreplied

हindeed / (emphatic particle)

नnot

अहम्I

बिभेमिfear

सैरन्ध्रिO Sairandhrī (maid/attendant)

गन्धर्वाणाम्of the Gandharvas

शुचिस्मितेO one with pure smile

Speaker

भीमसेन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Kīcaka

Sairandhrī (Draupadī)

Gandharvas

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?

Boastful confidence rooted in wrongdoing is portrayed as moral blindness: Kīcaka’s refusal to fear consequences reflects adharma and foreshadows downfall, while the narrative upholds that power without restraint invites retribution.

What is happening in the narrative?

After being spoken to, Kīcaka responds directly to Sairandhrī (Draupadī in disguise), declaring that he is not afraid of the Gandharvas—figures invoked as her protectors—thereby escalating his intimidation and setting up the coming confrontation.