Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 15

Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 22 — Draupadī’s Abduction Attempt and Bhīma’s Suppression of the Kīcakas

Devanagari script

समागमार्थ रम्भोरु त्वया मदनमोहित: । यथा त्वां नैव पश्येयुर्गन्धर्वा: सूर्यवर्चस:

Transliteration

samāgamārthaṃ rambhoru tvayā madanamohitaḥ | yathā tvāṃ naiva paśyeyur gandharvāḥ sūryavarcasaḥ ||

Translation

ఓ రంభోరు, నీపై కామమోహితుడనై సమాగమార్థం నేను అలా వస్తాను—సూర్యసమాన తేజస్సు గల గంధర్వులు ఆ వేళ నిన్ను నాతో కలిసి చూడలేరు.

Word by Word

• समागम-अर्थम्: for the purpose of union
• समागम-अर्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: समागम (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• रम्भोरु: O one with thighs like Rambhā
• Type: Noun
• Root: रम्भोरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• त्वया: by you / with you
• त्वया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन

• मदन-मोहितः: deluded by love (Kāma)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मदन (प्रातिपदिक) + मुहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √मुह्)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यथा: so that / in such a way that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)

• एव: indeed / at all
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)

• पश्येयुः: might see
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (दृश्-अर्थे)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, potential/optative, प्रथम, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• गन्धर्वाः: Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सूर्य-वर्चसः: having sun-like radiance
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्चस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• रम्भोरु: O one with thighs like Rambhā
• Type: Noun
• Root: रम्भोरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

कीचक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kīcaka
• Gandharvas
• Madana (Kāma)
• the addressed woman (Draupadī as Sairandhrī, implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical collapse that occurs when desire (kāma) overrides restraint: Kīcaka plans secrecy not to correct wrongdoing but to evade accountability. In Mahābhārata’s moral frame, concealment used to facilitate exploitation is a mark of adharma and foreshadows inevitable consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kīcaka, inflamed with desire for the woman serving as Sairandhrī (Draupadī in disguise), proposes a clandestine meeting for sexual union. He refers to her ‘Gandharvas’—the supposed radiant protectors she claims as husbands/guardians—and schemes to ensure they do not witness him with her.