Shloka 3

त्रिगर्त-मात्स्य-संग्रामः

The Trigarta–Matsya Engagement at Twilight

Devanagari script

कीचके तु हते राजा विराट: परवीरहा । परां सम्भावनां चक्रे कुन्तीपुत्रे युधिष्ठिरे,कीचकके मारे जानेपर शत्रुहन्ता राजा विराट कुन्तीपुत्र युधिष्ठिरके प्रति बड़ी आदरबुद्धि रखने और उनसे बड़ी-बड़ी आशाएँ करने लगे थे

Transliteration

kīcake tu hate rājā virāṭaḥ paravīrahā | parāṃ sambhāvanāṃ cakre kuntīputre yudhiṣṭhire ||

Translation

కీచకుడు హతుడైన తరువాత, శత్రువీర సంహారకుడైన రాజు విరాటుడు కుంతీపుత్రుడు యుధిష్ఠిరుని పట్ల పరమ గౌరవం కలిగి, అతనిపై గొప్ప ఆశలు పెట్టుకున్నాడు.

Word by Word

कीचकेwhen/with regard to Kīcaka

तुbut/indeed

हतेhaving been slain

राजाthe king

विराटःVirāṭa

परवीरहाslayer of enemy-heroes

पराम्great/supreme

सम्भावनाम्esteem/respect/high regard

चक्रेmade/held (showed)

कुन्तीपुत्रेin/with regard to Kuntī’s son

युधिष्ठिरेin/with regard to Yudhiṣṭhira

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Kīcaka

Virāṭa

Yudhiṣṭhira

Kuntī

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?

True worth becomes evident when coercive power and fear recede: after Kīcaka’s fall, Virāṭa turns to honoring Yudhiṣṭhira’s steady virtue and capacity for righteous leadership, suggesting that dharmic character naturally commands respect.

What is happening in the narrative?

Following Kīcaka’s death, King Virāṭa reassesses the situation at court and begins to treat Yudhiṣṭhira with exceptional honor, placing strong hopes in him—an early sign of Virāṭa’s growing trust in the disguised Pāṇḍavas.