Shloka 28
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 13 — Kīcaka’s Proposition and Draupadī’s Dharmic Refusal
क्षेपणै्मुष्टिभिश्वैव* * वराहोद्धूतनि:स्वनै:३ | तलैरवजनिपातैश्वरं प्रसृष्ठाभिस्तथैव" च,कभी दोनों दोनोंको बलपूर्वक पीछे हटाते और मुक्कोंसे एक-दूसरेकी छातीपर चोट करते थे। कभी एकको दूसरा अपने कंधेपर उठा लेता और उसका मुँह नीचे करके घुमाकर पटक देता था, जिससे ऐसा शब्द होता; मानो किसी शूकरने चोट की हो। कभी परस्पर तर्जनी और अँगूठेके मध्यभागको फैलाकर चाँटोंकी मार होती और कभी हाथकी अंगुलियोंको फैलाकर वे एक- दूसरेको थप्पड़ मारते थे
kṣepaṇair muṣṭibhiś caiva varāhoddhūta-niḥsvanaiḥ | talair avajani-pātaiś caivaṃ prasṛṣṭābhis tathaiva ca ||
Vaiśampāyana said: They fought in close quarters—shoving and striking with fists that rang out like the harsh snorting sound of a boar shaken into fury. At times one would forcefully drive the other back; at times they would batter each other’s chest with punches. Sometimes one would hoist the other onto his shoulder, whirl him face-down, and slam him to the ground with a resounding crash. At other moments they traded open-handed blows—slaps delivered with spread fingers and sharp strikes driven by the palm—each testing the other’s strength and resolve in a contest of sheer bodily prowess.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the raw, embodied dimension of kṣātra (martial) life: strength, endurance, and technique are tested through controlled yet violent engagement. Ethically, it underscores how prowess can be displayed without weapons, emphasizing discipline and resilience rather than deceit.
Vaiśampāyana describes a fierce hand-to-hand struggle: the fighters shove, punch, slap with open palms, lift and slam each other, and the impacts resound—likened to the harsh noise of an enraged boar.