Shloka 31
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 21 — Kīcaka’s clandestine approach and Bhīma’s covert intervention (नर्तनागारे कीचकवध-प्रसङ्गः)
विदित्वा तस्य संकल्पं कीचकस्य दुरात्मन: । तथाहं राजशरणं जवेनैव प्रधाविता
viditvā tasya saṅkalpaṃ kīcakasya durātmanaḥ | tathāhaṃ rājaśaraṇaṃ javenaiva pradhāvitā
เมื่อรู้เจตนาชั่วของกีจกะ ข้าพเจ้าก็รีบวิ่งด้วยความเร็วสุดกำลังไปขอพึ่งพระราชา
भीमसेन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When confronted with a powerful person’s immoral intent, dharma favors seeking legitimate protection and justice rather than yielding to coercion. The verse highlights the ethical duty of rulers to provide refuge and restrain wrongdoing.
Bhīma (speaking within the Virāṭa-court context) states that, realizing Kīcaka’s wicked plan, the speaker ran swiftly to take shelter with the king—indicating an appeal to royal authority against Kīcaka’s predatory behavior.