Shloka 33

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

Devanagari script

त॑ गद्दरे प्रकाशे वा पोथयिष्यामि कीचकम्‌ | अथ चेदपि योत्स्यन्ति हिंसे मत्स्यानपि ध्रुवम्‌,एकान्तमें या जन-समुदायमें जहाँ भी वह मिलेगा, कीचकको मैं कुचल डालूँगा और यदि मत्स्यदेशके लोग उसकी ओरसे युद्ध करेंगे, तो उन्हें भी निश्चय ही मार डालूँगा

Transliteration

taṁ gaddare prakāśe vā pothayiṣyāmi kīcakam | atha ced api yotsyanti hiṁse matsyān api dhruvam ||

Translation

ไม่ว่าจะในที่ลับหรือท่ามกลางผู้คน—ที่ใดพบกีจกะ ข้าจะบดขยี้เขาที่นั่น และหากชาวมัตสยะยืนข้างเขาแล้วออกศึก ข้าก็จักประหารพวกเขาอย่างแน่นอน”

Word by Word

तंhim (that one)

गदायाम्with/using a mace

प्रकाशेin public, openly

वाor

पोषयिष्यामिI will crush/strike down (lit. will cause to be smashed; reading as intended 'pothayiṣyāmi')

कीचकम्Kīcaka

अथthen, moreover

चेत्if

अपिeven, also

योत्स्यन्तिthey will fight

हिंसेI kill / I will slay (contextual future sense)

मत्स्यान्the Matsyas (people of Matsya)

अपिalso, even

ध्रुवम्certainly, surely

Speaker

भीमसेन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhimasena

Kichaka

Matsya (people/kingdom)

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?

Adharma—especially the violation of a woman’s dignity—demands decisive restraint of the offender; yet the verse also highlights the ethical tension that righteous protection can threaten to spill into broader violence if others defend wrongdoing.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the Pandavas’ incognito stay in Matsya, Bhima vows to kill Kichaka for his misconduct and declares that even if Matsya’s men support Kichaka and fight, he will defeat them too—signaling both protection and the danger of escalation.