Shloka 78

Devanagari script

त॑ विषीदन्तमाज्ञाय कीचकं पाण्डुनन्दन: । भूतले भ्रामयामास वाक्यं चेदमुवाच ह,मृत्युके समय कीचकको विषाद करते देख पाण्डुनन्दन भीमने उसे धरतीपर घसीटा और इस प्रकार कहा--

Transliteration

taṁ viṣīdantam ājñāya kīcakaṁ pāṇḍunandanaḥ | bhūtale bhrāmayāmāsa vākyaṁ cedam uvāca ha ||

Translation

Nang makita ni Bhīma—anak ni Pāṇḍu—na si Kīcaka ay nalulugmok sa kawalang-pag-asa, sinunggaban niya ito at kinaladkad sa lupa. Pagkaraan, sa mahigpit na tinig, sinabi niya ang mga salitang ito.

Word by Word

तम्him

विषीदन्तम्desponding, grieving

आज्ञायhaving known, realizing

कीचकम्Kichaka

पाण्डुनन्दनःPandu's son (Bhima)

भूतलेon the ground

भ्रामयामासmade (him) whirl/drag about

वाक्यम्speech, words

चand

इदम्this

उवाचsaid, spoke

हindeed (particle)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kīcaka

Bhīma (Pāṇḍunandana)

Bhūtalā (the ground/earth)

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?

The verse underscores moral accountability: when a powerful wrongdoer causes harm and then collapses in fear, dharma demands decisive restraint and punishment to protect others and restore order. Strength is portrayed as ethically justified when used to check abuse and uphold justice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Bhīma recognizes Kīcaka’s despair and physically overpowers him, dragging him on the ground. Bhīma then begins to speak—introducing a warning or pronouncement that frames the impending punishment within a justice-oriented context.