Keechak-Vadha
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(Extract from 'The Mahabharata' of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa BOOK 4 "Virata-parva"
 
Translated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text
 
by Kisari Mohan Ganguli [1883-1896]
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"Thereat king Yudhishthira, apprehensive
of discovery, squeezed his thumbs and commanded Bhima to forbear. And
Bhima who then looked like an infuriate elephant eyeing a large tree, was
thus forbidden by his elder brother. And the latter said, 'Lookest thou,
O cook, for trees for fuel. If thou art in need of faggots, then go out
and fell trees.' And the weeping Draupadi of fair hips, approaching the
entrance of the court, and seeing her melancholy lords, desirous yet of
keeping up the disguise duty-bound by their pledge, with eyes burning in
fire, spoke these words unto the king of the Matsyas...."

(long discussion with king Virata and Yudhisthir, who is sitting there in disguise)

"Then the courtiers, having learnt every thing, applauded
Krishna, and they all exclaimed, 'Well done!' 'Well done!' and censured
Kichaka. And the courtiers said, 'That person who owneth this large-eyed
lady having every limb of hers endued with beauty for his wife,
possesseth what is of exceeding value and hath no occasion to indulge in
any grief. Surely, such a damsel of transcendent beauty and limbs
perfectly faultless is rare among men. Indeed, it seems to us that she is
a goddess.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'And while the courtiers, having beheld Krishna
(under such circumstances), were applauding her thus, Yudhishthira's
forehead, from ire, became covered with sweat. And that bull of the Kuru
race then addressed that princess, his beloved spouse, saying, 'Stay not
here, O Sairindhri; but retire to the apartments of Sudeshna. The wives
of heroes bear affliction for the sake of their husbands, and undergoing
toil in ministering unto their lords, they at last attain to region where
their husbands may go. Thy Gandharva husbands, effulgent as the sun, do
not, I imagine, consider this as an occasion for manifesting their wrath,
inasmuch as they do not rush to thy aid. O Sairindhri, thou art ignorant
of the timeliness of things, and it is for this that thou weepest as an
actress, besides interrupting the play of dice in Matsya's court. Retire,
O Sairindhri; the Gandharvas will do what is agreeable to thee. And they
will surely display thy woe and take the life of him that hath wronged
thee.' Hearing these words the Sairindhri replied, 'They of whom I am the
wedded wife are, I ween, extremely kind. And as the eldest of them all is
addicted to dice, they are liable to be oppressed by all.'"
===========================

(Draupadi appeals to Bhima)

"the daughter of Drupada entered her husband's quarters, saying, 'How canst
thou sleep while that wretched commander of Virata's forces, who is my
foe, yet liveth, having perpetrated today that (foul act)?'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then the chamber where Bhima slept, breathing
hard like a lion, being filled with the beauty of Drupada's daughter and
of the high-souled Bhima, blazed forth in splendour. And Krishna of sweet
smiles, finding Bhimasena in the cooking apartments, approached him with
the eagerness of a three-year old cow brought up in the woods,
approaching a powerful bull, in her first season, or of a she-crane
living by the water-side approaching her mate in the pairing season. And
the Princess of Panchala then embraced the second son of Pandu, even as a
creeper embraces a huge and mighty Sala on the banks of the Gomati. And
embracing him with her arms, Krishna of faultless features awaked him as
a lioness awaketh a sleeping lion in a trackless forest. And embracing
Bhimasena even as a she-elephant embraceth her mighty mate, the faultless
Panchali addressed him in voice sweet as the sound of a stringed
instrument emitting Gandhara note. And she said, 'Arise, arise! Why dost
thou, O Bhimasena, lie down as one dead? Surely, he that is not dead,
never suffereth a wicked wretch that hath disgraced his wife, to live.'
And awakened by the princess, Bhima of mighty arms, then rose up, and sat
upon his couch overlaid with a rich bed. And he of the Kuru race then
addressed the princess--his beloved wife, saying, 'For what purpose hast
thou come hither in such a hurry? Thy colour is gone and thou lookest
lean and pale. Tell me everything in detail. I must know the truth.
Whether it be pleasurable or painful, agreeable, or disagreeable, tell me
all. Having heard everything, I shall apply the remedy. I alone, O
Krishna, am entitled to thy confidence in all things, for it is I who
deliver thee from perils again and again! Tell me quickly what is thy
wish, and what is the purpose that is in thy view, and return thou to thy
bed before others awake.'"

"Draupadi said, 'What grief hath she not who hath Yudhishthira for her
husband? Knowing all my griefs, why dost thou ask me? The Pratikamin
dragged me to the court in the midst of an assembly of courtiers, calling
me a slave. That grief, O Bharata, consumeth me. What other princess,
save Draupadi, would live having suffered such intense misery? Who else,
save myself, could bear such second insult as the wicked Saindhava
offered me while residing in the forest? Who else of my position, save
myself, could live, having been kicked by Kichaka in the very sight of
the wicked king of the Matsyas? Of what value is life, O Bharata, when
thou, O son of Kunti, dost not think me miserable, although I am
afflicted with such woes? That vile and wicked wretch, O Bharata, known
by the name of Kichaka, who is the brother-in-law of king Virata and the
commander of his forces, every day, O tiger among men, addresses me who
am residing in the palace as a Sairindhri, saying, 'Do thou become my
wife.'--Thus solicited, O slayer of foes, by that wretch deserving to be
slain, my heart is bursting like a fruit ripened in season. Censure thou
that elder brother of thine addicted to execrable dice, through whose act
alone I have been afflicted with such woe. Who else, save him that is a
desperate gambler, would play, giving up kingdom and everything including
even myself, in order to lead a life in the woods? If he had gambled
morning and evening for many years together, staking nishkas by thousand
and other kinds of substantial wealth, still his silver, and gold, and
robes, and vehicles, and teams, and goats, and sheep, and multitudes of
steeds and mares and mules would not have sustained any diminution. But
now deprived of prosperity by the rivalry of dice, he sits dumb like a
fool, reflecting on his own misdeeds. Alas, he who, while sojourning, was
followed by ten thousand elephants adorned with golden garlands now
supports himself by casting dice. That Yudhishthira who at Indraprastha
was adored by kings of incomparable prowess by hundreds of thousands,
that mighty monarch in whose kitchen a hundred thousand maid-servants,
plate in hand, used every day to feed numerous guests day and night, that
best of liberal men, who gave (every day) a thousand nishkas, alas, even
he overwhelmed with woe in consequence of gambling which is the root of
all evil, now supporteth himself by casting dice. Bards and encomiasts by
thousands decked with ear-rings set with brilliant gems, and gifted with
melodious voice, used to pay him homage morning and evening. Alas, that
Yudhishthira, who was daily waited upon by a thousand sages of ascetic
merit, versed in the Vedas and having every desire gratified, as his
courtiers,--that Yudhishthira who maintained eighty-eight thousands of
domestic Snatakas with thirty maid-servants assigned unto each, as also
ten thousand yatis not accepting anything in gift and with vital seed
drawn up,--alas, even that mighty king now liveth in such guise. That
Yudhishthira who is without malice, who is full of kindness, and who
giveth every creature his due, who hath all these excellent attributes,
alas--even he now liveth in such guise. Possessed of firmness and
unbaffled prowess, with heart disposed to give every creature his due,
king Yudhishthira, moved by compassion, constantly maintained in his
kingdom the blind, the old, the helpless, the parentless and all others
in his dominions in such distress. Alas, that Yudhishthira becoming a
dependant and a servant of Matsya, a caster of dice in his court, now
calls himself Kanka. He unto whom while residing at Indraprastha, all the
rulers of earth used to pay timely tribute,--alas, even he now begs for
subsistence at another's hands. He to whom the kings of the earth were in
subjection,--alas, even that king having lost his liberty, liveth in
subjection to others. Having dazzled the entire earth like the sun by his
energy, that Yudhishthira, alas, is now a courtier of king Virata. O
Pandu's son, that Pandava who was respectfully waited upon in court by
kings and sages, behold him now waiting upon another. Alas, beholding
Yudhishthira a courtier sitting beside another and breathing adulatory
speeches to the other, who can help being afflicted with grief? And
beholding the highly wise and virtuous Yudhishthira, undeserving as he is
of serving others, actually serving another for sustenance, who can help
being afflicted with grief? And, O hero, that Bharata who was worshipped
in court by the entire earth, do thou now behold him worshipping another.
Why then, O Bharata, dost thou not regard me as one afflicted with
diverse miseries, like one forlorn and immersed in a sea of sorrow?'"

....

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then that slayer of hostile heroes, Vrikodara,
covering his face with those delicate hands of his wife marked with
corns, began to weep. And that mighty son of Kunti, holding the hands of
Draupadi in his, shed copious tears. And afflicted with great woe, he
spoke these words.'"

"Bhima said, 'Fie on the might of my arms and fie on the Gandiva of
Falguni, inasmuch as thy hands, red before, now become covered with
corns. I would have caused a carnage in Virata's court but for the fact
that Kunti's son eyed me (by way of forbidding it), or like a mighty
elephant. I would, without ado, have crushed the head of Kichaka
intoxicated with the pride of sovereignty. When, O Krishna, I beheld thee
kicked by Kichaka, I conceived at that instant a wholesale slaughter of
the Matsyas. Yudhishthira, however, forbade me by a glance, and, O
beauteous lady, understanding his intention I have kept quiet."

....

(Bhima then proceeds to kill Kichaka, exposing the presence of the Pandava's in Matsya Kingdom)
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