KICHAKA-VADHA PARVA: Chapter 23

The destruction of minor Kichaka's

वैशम्पायन उवाच तस्मिन् काले समागम्य सर्वे तत्रास्य बान्धवाः। रुरुदुः कीचकं दृष्ट्वा परिवार्य समन्ततः॥
Vaishampayana said Coming there at that time and beholding Kichaka and surrounding him all sides his friends began to lament.

सर्वे संहृष्टरोमाणः संत्रस्ताः प्रेक्ष्य कीचकम्। तथा सम्भिन्नसर्वाङ्गं कूर्म स्थल इवोद्भुतम्॥
Then beholding Kichaka with all his limbs mangled like a tortoise brought to the land, the hairs of their bodies siood erect and they were filled with fear.

पोथितं भीमसेनेन तमिन्द्रेणेव दानवम्। संस्कारयितुमिच्छन्तो बहिर्नेतुं प्रचक्रमुः॥
Then seeing him crushed by Bhimasena like a Danava by Indra they tried to take him out side for performing his obsequial ceremonies.

ददृशुस्ते ततः कृष्णां सूतपुत्राः समागताः। अदूराच्चानवद्याङ्गी स्तम्भमालिङ्गय तिष्ठतीम्॥
Then the assembled sons of Suta beheld Krishna of faultless features standing hard by reclining on a pillar.

समवेतेषु सर्वेषु तामूचुरुपकीचकाः। हन्यतां शीघ्रमसती यत्कृते कीचको हतः॥
Amongst those assembled, some wicked Kichaka's exclaimed: "soon kill this unchaste woman for whom Kichaka has been slain.

अथवा नैव हन्तव्या दह्यतां कामिना सह। मृतस्यापि प्रियं कार्यं सूतपुत्रस्य सर्वथा।॥
Or without slaying her, let us burn her, with him who desired to have her; for we should do by all means what was liked by the deceased son of a Suta."

ततो विराटमूचुस्ते कीचकोऽस्याः कृते हतः। सहानेनाद्य दह्येम तदनुज्ञातुमर्हसि॥
Then they said to Virata: "For her, Kichaka has been slain; we shall burn her with him; it behoves you to give permission.”

पराक्रमं तु सूतानां मत्वा राजान्वमोदत। सैरन्याः सूतपुत्रेण सह दाहं विशाम्पतिः॥
0 King, knowing well the prowess of Sutas, he gave them permission to burn down Sairandhri with Suta's son.

तां समासाद्य वित्रस्तां कृष्णां कमललोचनाम्। पोमुह्यमानां ते तत्र जगृहुः कीचका भृशम्॥
Then approaching terrified Krishna, stricken with stupor and having lotus eyes the Kichaka's caught hold of her violently.

ततस्तु तां समारोप्य निबध्य च सुमध्यमाम्। जग्मुरुद्यम्य ते सर्वे श्मशानाभिमुखास्तदा॥
Then binding that youthful damsel and placing her upon the bier they started with great joy towards the cremation ground.

ह्रियमाणा तु सा राजन् सूतपुत्रैरनिन्दिता। प्राक्रोशन्नाथमिच्छन्ती कृष्णा नाथवती सती॥
Being thus carried away by the sons of Suta, O king, the faultless fertured and chaste Krishna, having lord, bewailed for the help of her husbands.

द्रौपद्युवाच जयो जयन्तो विजयो जयत्सेनो जयद्वलः। ते मे वाचं विजानन्तु सूतपुत्रा नयन्ति माम्॥
Draupadi said Let Jaya, Jayanta, Vijaya, Jayatsena and Jayadbala hear my words. The Sutas are taking me away.

येषां ज्यातलनिर्घोषो विस्फूर्जितमिवाशनेः। व्यश्रूयत महायुद्धे भीमघोषस्तरस्विनाम्॥ स्थघोषश्च बलवान् गन्धर्वाणां तरस्विनाम्। ते मे वाचं विजानन्तु सूतपुत्रा नयन्ति माम्॥
Let those powerful and quick-coursing Gandharvas, the clatter of whose cars is very great and the twang of whose bows in a great encounter is heard like the roar of thunder, understand that the Sutas are taking me away.

वैशम्पायन उवाच तस्यास्ताः कृपणा वाचः कृष्णायाः परिदेवितम्। श्रुत्वैवाभ्यापतद् भीमः शयनादविचारयन्॥
Vaishampayana said Hearing those sorrowful words and bewailing of Krishna, Bhima, without reflecting the least, got up from his bed.

भीमसेन उवाच अहं शृणोमि ते वाचं त्वया सैरन्ध्र भाषिताम्। तस्मात् ते सूतपुत्रेभ्यो भयं भीरु न विद्यते॥
Bhimasena said: I have heard those which O Sairandhri, you have said; you have no fear any more, O timid lady, from the Sutas.

वैशम्पायन उवाच इत्युक्त्वा स महाबाहुर्विजजृम्भे जिघांसया। ततः स व्यायतं कृत्वा वेषं विपरिवर्त्य च॥
Vaishampayana said Having said this, the mighty-armed; Bhima, to slay them, began to swell his body and then carefully changing his dress.

अद्वारेणाभ्यवस्कन्ध निर्जगाम बहिस्तदा। स भीमसेनः प्राकारादारुह्य तरसा दुमम्॥
He went out of the palace by a wrong way. Then speedily scaling the walls, Bhimasena.

श्मशानाभिमुखः प्रायाद् यत्र ते कीचका गताः। स लवयित्वा प्राकारं नि:सृत्य च पुरोत्तमात्।
Went to the cremation ground where the Kichaka's had-gone. Then scaling the walls and issuing out of the excellent city.

जवेन पतितो भीमः सूतानामग्रतस्तदा॥ चितासमीपे गत्वा स तत्रापश्यद् वनस्पतिम्।
Bhima furiously rushed before the Sutas. And going near the funeral pyre he saw there a tree.

तालमात्रं महास्कन्धं मूर्धशुष्कं विशाम्पते।॥ तं नागवदुपक्रम्य बाहुभ्यां परिरभ्य च।
Tall as a palmyra, with huge branches and with red top; then holding it like an elephant with his arms, he uprooted it.

स्कन्धमारोपयामास दशव्यामं परंतपः॥ स तं वृक्षं दशव्यामं सस्कन्धविटपं बली। प्रगृह्याभ्यद्रवत् सूतान् दण्डपाणिरिवान्तकः॥ ऊरुवेगेन तस्याथ न्यग्रोधाश्वत्यकिंशुकाः। भूमौ निपतिता वृक्षाः सङ्घशस्तत्र शेरते॥ तं सिंहमिव संक्रुद्ध दृष्ट्वा गन्धर्वमागतम्। वित्रेसुः सर्वशः सूता विषादभयकम्पिताः॥
Measuring ten Vyamas and placed it on his shoulders. Then taking that tree up with its trunk and branches, measuring ten Vyamas that slayer of foes rushed towards the Sutas like Yama with mace in his hand. By the velocity of his movement, the banian, Nyagrodha, Kinshukh and other trees fell down on earth an lay in a heap. Beholding that Gandharva approach enraged like a lion, all those Sutas were afraid and trembled in sorrow and fear, Then beholding the Gandharva approach like death, the Kichaka's cremated their cldest brother and spoke amongst themselves trembling in fear and sorrow.

गन्धर्वो बलवानेति क्रुद्ध उद्यम्य पादपम्। सैरन्ध्री मुच्यतां शीघ्रं यतो नो भयमागतम्॥
“Here comes the powerful Gandharva enraged uprooting a tree. Soon release Sairandhri from whom this fear has come."

ते तु दृष्ट्वा तदाऽऽविद्धं भीमसेनेन पादपम्। विमुच्य द्रौपदी तत्र प्राद्रवन्नगरं प्रति॥
Then seeing the tree that had been uprooted by Bhimaseni they set Draupadi free and ran towards the city.

द्रवतस्तांस्तु सम्प्रेक्ष्य स वज्री दानवानिव। शतं पञ्चाधिकं भीमः प्राहिणोद् यमसादनम्॥ वृक्षेणैतेन राजेन्द्र प्रभवानसुतो बली। तत आश्वासयत् कृष्णां स विमुच्य विशाम्पते।॥
Beholding them thus taking to their heels, the powerful Bhima, the son of the Wind-god, dispatched with that tree, O king, hundred and five of them to the abode of death, like the wielder of thunder-bolt, the Danavas. Then releasing Krishna he comforted her.

उवाच च महाबाहुः पाञ्चालीं तत्र द्रौपदीम्। अश्रुपूर्णमुखीं दीनां दुर्धर्षः स वृकोदरः॥
Then the irrepressible mighty-armed Vrikodara Bhima said to the poor Panchali, Draupadi, with tearful eyes.

एवं ते भीरु वध्यन्ते ये त्वां क्लिश्यन्त्यनागसम्। प्रैहि त्वं नगरं कृष्णे न भयं विद्यते तव॥ अन्येनाहं गमिष्यामि विराटस्य महानसम्॥
Then, O timid lady, all those from whom proceeded you misery, have been killed. Return O Krishna, to the city, you have no fear. I shall go to Virata's kitchen by another way.

वैशम्पायन उवाच पञ्चाधिकं शतं तच्च निहतं तेन भारत। महावनमिवच्छिन्नं शिश्ये विगलितगुमम्॥
Vaishampayana said O descendant of Bharata, thus there were slain hundred and five of them (as if) a huge forest over-spread with uprooted trees.

एवं ते निहता राजञ्छतं पञ्च च कीचकाः। स च सेनापतिः पूर्वमित्येतत् सूतषट्शतम्॥
Thus, Oking, one hundred and five Kichaka's killed. Including the commander-in-chief who was slain before, they were one hundred and six.

तद् दृष्ट्वा महदाश्चर्यं नरा नार्यश्च संगताः। विस्मयं परमं गत्वा नोचुः किञ्चन भारत॥
Beholding that wonderful deed men and women assembled; O descendant of Bharata, they were filled with surprise and could not speak any thing.