कीचको माऽवधीत्तत्र सुराहारीमितोगताम्। सभायां पश्यतो राज्ञो यथा वै निर्जने वने ।। 68
Kichaka did not kill me there, though he was intoxicated, as I entered the hall before the king, just as one might in a lonely forest.
घातयामि सुदन्तोष्ठि कीचकं यदि मन्यसे। भ्राता यद्येष मे व्यक्तं योऽतीतो धर्मचारिणीम्। यस्त्वां कामाभिभूतात्मा दुर्लभामवमन्यते ।। 69
If you wish, I will slay Kichaka, whose teeth are well-formed; if he is truly my brother, who has violated a woman of virtue, who, overcome by desire, has insulted you, so difficult to approach.
अद्यैव तं हनिष्यन्ति येषामागस्करो हि सः। मन्येऽहमद्य वा श्वो वा परलोकं गमिष्यति ।। 70
Today, those whose offense he has committed will kill him; I believe today or tomorrow he will depart for the next world.
भ्रातुः प्रयच्छ त्वरिता जीवच्छ्राद्धं त्वमद्य वै। सुहृष्टं कुरु वै चैनं नासून्मन्ये धरिष्यति ।। 71
Quickly offer the living funeral rites for your brother today; make him joyful, for I do not think he will keep his life.
तेषां हि मम भर्तॄणां पञ्चानां धर्मचारिणाम्। एको दुर्धषणोऽत्यर्थं बले चाप्रतिमो भुवि ।। 72
Of my five husbands, all righteous, one is especially fierce, unmatched in strength on earth.
निर्मनुष्यमिमं लोकं कुर्यात्क्रुद्धो निशामिमाम्। न स संक्रुध्यते तावद्गन्धर्वः कामरूपधृत् ।। 73
If angered, he could make this world devoid of people in a single night; but the Gandharva, who takes any form he wishes, does not become angry yet.
नूनं ज्ञास्यति यावद्वै ममैतत्पादघातनम्। तत्क्षणात्कीचकः पापः सपुत्रभ्रातृबान्धवः। विनशिष्यति दुष्टात्मा यथा दुष्कृतकर्मकृत् ।। 74
Surely, when he learns of this blow to my foot, at that moment, the wicked Kichaka, along with his sons, brothers, and kin, will perish, just as one who has committed evil deeds.
अपि चैतत्पुरा प्रोक्तं निपुणैर्मनुजोत्तमैः। एकस्तु कुरुते पापं कालपाशवशं गतः। नीचेनात्मापराधेन कुलं तेन विनश्यति ।। 75
Indeed, it has been said before by wise and noble men: when one commits evil, bound by the noose of fate, his whole family is destroyed by his own wrongdoing.
सुदेष्णामेवमुक्त्वा तु सैरन्ध्री दुःखमोहिता। कीचकस्य वधार्थाय व्रतदीक्षामुपागमत् ।। 76
Having spoken thus to Sudeshna, Sairandhri, overwhelmed by sorrow, undertook a vow for the purpose of Kichaka's death.
अभ्यर्थिता च नारीभिर्मानिता च सुदेष्णया। न च स्नाति न चाश्नाति न पांसून्परिमार्जति। रुधिरक्लिन्नवदना बभूव मृदितेक्षणा ।। 77
Requested by the women and honored by Sudeshna, she neither bathed nor ate, nor cleaned herself; her face was stained with blood, her eyes bruised.
तां तथा शोकसन्तप्तां दृष्ट्वा प्ररुदितां स्त्रियः। कीचकस्य वधं सर्वा मनोभिश्च शशंसिरे ।। 78
Seeing her so afflicted by grief and weeping, the women wished in their hearts for Kichaka's death.
अहो दुःखतरं प्राप्ता कीचकेन पदा हता। पतिव्रता महाभागा द्रौपदी योषितांवरा ।। 1
Alas, Draupadi, the most fortunate and virtuous among women, has suffered greater sorrow, struck by Kichaka's foot.
दुःशलां स्मारयन्ती सा भर्तॄणां भगिनीं शुभाम्। नाशपत्सिन्धुराजं सा बलात्कारेण वाहिता ।। 2
She recalls Duhshala, the noble sister of her husbands, who was carried away by the king of Sindhu by force.
किमर्थमिह संप्राप्ता कीचकेन दुरात्मना । नाशपत्तं महाभागा कृष्णा पादेन ताडिता ।। 3
Why has the noble Krishna come here, struck by the wicked Kichaka's foot, though she is most blessed?
तेजोराशिरियं देवी धर्मज्ञा सत्यवादिनी । केशपांशे परामृष्टा मर्षयन्ती ह्यशक्तवत् ।। 4
This goddess, a treasury of energy, knower of righteousness, and speaker of truth, endured being seized by the hair, bearing it as one powerless.
नैतत्कारणमल्पं हि श्रोतुकामोऽस्मि सत्तम। कृष्णायास्तु परिक्लेशान्मनो मे दूयते भृशम् ।। 5
This is not a trivial matter; I wish to hear the reason, O noble one. My heart is greatly troubled by the hardships Kṛṣṇā has endured.
कस्य वंशे समुद्भूतः स च दुर्ललितो मुने । बलोन्मत्तः कथं चासीत्स्यालो मात्स्यस्य कीचकः ।। 6
In what lineage was that difficult-to-control Kīcaka born, O sage? How did he, intoxicated by strength, become the brother-in-law of the Matsya king?
दृष्ट्वापि तां प्रियां भार्यां सूतपुत्रेण ताडिताम् । नैव चुक्षुभिरे वीराः किमकुर्वन्त तं प्रति ।। 7
Even after seeing their beloved wife struck by the charioteer's son, the heroes did not become agitated; what did they do in response to him?
त्वदुक्तोऽयमनुप्रश्नः कुरूणां कीर्तिवर्धनः। एतत्सर्वं यथा वक्ष्ये विस्तरेणेह पार्थिव ।। 8
This question you have asked, which increases the fame of the Kurus, I shall explain to you fully, O king, just as it happened.
ब्राह्मण्यां क्षत्रियाञ्जातः सूतो भवति पार्थिव । प्रातिलोम्येन जातानां स ह्येको द्विज एव तु ।। 9
When a charioteer is born from a Kṣatriya father and a Brāhmaṇa mother, O king, he is the only twice-born among those born from mixed unions.
रथकारमितीमं हि क्रियायुक्तं द्विजन्मनाम्। क्षत्रियादवरो वैश्याद्विशिष्ट इति चक्षते ।। 10
Such a one, engaged in the duties of the twice-born, is called a rathakāra. He is considered lower than a Kṣatriya but superior to a Vaiśya.
सह सूतेन संबन्धः कृतः पूर्वं नराधिपैः। तेन तु प्रातिलोम्येन राजशब्दो न लभ्यते ।। 11
Kings of old established connections with charioteers, but through this mixed union, the title of 'king' is not obtained.
तेषां तु सूतविषयः सूतानां नामतः कृतः। उपजीव्यं च यत्क्षेत्रं राजन्सूतेन वै पुरा ।। 12
The territory of the charioteers was named after them, and the land that charioteers formerly lived on, O king, was their means of livelihood.
सूतानामधिपो राजा केकयो नाम विश्रुतः। राजकन्यासमुद्भूतः सारथ्येऽनुपमोऽभवत् ।। 13
Among the charioteers, there was a renowned king named Kekaya, born of a royal princess, who became unmatched in charioteering.
पुत्रास्तस्य कुरुश्रेष्ठ मालव्यां जझिरे तदा। कीचका इति विख्याताः शतं षट् चैव भारत ।। 14
O best of the Kurus, his sons, famed as the Kīcakas, a hundred and six in number, were born to Mālavī.
तेषामासीद्बलश्रेष्ठः कीचकः सर्वजित्प्रभो। अग्रजो बलसंमत्तस्तेनासीत्सूतषट्शतम् ।। 15
Among them, Kīcaka, the eldest and strongest, was supreme in might, and because of him, there were six hundred charioteers.
मालव्या एव कौरव्य तत्र ह्यवरजाऽभवत्। तस्यां केकयराज्ञस्तु सुदेष्णा दुहिताऽभवत् ।। 16
O descendant of Kuru, among the Mālavas, there was a younger daughter, and from her and the king of the Kekayas was born Sudeṣṇā.
तां विराटस्य मात्स्यस्य केकयः प्रददौ मुदा। सुरथायां मृतायां तु कौसल्यां श्वेतमातरि ।। 17
With joy, Kekaya gave Sudeṣṇā to Virāṭa, king of the Matsyas, after Surathā had died and Kausalyā was the mother of Śveta.
श्वेते विनष्टे शङ्खे च गते मातुलवेश्मनि । सुदेष्णां महिषीं लब्ध्वा राज दुःखमपानुदत् ।। 18
When Śveta perished and Śaṅkha too had gone to his maternal uncle's house, the king, having obtained Sudeṣṇā as his chief queen, dispelled his sorrow.
उत्तरं चोत्तरां चैव विराटात्पृथिवीपते। सुदेष्णा सुषुवे देवी कैकेयी कुलवृद्धये ।। 19
O lord of the earth, Sudeṣṇā, the noble Kaikeyī, gave birth to Uttara and Uttarā from Virāṭa, for the increase of the family.