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Kichaka PDF

Kichaka was one of five warriors known as those with the strength of a lion. He was killed, arousing suspicion in the Kaurava camp as they did not know the Pandavas were staying in Virata's kingdom. This episode of Kichaka's death was suppressed in the original text but scholars saw it as an important missing detail, leading to attempted interpolations. The writer likely did not know of this incident either, as the story of Kichaka's infatuation with Draupadi and his death was adapted from a Greek fable into the Mahabharata where it did not originally appear.

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269 views

Kichaka PDF

Kichaka was one of five warriors known as those with the strength of a lion. He was killed, arousing suspicion in the Kaurava camp as they did not know the Pandavas were staying in Virata's kingdom. This episode of Kichaka's death was suppressed in the original text but scholars saw it as an important missing detail, leading to attempted interpolations. The writer likely did not know of this incident either, as the story of Kichaka's infatuation with Draupadi and his death was adapted from a Greek fable into the Mahabharata where it did not originally appear.

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Sandrani
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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Kichaka was a Simhabala or of the lion's strength. He was one of five centemporaries to whom that title was appropriated.

Bhima and Duryodhana were two others ; none but one of them could kill some other of them in a hand to hand fight. Great was the excitement therefore in Kaurava circles, when th news of Kichaka's murder spread. The suspicion of the Kauravas was aroused. They started inquiries. As yet they were unaware of the existence of the Pandavas at Virata's capital,

This episode should not have been suppressed.

That it was suppressed seems to have been a matter for comment on the part of orthodox scholars at some early period as is evident from an attempted interpolation. The third of the extra verses admitted into the Dravida text and marked as doubtful was directed tc supply this missing item.

12

90' CHAP

It is probable that the writer of the series, even in his own period, which must have been comparatively late, did not know of this incident. The episode of Kichaka's infatuation for Draupadi and his untimely end is the subject of a Greek fable, as I believe, adapted

into the Bharata, in which it did not find a place in the first instance.

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