THE RIBALD LOVER

Kichaka was the army commander of Matsya, the country ruled by King Virata.He is also the brother of Sudeshna, the queen. He desired for Draupadi but was ultimately killed by Bhisma.

One day, Kichaka, the brother of the queen Sudeshna came to her. Accidentally, there he saw Sairandhri and fell in love with her. At once he said to his sister, "Who is this rare beauty? I have never seen such a charming woman in my life! By the series of questions put by Kichaka, and the unremitting attention he bestowed on Sairandhri, Sudeshna could easily grasp that her brother was in the violent grip of feverish love. Kichaka, paying a deaf ear to his sisters' words went straight to the place where Sairandhri was knitting some garlands. He said introducing himself to her, "I am Kichaka, the commander- in- chief of the Matsya armies. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, and I do not like that you should rot here as a Sairandhri. Please come to me, you shall be my queen and live in greater glory and splendor than my sister." Draupadi was quite exasperated at the brutal frankness with which he proposed to her and replied, "Let me not mince matters, I am a married lady and I do hate your advances or I will have to report the matter to the king and to my heroic husbands, the five Gandharvas. Draupadi knew that he was mad after her and didn't want to rub him on the wrong side. She silently walked away from his presence.

Kichaka went home and spent a sleepless night. Draupadi met Bhima in the night in seclusion of the dance hall, the secret rendezvous where they talked in confidence. She narrated the revolting talk and the ribald behavior of Simhabala. She blamed Yudhisthira tracing all their woes to his pious pacificism and imbecile idealism. Bhima did not endorse Draupadi's criticism of Dharmaputra and said to her, "In the ultimate analysis Yudhisthira is our greatest asset, you can easily control my emotions and if I act in indignant indiscretion and attack Simhabala openly, our identitites will be known to our enemies and we will be plunged into exile once again. Yudhisthira is a realized soul and deserves our respect, not our derision. He also added let us wait for the opportune moment. Otherwise we would become the butt of ridicule to our friends as well as enemies. Draupadi praised Dharmaputra and said, "I am not unconscious of his greatness and good qualities of head and heart; in moments of despair and humiliation, he is our natural scapegoat."

Next day when Draupadi was attending her normal chores, Simhabala came dashing to her and repeated his overtures. Kichaka replied nonchalantly, "You are mine with or without your consent. Anyway I am prepared to die for you." Sairandhri quietly slipped away and Kichaka went to his sister and said, "Dear sister, do not desist me. I am determined and do not like to retreat. As a sister it is your duty to assist me. Sudeshna told her brother blinded by lust, "Please do not create obscene scenes here, go home. I will send her to you to fetch me wine from our house." Kichaka did not wait till she completed her sentences and said that he would gladly do so and hurried home. Sudeshna called Sairandhri to her side and said, "I am indisposed, I request you to fetch me a bottle of wine from my brother Simhabala." Draupadi could easily detect the transparent trap and she pondered over the way of escape. She said to Sudeshna, "Noble queen, I told you at the very outset that I should not be expected to do menial jobs; I do not want go to your brother's house." Sudeshna was hurt at the flat refusal of Sairandhri to comply with her request; she did not like her defiant arrogance. She collected her wits and cooly said, "Sairandhri, I always treated with you with respect. In fact I wanted to go my brother's house and I do not like to send any menial to him. As you are my bosom friend and closest companion I am deputing you to go to my place; it is now for you to choose." Draupadi accepted the assignment cursing her fate and started with the golden jar to Kichaka's house.


On her way she prayed to the sun god for protection. Kichaka who was waiting for her arrival eagerly counting every second, welcomed her. She said to him, "Her majesty, your sister has deputed me specially on her behalf to fetch the choicest wine from you. She wants it urgently as she is indisposed. But Kichaka said to her, "I know my sister; she is quite alright. She has sent you for my sake" and he caught hold of her by force. She ran to Virata's court and complained, "Noble king, Kichaka has tried to molest me publicly almost in your presence and I want you to take prompt action." The king, Virata was astounded at the beauty of Sairandhri and gave an evasive answer saying , "Madam, I do not know what actually transpired between both of you. I must listen to the otherside before I take any action or pronounce any verdict." The coutiers were all afraid of Kichaka and preferred to be silent. Bhima's anger knew no bounds. He stood up, his eyes blazing, lips trembling whole body perspiring profusely, brows knitting and teeth grinding and was gazing intently at a nearby tree. Kanka who divined his ulterior intentions said to Bhima, "My dear Valala, you are not expected to pluck out a live tree in full bloom which is sheltering the bird and the beast, bearing fruit for man's benefit; there are plenty of blighted plants all round; better pluck them." Bhima caught the hint from his elder brother and controlled himself.

He realized that it was worst in gratitude to harm Virata who gave them shelter. Then Kanka asked Draupadi to go to the inner apartments of the royal palace reserved for ladies, without wasting her time. Kanka said to Sairandhri, "Madam, this is not the place to exhibit your histrionic talents; haste is the enemy of expediency; waste not your valuable time when you realize that nothing can be done now." Draupadi retorded, "If the king does not care to take action I expect my husbands to wreak vengeance on the culprit" and went away.

Kichaka did not have a wink of sleep that night but came to the inner apartments of the royal palace early in the morning attired in his best dress to woo Sairandhri once more. This time Sairandhri listened to the overtures and amorous advances of Simhabala, smiling all the while. The attention which Sairandhri bestowed on Kichaka flatterd him and began to blow his trumpet. Sairandhri said to him in a hushed voice, " I have seen your self confidence, I have realized that nobody had the guts to challenge you. Secrecy is the soul of extramarital excursion. If you come single to the Dance hall tonight I will meet you there. Simhabala was overjoyed when he heard this and was very excited. At last the sun set and he started for the dance hall alone in the darkness that was enveloping all round. Simhabala walked in slow paces from pillar to pillar and saw the shadowy figure lying on the sofa. He presumed that Sairandhri was already waiting for him and held out his hand but suddenly the shadow figure sprang to his feet and caught hold of Kichaka who realized that he was in the grip of the Gandharava husband of Sairandhri. They fought for a while bitterly. Bhima was not prepared to reveal his identity and Kichaka was ashamed of the straits into which he ran unwittingly. At last, Kichaka was overpowered and Bhima killed him and mutilated the corpse beyond human semblance.

Sairandhri woke up the royal guards and conveyed the news of the death of their commander- in- chief. Next day the Upakichakas, the brothers and cousins of Kichaka numbering several hundred, wanted to burn the witch, Sairandhri on the funeral pyre of Kichaka. They caught hold of Sairandhri and placed her on the funeral pyre along with the body of Kichaka. Suddenly Bhima emerged from his hiding place made short walk of all the Upakichakas. Draupadi was set at liberty and Bhima went back to the kitchen after killing the Upakichakas. The whole city was terror stricken; the atmosphere was filled with fear of the Gandharavas who were reported to have been sighted by several people at various places. The people were agitated and represented to the king that Sairandhri must be persuaded to leave the city. Sudeshna called Sairandhri and said to her "The king as well as the public is afraid of the Gandharavas. Of course you are not being blamed, you have given ample warning, and I am directed to request you to leave the city." Draupadi replied, "Noble queen, I understand your delicacy. I will go. The Gandharva asked me to request you to give just one month's time." Draupadi was counting the days and she knew that the period of incognito would end exactly in a month.