Week 6 Storytelling: Bhima Slays Kichaka

For the final year of their exile, the Pandavas and Draupadi disguised themselves and lived in the courts of King Virata.  Although Draupadi had assumed the guise of a maid known as Sairandhri, she could not hide her radiant beauty.  When Prince Kichaka, the brother of the Queen, first beheld her, he immediately fell in love.  Kichaka decided to win Sairandhri's heart, so he convinced his sister, the Queen, to assign Sairandhri to bring him his afternoon meal.  Every day for an entire fortnight, when Sairandhri brought the food, the prince asked her to be his bride.  And each day she said nothing.

Finally, Kichaka grew impatient.  If the fair maiden would not give him what he wanted, then he would take it by force.  The next day, when Sairandhri was delivering food, Kichaka grabbed her by the arm and began to tear at her clothes.  She punched him in the nose and ran from his chambers as fast as she could.  Immediately, she went to her husband Bhima and told him everything that had taken place.

"Avenge me Bhima!  Do not sit idly while Kichaka tries to violate my honor."

"Have no fear.  Tomorrow will be his last day on this earth."

The next afternoon, Sairandhri brought the Prince his food.  But instead of taking it to him, she left the tray by his door and knocked.  When Kichaka opened the door, he found his tray of food.  Underneath the cup of wine was a brief note that reeked of perfume.  "Meet me in the dancing hall."

Kichaka wasted no time on his way to the dancing hall.  He hoped that Sairandhri had finally come to her senses.  The room was dark when he arrived, but he entered without hesitation.  Bhima, who was hiding in the corner, leapt out and threw Kichaka to the ground.  Bhima grabbed Kichaka by the hair and the feet and wrapped him around his knee.  Kichaka's back crackled as it broke in every imaginable place.  Then, Bhima kneaded Kichaka's body until every feature was beyond recognition.  It was unclear whether the heap of meat was an animal or a man.  Calmly, Bhima placed the body into a sack and carried him to the kitchen.

That evening, the entire royal household feasted on steak.  King Virata praised the meal as "our chef's finest work."  Even Queen Sudeshna, who normally avoided eating meat, gobbled up her entire portion.  Because of the delicious dinner, no one save Bhima and Sairandhri noticed that Prince Kichaka was missing.  Out of all the royal party, Bhima enjoyed his meat the most.  He thought about his vow to slay Dushasana and drink his blood.  Bhima looked into his cup.  Its contents were red as wine but slightly thicker.  He took a long draught from his chalice and smiled.

Bhima kills Prince Kichaka

Image from Wikipedia

Author's Note:  Of all the Pandavas, Bhima seems to kill his enemies in the most brutal ways.  I wanted to tie his murder of Prince Kichaka with his vow to slay Dushasana and drink his blood.  Most of the story follows the original, but I added the last paragraph, where Bhima and the royals eat Prince Kichaka, to emphasize Bhima's brutality.

Bibliography:
"Bhima and Kichaka" by C.A. Kincaid from The Indian Heroes (1921). Web Source: PDE Mahabharata.

Reading Diary B: PDE Mahabharata

65. Death of Drona - At certain points in the battle, each side compromises their honor or moral code in some way to gain an advantage. This is the main case for the Pandavas. They don't strictly lie, but they kill Drona through deceit.  As Drona was almost like a father to the Pandavas, it is sad to see him go in such a manner.

66. Bhima and Duhshasana - This takes the cake for Bhima's most gruesome kill. He's pretty good at killing people in gruesome ways. He completes his vow by slaying and drinking the blood of Dihshasana.

72. The Pandavas and Bhishma - Bhishma's fable gives a lesson that many of the heroes in the Mahabharata need to understand. A seemly evil act might be justified in some circumstances. For instance, when Arjuna is banished for 12 years because he walks into the room where Yudhishthira sits next to Draupadi. It would make sense for him to not go into exile. Bhishma's moral also makes every decision much more theologically difficult. How is someone to know what is right or wrong?

80.  The Afterlife - Yudhishthira's journey to the nether regions reminds me of Dante's Inferno.  Yet, for him, it is only a test. The description of heaven raises a few questions about the afterlife.  When they attain heaven, is it their souls in new celestial bodies that dwell there?  Are the souls the same as they were for previous incarnations and do they remember all previous incarnations of themselves. For instance, Draupadi is there in heaven, but she was another in a previous life.  Krishna says (in a previous chapter) that everything that is has always been and will always be.  So does that mean that Draupadi has existed in many incarnations and is just now attaining heaven, where her soul will now dwell for eternity, now out of the pool of souls that make up life on Earth. That also raises a question about god's avatars. When they become incarnations on Earth, do they share the same soul as their celestial self?  When Krishna ascended to heaven, does he remain a separate entity from Vishnu, or does he rejoin with Vishnu to be one celestial being?

Yudhishthira's Journey to Hell

Image from Images and PDE Epics

Reading Diary A: PDE Mahabharata

46. Bhima and Hanuman - Both Bhima and Hanuman are extremely physical and deadly in battle which makes sense because they both have the same father. The description of Bhima entertaining himself by killing lions, tigers, and elephant and then using their bodies to defeat other creatures makes Bhima seem incredibly cruel.  While I haven't counted, it seems like Bhima has the most kills. If not, he has some of the most gruesome kills.

48. Karna and Indra - This brings me back to when Karna and Arjuna first met. If only they could have humbled themselves and become allies, they would have rules the world. Now that Karna has lost his armor, he is surely doomed.

50. Riddles at the Lake - This reminds me of the Hobbit when Gollum and Bilbo Baggins exchange riddles. Considering the Pandava's wisdom and strength I'm surprised that they decided to drink after seeing their brethren dead before them.  Although it starts out poorly, Yudhishthira wins them the boon of going undetected in their last year of exile.

52. Bhima and Kichaka - This is probably Bhima's most gruesome slaughter. I can't imagine someone who is kneaded beyond recognition. I would not want to cross Bhima. 

60.  The Battle Begins - This is like a movie.  One of my favorite quotes is "Blood dropped like rain out of heaven."  Ghatotkacha, Arjuna's rakshasa son is very impressive.  He can grow to an enormous size.  I don't understand why Bhishma continues fighting even though he doesn't believe in the cause.

Ghatotkacha

Image from Images and PDE Epics