स तु कामाग्निसंतप्तः सुदेष्णाम् अभिगम्य वै ॥
प्रहसन्न् इव सेनानीर् इदं वचनम् अब्रवीत् ॥
नेयं पुरा जातु मयेह दृष्टा; राज्ञो विराटस्य निवेशने शुभा ॥
रूपेण चोन्मादयतीव मां भृशं; गन्धेन जाता मदिरेव भामिनी ॥
का देवरूपा हृदयंगमा शुभे; आचक्ष्व मे का च कुतश् च शोभना ॥
चित्तं हि निर्मथ्य करोति मां वशे; न चान्यद् अत्रौषधम् अद्य मे मतम् ॥
अहो तवेयं परिचारिका शुभा; प्रत्यग्ररूपा प्रतिभाति माम् इयम् ॥
अयुक्तरूपं हि करोति कर्म ते; प्रशास्तु मां यच् च ममास्ति किं चन ॥
प्रभूतनागाश्वरथं महाधनं; समृद्धियुक्तं बहुपानभोजनम् ॥
मनोहरं काञ्चनचित्रभूषणं; गृहं महच् छोभयताम् इयं मम ॥
ततः सुदेष्णाम् अनुमन्त्र्य कीचकस्; ततः समभ्येत्य नराधिपात्मजाम् ॥
उवाच कृष्णाम् अभिसान्त्वयंस् तदा; मृगेन्द्रकन्याम् इव जम्बुको वने ॥
इदं च रूपं प्रथमं च ते वयो; निरर्थकं केवलम् अद्य भामिनि ॥
अधार्यमाणा स्रग् इवोत्तमा यथा; न शोभसे सुन्दरि शोभना सती ॥
त्यजामि दारान् मम ये पुरातना; भवन्तु दास्यस् तव चारुहासिनि ॥
अहं च ते सुन्दरि दासवत् स्थितः; सदा भविष्ये वशगो वरानने ॥
sa tu kāmāgnisaṃtaptaḥ sudeṣṇām abhigamya vai ||
prahasann iva senānīr idaṃ vacanam abravīt ||
neyaṃ purā jātu mayeha dṛṣṭā; rājño virāṭasya niveśane śubhā ||
rūpeṇa conmādayatīva māṃ bhṛśaṃ; gandhena jātā madireva bhāminī ||
kā devarūpā hṛdayaṃgamā śubhe; ācakṣva me kā ca kutaś ca śobhanā ||
cittaṃ hi nirmathya karoti māṃ vaśe; na cānyad atrauṣadham adya me matam ||
aho taveyaṃ paricārikā śubhā; pratyagrarūpā pratibhāti mām iyam ||
ayuktarūpaṃ hi karoti karma te; praśāstu māṃ yac ca mamāsti kiṃ cana ||
prabhūtanāgāśvarathaṃ mahādhanaṃ; samṛddhiyuktaṃ bahupānabhojanam ||
manoharaṃ kāñcanacitrabhūṣaṇaṃ; gṛhaṃ mahac chobhayatām iyaṃ mama ||
tataḥ sudeṣṇām anumantrya kīcakas; tataḥ samabhyetya narādhipātmajām ||
uvāca kṛṣṇām abhisāntvayaṃs tadā; mṛgendrakanyām iva jambuko vane ||
idaṃ ca rūpaṃ prathamaṃ ca te vayo; nirarthakaṃ kevalam adya bhāmini ||
adhāryamāṇā srag ivottamā yathā; na śobhase sundari śobhanā satī ||
tyajāmi dārān mama ye purātanā; bhavantu dāsyas tava cāruhāsini ||
ahaṃ ca te sundari dāsavat sthitaḥ; sadā bhaviṣye vaśago varānane ||
Burning with the fire of desire, Kichaka came to Sudeshna and, as if laughing, spoke these words: 'I have never before seen this beautiful woman in King Virata's house. Her beauty drives me quite mad, and her fragrance is like wine newly made. Who is this goddess-like woman, so pleasing to the heart? Tell me who she is and where she comes from. She has seized my mind and made me her captive; I see no other remedy for this now. Ah, this lovely servant of yours, fresh in her beauty, shines before me. She is performing work unworthy of her form. Let her rule over me and over all that I possess. Let her adorn my great house, filled with elephants, horses, chariots, and wealth, abounding in food and drink, delightful, adorned with gold and many-colored jewels.' Then, having obtained Sudeshna's consent, Kichaka approached the king's daughter and began to speak coaxingly to Krishna, as a jackal might speak in the forest to the daughter of the king of beasts: 'This beauty of yours and your first youth are now in vain, radiant one. Like a fine garland that no one wears, you, beautiful and worthy of your beauty, do not shine. I will abandon my former wives; let them become your servants, woman of the lovely smile. And I myself, beautiful one, will stand as your slave and will always be subject to you, fair-faced one.'
eab5bf3d39ce · published Jul 16, 2026, 6:11:28 PM UTC
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Kichaka speaks the language of luxury and adoration, but behind the words lies appropriation. His desire does not see Draupadi as a person -- it sees an ornament for his own house.