वैशंपायन उवाच
प्रत्याख्यातो राजपुत्र्या सुदेष्णां कीचको ऽब्रवीत् ॥
अमर्यादेन कामेन घोरेणाभिपरिप्लुतः ॥
यथा कैकेयि सैरन्ध्र्या समेयां तद् विधीयताम् ॥
तां सुदेष्णे परीप्सस्व माहं प्राणान् प्रहासिषम् ॥
तस्य तां बहुशः श्रुत्वा वाचं विलपतस् तदा ॥
विराटमहिषी देवी कृपां चक्रे मनस्विनी ॥
स्वम् अर्थम् अभिसंधाय तस्यार्थम् अनुचिन्त्य च ॥
उद्वेगं चैव कृष्णायाः सुदेष्णा सूतम् अब्रवीत् ॥
पर्विणीं त्वं समुद्दिष्य सुराम् अन्नं च कारय ॥
तत्रैनां प्रेषयिष्यामि सुराहारीं तवान्तिकम् ॥
तत्र संप्रेषिताम् एनां विजने निरवग्रहाम् ॥
सान्त्वयेथा यथाकामं सान्त्व्यमाना रमेद् यदि ॥
कीचकस् तु गृहं गत्वा भगिन्या वचनात् तदा ॥
सुराम् आहारयाम् आस राजार्हां सुपरिस्रुताम् ॥
आजौरभ्रं च सुभृशं बहूंश् चोच्चावचान् मृगान् ॥
कारयाम् आस कुशलैर् अन्नपानं सुशोभनम् ॥
तस्मिन् कृते तदा देवी कीचकेनोपमन्त्रिता ॥
सुदेष्णा प्रेषयाम् आस सैरन्ध्रीं कीचकालयम् ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
pratyākhyāto rājaputryā sudeṣṇāṃ kīcako 'bravīt ||
amaryādena kāmena ghoreṇābhipariplutaḥ ||
yathā kaikeyi sairandhryā sameyāṃ tad vidhīyatām ||
tāṃ sudeṣṇe parīpsasva māhaṃ prāṇān prahāsiṣam ||
tasya tāṃ bahuśaḥ śrutvā vācaṃ vilapatas tadā ||
virāṭamahiṣī devī kṛpāṃ cakre manasvinī ||
svam artham abhisaṃdhāya tasyārtham anucintya ca ||
udvegaṃ caiva kṛṣṇāyāḥ sudeṣṇā sūtam abravīt ||
parviṇīṃ tvaṃ samuddiṣya surām annaṃ ca kāraya ||
tatraināṃ preṣayiṣyāmi surāhārīṃ tavāntikam ||
tatra saṃpreṣitām enāṃ vijane niravagrahām ||
sāntvayethā yathākāmaṃ sāntvyamānā ramed yadi ||
kīcakas tu gṛhaṃ gatvā bhaginyā vacanāt tadā ||
surām āhārayām āsa rājārhāṃ suparisrutām ||
ājaurabhraṃ ca subhṛśaṃ bahūṃś coccāvacān mṛgān ||
kārayām āsa kuśalair annapānaṃ suśobhanam ||
tasmin kṛte tadā devī kīcakenopamantritā ||
sudeṣṇā preṣayām āsa sairandhrīṃ kīcakālayam ||
Rejected by the princess, Kicaka spoke to Sudeshna; he was overcome by a terrible, boundless desire: ‘Kaikeyi, arrange it so that I may meet with Sairandhri. Obtain her for me, Sudeshna, or I shall give up my life.’ Hearing these words and his lamentations again and again, the queen of Virata, the wise lady, took pity on him. Thinking of her own purpose, of his purpose, and of Krishna’s distress, Sudeshna said to the son of the suta: ‘Proclaim a festival, prepare wine and food. I will send her to you for wine. There, when she is sent to a solitary place, unguarded, coax her as you wish; perhaps, being coaxed, she will consent.’ Kicaka went home and, at his sister’s word, had royal, well-strained wine brought. He had skilled men prepare the meat of goats and rams, many kinds of animals, and excellent food and drink. When everything was ready and Kicaka had invited the queen, Sudeshna sent Sairandhri to Kicaka’s house.
3b9191ad3321 · published Jul 16, 2026, 6:11:28 PM UTC
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Sudeshna oversteps a boundary, though she knows Draupadi’s fear. In this way adharma enters not only through the open aggressor, but also through those who give way to convenience, kinship, and pressure.