The Kichaka Episode
“Power abused becomes power destroyed. A threat meets its end.”
Contains: mature themes, difficult situations, violence
Story Summary
Kichaka, the commander of Virata's army and brother-in-law to the queen, has become obsessed with Sairandhri. His advances grow bolder, his threats more explicit. When he pressures Queen Sudeshna to send the handmaiden to him, Draupadi knows she must act. She seeks help from the one person who can protect her while maintaining their disguise—Ballava, the cook. Bhima agrees to hide in Draupadi's quarters and wait for Kichaka. When the commander arrives at night, expecting to find a helpless handmaiden, he instead finds a warrior. Bhima kills Kichaka, but the danger is not over. Kichaka's 105 brothers, the Upa-Kichakas, seek revenge. They abduct Draupadi, planning to burn her on Kichaka's funeral pyre. But Bhima, maintaining his disguise as a simple cook, single-handedly fights all 105 brothers, rescuing Draupadi and defeating every one of them. The threat is ended, but the disguise remains intact—no one in the court knows who truly saved the handmaiden.