Angry with him for this, but then suppressing my wrath
I answer that wretch deprived of sense by lust, saying,
’O Kichaka, protect thyself. I am the beloved
queen and wife of five Gandharvas. Those heroes
in wrath will slay thee that art so rash.’
Thus addressed, Kichaka of wicked soul replied unto
me, saying, ’I have not the least fear of the
Gandharvas, O Sairindhri of sweet smiles. I will
slay hundred thousand Gandharvas, encountering them
in battle. Therefore, O timid one, do thou consent.’
Hearing all this, I again addressed the lust-afflicted
Suta, saying, ’Thou art no match for those illustrious
Gandharvas. Of respectable percentage and good
disposition, I ever adhere to virtue and never wish
for the death of any one. It is for this that
thou I vest, O Kichaka!’ At this, that wight
of wicked soul burst out into a loud laughter.
And it came to pass that Kaikeyi previously urged by
Kichaka, and moved by affection for her brother, and
desirous of doing him a good turn, despatched me to
him, saying ’Do thou, O Sairindhri, fetch wine
from Kichaka’s quarter’s!’ On beholding
me the Suta’s son at first addressed me in sweet
words, and when that failed, he became exceedingly
enraged, and intended to use violence. Understanding
the purpose of the wicked Kichaka, I speedily rushed
towards the place where the king was. Felling
me on the ground the wretch then kicked me in the very
presence of the king himself and before the eyes of
Kanka and many others, including charioteers, and
royal favourites, and elephant-riders, and citizens.
I rebuked the king and Kanka again and again.
The king, however, neither prevented Kichaka, nor
inflicted any chastisement on him. The principal
ally of king Virata in war, the cruel Kichaka reft
of virtue is loved by both the king and the queen.
O exalted one, brave, proud, sinful, adulterous, and
engrossed in all objects of enjoyment, he earneth
immense wealth (from the king), and robs the possessions
of others even if they cry in distress. And he
never walketh in the path of virtue, nor doth he any
virtuous act. Of wicked soul, and vicious disposition,
haughty and villainous, and always afflicted by the
shafts of Kama, though repulsed repeatedly, if he
sees me again, he will outrage me. I shall then
surely renounce my life. Although striving to
acquire virtue (on my death) your highly meritorious
acts will come to naught. Ye that are now obeying
your pledge, ye will lose your wife. By protecting,
one’s wife one’s offspring are protected,
and by protecting one’s offspring, one’s
own self is protected. And it is because one begets
one’s own self in one’s wife that the wife
is called Jaya[15] by the wise. The husband also
should be protected by the wife, thinking,—How
else will he take his birth in my womb?—I
have heard it from Brahmanas expounding the duties
of the several orders that a Kshatriya hath no other
duty than subduing enemies. Alas, Kichaka kicked
me in the very presence of Yudhishthira the Just,