Thread by @DefiledGod

-- KICHAKA VADHA --

Beginning with my description of some of bhIma's exploits in MB, I start with the killing of kIchaka.

Latter had made improper advances towards Draupadi while the pANDavAs were in virATa. Draupadi asks bhIma to kill kIchaka+

सत्यं भ्रातॄंश्चधर्मम् च पुरस्कृत्य शपामि ते । कीचकं निहनिष्यामि वृत्रंदेवपतिर्यथा

[bhIma: Having placed bhagavAn who is Truth (satyaM), my brothers and righteous conduct in front, I take an oath. I will kill kIchaka just as Indra killed vR^itra]+

bhIma says he will kill kIchaka by virtue of bhagavAn whose greatness as spoken in the Veda is True, his brothers who are bhAgavatas & conduct that pleases bhagavAn & bhAgavatas – services to them.

This means, bhagavad-bhAgavata sambandha will help bhIma kill kIchaka+

He compares his fight with kIchaka to that of Indra and vR^itra. It is well-known that vR^itra was killed by Indra only by being empowered with the strength of bhagavAn.

By this, bhIma acknowledges that he will kill kIchaka only by being empowered by bhagavAn in this battle+

Now, before we proceed further, let us explore a bit of AdhyAtma. Who is kIchaka?

The etymology of the name is ये कीटादिभिः कृत शब्दम् कुर्वन्ति – A bamboo is called a “kIchaka” because the holes made in it by insects creates a sound when wind passes through+

“Bamboo” is a metaphor for prakR^iti which is insentient. So, bamboo is prakR^iti-sambandha, the samsAra tattva. 

Insects are attachments (kIta also means that which bind).

The holes are senses & wind passing through them is the object of enjoyment. Sounds are the experiences+

Hence, “kIchaka” is prakR^iti sambandha.

Draupadi is the jIvAtma to whom this prakR^iti makes “advances” for union – the body wants to associate with the jIvAtma to cause transmigration.

bhIma signifies upAsana – meditation on Brahman that overcomes distress of prakR^iti+

How do we know this? Firstly, bhIma said, he would defeat kIchaka being empowered by bhagavAn, just as Indra, empowered by bhagavAn, defeated vR^itra.

upAsana is the direct means, empowered by bhagavAn as the indirect means. “vR^itra” or “coverer” is also prakR^iti+

We also have the following analogy that bhIma makes,

प्रसह्यनिहनिष्यामि केशवः केशिनं यथा

[ bhIma: I will kill kIchaka by strength, just as Keshava, the dispeller of distress, killed the horse, Keshi]+

Now, besides upAsana, there is another mArga – sharaNAgati. In the latter, bhagavAn himself directly, as the means, quells prakR^iti sambandha.

This is symbolized by Keshava, the dispeller of distress, directly quelling Keshi – who signifies samsAra+

Nammazhwar refers to Keshi as “nangaL naraga vAy kINdAyum nI” – “You tear open the mouth of hell (samsAra) for your bhakta-s just as you tear open Keshi’s mouth”.

Acharyas say Keshi signifies samsAra – the same as kIchaka. bhagavAn is “Keshava” – dispeller of samsAric distress+

Thus, by comparing himself to Keshava killing Keshi, bhIma is saying, “Just as sharaNAgati quells distress of samsAra, upAsana also quells it”.

The AdhyAtmic meaning of the comparison bhIma makes with bhagavAn is to show that bhakti yoga is another mArga like prapatti+

bhIma disguises himself to lure kIchaka. Likewise, upAsana wears the “disguise” of the bound self – it means bhakti is supported by performing outwardly the same fruitive actions – but with no desire for fruits - karma yoga.

This shows karma as ancillary to bhakti+

Moving on,

कीचकानां तु मुख्यस्य नराणामुत्तमस्य च । वालिसुग्रीवयोर्भ्रात्रोः पुरेव कपिसिंहयोः

[The fight between kIchaka, chief of his clan & bhIma, foremost one among the devotees of bhagavAn, was like that between the 2 brothers, vAli and sugrIva, those lions among monkeys]+

sugrIva was a compatriot of hanuman and was aided by rAma against vAli, who was unaware of rAma.

bhIma was a brother of hanuman and is empowered by kR^iShNa against kIchaka, who is unaware of kR^iShNa.

Each time, the battle was for a woman – tArA and draupadi respectively+

kIchaka is the mukhya among his clan. But bhIma is the foremost one among bhagavad bhakta-s. “नराणाम्” - bhaktAs who are imperishable. “उत्तम” – “श्रेष्ठ”. Why is bhIma an uttama-bhakta?

Because, he is aiding Draupadi, a prapanna herself, and so becomes dear to bhagavAn+

AdhyAtma meaning – prakR^iti is “मुख्य ” among kAma, krodha & others as it causes the rest. But it is not the foremost foe – kAma is. bhaktAs live with prakR^iti sambandha without harm – so it is “मुख्य” & not “परमः”.

upAsana is foremost of Atma-guNAs, so it is “नराणामुत्तम ”+

Now, kIchaka’s end comes when bhIma strikes him on the chest, which severely weakens him, as follows.

तलाभ्यांभीमसेनेन वक्षस्यभिहतो बली । कीचको रोषरक्ताक्षो न चचालपदात्पदम्. मुहूर्तं तु स तं वेगं सहित्वा भुवि दुःसहम् बलाद् अहीयत तदा सूतो भीमबलार्दितः+

[When slapped on the chest by that strong one, bhIma, kIchaka, with angry eyes, did not move even a step. Withstanding that blow, which is impossible to be borne on Earth, for just a muhurta, that sUta’s strength began to fade, afflicted by the strength of bhIma]+

Why did kIchaka withstand that blow for a muhurta? - He is almost bhIma's equal. Duryodhana names kIchaka as 4th after bhIma, balarAma & shalya as equals in combat.

Why did kIchaka’s strength fade? bhIma was “बली” – he is a bhakta. Strength = knowledge, bhagavAn empowered him+

It was bhIma's bhakti that weakened kIchaka. To make this clear, vyAsa says that kIchaka did withstand that blow for a muhurta.

AdhyAtmic tattva - upAsana incurs a delay in the fruit – freedom from distress of prakR^iti. It takes time for bhagavAn to manifest in the mind+

But prapatti yields the fruit quicker.
Thus, kIchaka remaining steady for a muhurta before succumbing  signifies that upAsana is a harder path and there is a slight delay in overcoming such distress of prakR^iti.+

bhIma mangled kIchaka’s body next,

तस्य पादौ च पाणी च शिरोग्रीवां च सर्वशः काये प्रवेशयाम् आस पशोर् इव पिनाक धृक् 

[Crushing kIchaka’s feet, hands, head, neck and all his limbs into his body, just as the bearer of the pinAka (narasimha) did with the animal (hiraNyakashipu)]+

“पिनाक धृक्” is narasimha here. bhAgavata purANa says he killed hiraNyakashipu like an animal.
Why is bhIma compared with narasimha? 

Again, to highlight 2 mArgas as in the Krishna-Keshi comparison. One is prapatti (Narasimha) & other is upAsana (bhIma, empowered by bhagavAn)+

After kIchaka dies, upa-kIchakAs, his relatives, attack bhIma.

The tattva is – As opposed to prapatti, upAsana not only delays the fruit but unless meditation is sustained, pains of samsAra can come back.

So bhIma had to kill kIchaka’s relatives after killing kIchaka!+

The upa-kIchakAs signify kAma, krodha etc which return if meditation stops or fails, even after feeling free of tApatraya for awhile. So, upAsana (bhIma) has to be vigilant in cleaning up all of them - bhakti yoga should be incessant.

This is the tattva behind kIchaka-vadha.//