The Year in Disguise and Kichaka

For their year in hiding the Pandavas chose the kingdom of Matsya, ruled by King Virata. Near the city, at the cremation ground, stood a shami tree. They wrapped all their weapons in cloth and tied them up in the tree as if they were a corpse, so no one would dare touch them. Then each took a new name and a new job.

Yudhishthira became 'Kanka', a courtier who played dice with the king. Bhima became the cook 'Ballava'. Arjuna, because of a curse from the apsara Urvashi, became Brihannala for one year and taught music and dance to Princess Uttara. Nakula looked after the horses and Sahadeva the cattle. Draupadi became 'Sairandhri', maid to Queen Sudeshna.

Queen Sudeshna's brother Kichaka was commander of Matsya's army, strong and arrogant. He cast his evil eye on Sairandhri. Draupadi rejected him again and again, but he would not stop. One day he kicked her in front of the whole court. Yudhishthira as Kanka and Bhima as Ballava saw it all, but kept silent for fear of being recognised.

That night Draupadi went to Bhima in the kitchen and said, weeping, 'How long must I bear this insult?' Bhima said, 'No more.' They made a plan: Draupadi would ask Kichaka to meet her at night in the dance hall. Kichaka came. In the darkness Bhima lay in Draupadi's place. The two wrestled fiercely, and Bhima killed Kichaka.

Kichaka's brothers blamed Sairandhri and tied her up to burn her on Kichaka's pyre. Draupadi called out the secret names. Bhima came running with an uprooted tree and struck all the brothers down. Word spread through the city that Sairandhri's gandharva husbands protected her. Meanwhile, when Duryodhana heard that Kichaka was dead, he grew suspicious: only Bhima had such strength.