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Keechak

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Keechak

Who Was Keechak
Keechak was the son of the King Kaikaya and his queen Maalavaa. Keechak was the brother of Raanee Sudeshnaa - Viraat Desh's king Viraat's wife. He was the Army Commander of Viraat Desh. He was so powerful that he controlled Raajaa Viraat and his kingdom. Viraat couldn't do anything on his own without him. In fact there were only four such people in the world - Shalya, Bheeshm, Balaraam and Bheem who could kill him.

MBH Serial says that Keechak could be killed only by six people - Drone, Bheeshm, Duryodhan, Balaraam, Karn and Bheem. That is how Duryodhan came to conclusion that Drone did not kill Keechak, Bheeshm did not kill Keechk, Karn, Balaraam and myself have not killed Keechak, so remains only Bheem. It is only Bheem who has killed Keechak and this prompted him to think that Paandav are spending their 1-year A-Gyaatvaas in Viraat's kingdom and he planned to attack Matsya Desh with the idea to break their 1-year A-Gyaatvaas.

Once he saw Draupadee in Sudeshnaa's palace chambers. He got attracted to her. He asked Sudeshnaa to send her to his palace chamber. In spite of Raanee Sudeshnaa's several warnings Keechak didn't listen to her. At last Sudeshnaa had to send her to him. Draupadee also warned her about her brother, but as she could not say "no" to her brother, she had to obey him. So she sent Draupadee to him to bring some wine. In spite of warning of Draupadee, Sudeshnaa did n ot listen to her, and insisted to go to Keechak saying - "Because you are going from my palace, that is he will not misbehave with you." Draupadee had to go.

As expected Keechak misbehaved with her there. Draupadee went to the royal court with her complaint but Raajaa Viraat and his courtiers could not do anything because of the fear of Keechak. Rather he misbehaved with her there too. Then Draupadee complained Bheem about him. Bheem asked her to show her false love to him and invite him in the dance room. Bheem lay down there covering himself with a sheet. When Keechak came there in the late evening, he saw somebody lying there. He thought that it was Draupadee who was lying there covered with a sheet, but it was Bheem. As he touched Bheem, he attacked him, fought with him and killed him.

My Note
In MBH IV (Viraat Parv), 13, 12 Draupadee calls Keechak "Soot Putra" while Keechak is the son of Kekaya, the king of the Kekaya, who obviously was not a Soot. What is the truth?

Janamejaya had the same question. Vaishampaayan Jee explains to him in a passage running to over 50 Shlok in the "Aarya Shaastra" Bengali rescension (not appearing in Ganguli version of MBH), that the Soot are born of a Braahman female and a Kshatriya male and it was the only mixed caste entitled to rights of the twice born, inferior to Kshatriya but superior to Vaishya and known as "Rathakaar". In the past, kings would have relations with Soot but the progeny would not be called kings, but their kingdoms were known as Soot kingdoms. There was a famous chief of Soot known as Kekaya who was born of a Kshatriya woman (here is a contradiction because Soot have Braahman mothers) and was exceptionally skilled in charioteering. By one princess of Maalavaa he had many children, the eldest being highly powerful and all conquering Keechak. From another princess of Maalavaa was born Sudeshnaa whom Kekaya gave gladly to the Matsya king Viraat.

Marrying Sudeshnaa after the death of Shwet's mother Surathaa (the Koshal princess), Viraat's sorrow was removed. From Kaikeyee Sudeshnaa was born a son named Uttar to King Viraat. Keechak accompanied his step-mother's daughter lovely Sudeshnaa to look after her and lived happily in Viraat's court. He was the incarnation of the eldest of the Kaalkeya Daitya, named Baan, and Viraat appointed him as his army commander.

After Keechak Vadh
As Keechak was killed by Bheem, a spy informed Duryodhan about it. Duryodhan thought about it. As Keechak was very mighty, he had 10,000 elephants strength, he could be killed only by a few people, and this prompted Duryodhan to attack Matsya Desh to break Paandav's A-Gyaatvaas.

 

 

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Created by Sushma Gupta On 5/27/04
Contact:  sushmajee@yahoo.com
Modified on 04/20/13