father, it was agreed that the Emperor, in full settlement of his losses, should with his brothers and Draupadi abandon Hastinapura to Duryodhan for 13 years.  Of these 12 were to be spent in the forest and one in disguise in some distant city.  Should, however, the disguise of any be penetrated, all would be obliged to pass a further 12 years in the forest.  When the 12 years had expired, the brothers fixed on Viratnagar, the capital of Virata, King of the Malyas, in which to spend their year of concealment.  Yudhistira took the name of Kankbhat, a professional dicer, and Bhima that of Ballava, a professional cook.  Under their pseudonyms all five brothers obtained posts in the King’s service, while Draupadi, styling herself a sairandhri or tirewoman, entered the service of the Queen Sudeshna.  Before the year of concealment ended Kichaka, the brother of Queen Sudeshna and commander-in-chief of the Malya forces, returned from a visit to Duryodhan at Hastinapura.  Duryodhan had given him as presents Yudhistira’s regalia and Draupadi’s jewels, and Kichaka boasted that, as Duryodhan’s friend, he would one after the other kill the five Pandavas in single combat and then wed their queen.  While telling King Virata’s Court of his reception, his eye fell on Draupadi, and learning that she was a sairandhri and being struck with her beauty, he formally requested the King Virata that she might be sent to his harem.  The King consenting, Yudhistira was faced with the dilemma of suffering his queen’s dishonour or of revealing his identity.  Eventually his brother Bhima solved the difficulty by secretly killing Kichaka.

It is out of this story that Mr. Khadilkar has sought for the materials of his play.  It opens with the return of Kichaka to Viratnagar and his passion for the beautiful sairandhri.  The latter seeks in turn the protection of the King and his queen, and of Kichaka’s wife Ratnaprabha; but Kichaka, who as commander-in-chief and on account of the number of his followers is all-powerful in Malya, becomes daily more insistent.  He reminds the King of his past exploits, and threatens to leave his service, taking his followers with him.  Finally, Virata is driven to make a feeble compromise.  He will not himself hand over the sairandhri to Kichaka, but he will have her sent to a temple of Bairoba outside the town, washing his hands of all responsibility as to subsequent events.  All this time the rescue of Draupadi has been repeatedly discussed between Yudhistira and his brother Bhima.  The former is all for mild methods, feeling sure that justice will ultimately prevail.  The mighty Bhima wishes to strangle Kichaka regardless of consequences.  At last Bhima and Draupadi together extract from him a most reluctant permission.  Bhima goes secretly to the Bairoba temple, and removing from its stand the god’s idol, he takes its place.  So hidden, he is present when Draupadi, abandoned by the King’s guards, is seized upon by Kichaka.  In vain Draupadi appeals to the latter for mercy.  He laughs alike at tears and menaces, and is about to carry her off in triumph when the god Bairoba is seen to rise from his pedestal.  It is Bhima.  He seizes the terrified Kichaka, hurls him to the floor, and strangles him at Draupadi’s feet.