Kīcaka

Kichaka () is a character in the Mahabharata, who served as the commander-in-chief of King Virata's army in the Matsya Kingdom. He was the son of Sūta king of the Kekaya and Malavi, and had 105 younger brothers known as the Upa-Kichakas. His sister, Sudeshna, was married to King Virata, and Kichaka lived in the Virata palace after her marriage. Renowned for his strength and military prowess, Kichaka had frequently defeated King Susharman of Trigarta in battle and is described to wield more authority than Virata himself. His story is most notable for his encounter with Draupadi during the Pandavas' incognito stay in Matsya. After repeatedly harassing Draupadi, he was killed by her husband Bhima, who crushed him to death.

== Literary background == The Mahabharata, one of the Sanskrit epics from the Indian subcontinent, other being the Ramayana. It mainly narrates the events and aftermath of the Kurukshetra War, a war of succession between two groups of princely cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandavas. The work is written in Classical Sanskrit and is a composite work of revisions, editing and interpolations over many centuries. The oldest parts in the surviving version of the text may date to near 400 BCE.