Shloka 6
सहदेवस्य गोसंख्य-तन्तिपाल-रूपेण विराट-समागमः | Sahadeva’s Audience with Virāṭa as Cattle-Enumerator
Tantipāla
विराटस्य तु कैकेयी भार्या परमसम्मता | आलोकयन्ती ददृशे प्रासादाद् द्रुपदात्मजाम्,इतनेमें ही राजा विराटकी अत्यन्त प्यारी भार्या केकय-राजकुमारी सुदेष्णाने, जो अपने महलपर खड़ी हुई नगरकी शोभा निहार रही थी, वहींसे ट्रपदकुमारीको देखा
virāṭasya tu kaikeyī bhāryā paramasammatā | ālokayantī dadṛśe prāsādād drupadātmajām |
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Inzwischen stand Sudeshṇā, die kaikeyische Prinzessin, Viraṭas hochgeschätzte und innig geliebte Gemahlin, auf dem Palast und schaute auf die Pracht der Stadt hinab. Von dort erblickte sie Drupadas Tochter.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how dharma in times of danger often depends on vigilance and discretion: even ordinary acts—like a queen observing the city—can trigger events that test one’s commitment to protecting those under concealment and maintaining rightful conduct within the palace.
Queen Sudeshṇā, standing on the palace and gazing over the city, notices Drupada’s daughter (Draupadī). This sighting becomes a narrative hinge in the Virāṭa court, leading toward Draupadī’s entry into the queen’s household and the ensuing complications.