Shloka 21
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय ८१: कृष्णस्य दूतप्रयाणम्
Udyoga Parva, Chapter 81: Krishna Sets Out as Envoy
सुता द्रुपदराजस्य वेदिमध्यात् समुत्थिता । धृष्टद्युम्नस्थ भगिनी तव कृष्ण प्रिया सखी
sutā drupadarājasya vedimadhyāt samutthitā | dhṛṣṭadyumnasya bhaginī tava kṛṣṇa priyā sakhī ||
I am the daughter of King Drupada, arisen from the very center of the sacrificial altar. O Kṛṣṇa, I am the sister of the valiant Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and I am your dear friend.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Identity and moral claim are established through dharmic markers: ritual origin (yajña-born legitimacy), rightful lineage, and accountable relationships. By invoking friendship with Kṛṣṇa and her brother’s valor, she frames her appeal within ethical networks of duty, protection, and alliance.
A woman (Draupadī) is being identified and recognized in the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war diplomacy context. She states her birth from the sacrificial altar, names her father Drupada and brother Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and addresses Kṛṣṇa as a dear friend—positioning herself and her side within legitimate, dharmic support structures.