Shloka 12
Adhyāya 14: Sudēṣṇā Sends Sairandhrī to Kīcaka’s House (सुदेष्णा–सैरन्ध्री–कीचक संवादः)
का त्वं कस्यासि कल्याणि कुतो वा त्वं वरानने । प्राप्ता विराटनगरं तत् त्वमाचक्ष्य शोभने
kā tvaṁ kasyāsi kalyāṇi kuto vā tvaṁ varānane | prāptā virāṭanagaraṁ tat tvam ācakṣya śobhane ||
Vaiśampāyana said: He asked Draupadī, “Auspicious lady, who are you, and whose daughter are you? Or, fair-faced one, from where have you come to the city of Virāṭa? O lovely one, tell me all this truthfully.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds ethical speech and social propriety: when a stranger arrives, one should inquire respectfully—using courteous address—and seek truthful disclosure, balancing curiosity with decorum.
In the Virāṭa Parva, as the Pāṇḍavas live incognito, Draupadī arrives at Virāṭa’s city. Someone questions her identity—who she is, whose daughter she is, and from where she has come—asking her to state the truth.