Shloka 17
Ambā’s Vow of Tapas after Paraśurāma’s Assessment (अम्बाया तपोव्रतनिश्चयः)
चकार सर्वयत्नेन ब्रुवाणा पुत्र इत्युत । नचतां वेद नगरे कश्रनिदन्यत्र पार्षतात्
cakāra sarvayatnena bruvāṇā putra ity uta | na ca tāṁ veda nagare kaścid anyatra pārṣatāt, narendra |
ビーシュマは言った。「王妃はあらゆる手立てを尽くしてその秘密を覆い隠し、その子をただ『息子』とだけ呼んだ。都の誰一人として彼女が娘であることを知らなかった――ただパールシャタ（ドルパダ王）を除いては。おお、人の主よ。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how royal households may employ concealment and social performance to secure political stability and succession. Ethically, it raises tension between pragmatic statecraft and the dharmic ideal of truthfulness, showing how perceived necessity can drive morally complex choices.
Drupada’s queen carefully keeps hidden that the child is a girl, addressing her as a son and ensuring the secret remains unknown to the city. Only Drupada (Pārṣata) knows the truth, setting up the later significance of this child in the unfolding conflict.