सूत उवाच । पाराशर्यमुने व्यास कुमारः कुंभजन्मने । यदावदत्कथामेतां तदा क्व द्रुपदात्मजा
sūta uvāca | pārāśaryamune vyāsa kumāraḥ kuṃbhajanmane | yadāvadatkathāmetāṃ tadā kva drupadātmajā
Sūta nói: Khi Vyāsa, con của Parāśara, kể câu chuyện này cho Kumāra Skanda, con của vị hiền triết sinh từ bình (Agastya), thì lúc ấy con gái của Drupada—Draupadī—đang ở đâu?
Sūta
Listener: Implied sage-assembly (Śaunaka and others, per purāṇic convention)
Scene: Sūta in a forest-assembly setting poses a precise question about narrative time: while Vyāsa spoke to Skanda, where was Draupadī? The scene emphasizes layered storytellers and attentive sages.
Purāṇic teaching is transmitted through layered dialogue; reverent inquiry preserves accuracy and continuity of sacred history.
The verse sets the narrative frame within Kāśīkhaṇḍa; the immediate context leads into Draupadāditya associated with Kāśī.
None; this is a narrative question establishing context.