Devayani said: Be it punishment of my fault or not (O father), hear all that the daughter of Vrishaparva, Sharmishtha, had said to me. She has said, (I say) truly, that you are a Bandi (hired chanter) of the Asura king. Even thus did Sharmishtha, the daughter of Vrishaparva, speak. These cruel and piercing words, with her eyes red (with anger). (She said), “You are the daughter of one who always chants the praise of others for hire and who always asks for charity.
देवयान्युवाच निष्कृतिर्मेऽस्तु वा मास्तु शृणुष्वावहितो मम॥ शर्मिष्ठया यदुक्तास्मि दुहिता वृषपर्वणः। सत्यं किलैतत् सा प्राह दैत्यानामसि गायनः॥ एवं हि मे कथयति शर्मिष्ठा वार्षपर्वणी। वचनं तीक्ष्णपरुषं क्रोधरक्तेक्षणा भृशम्॥ स्तुवतो दुहिता नित्यं याचत: प्रतिगृह्णतः। अहं तु स्तूयमानस्य ददतोऽप्रतिगृह्णतः॥