Shloka 171

Prajñā as Pratiṣṭhā — Indra–Kāśyapa Saṃvāda (Śānti-parva 12.173)

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत शान्तिपर्वके अन्तर्गत आपद्धर्मपर्वमें कृतघ्नका उपाख्यानविषयक एक सौ इकह्वत्तरवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ

Transliteration

iti prakāraṁ śrīmahābhārate śāntiparvake antargata āpaddharmaparvaṇi kṛtaghnopākhyāna-viṣayaka ekaśata-ikahvattaratamo 'dhyāyaḥ pūrṇaḥ

Translation

Thus ends the one hundred and seventy-first chapter of the Āpaddharma section within the Śānti Parva of the revered Mahābhārata, dealing with the illustrative tale concerning the ungrateful (kṛtaghna).

Word by Word

इतिthus

प्रकारेणin this manner / by this way

श्रीमहाभारतेin the (holy) Mahabharata

शान्तिपर्वणिin the Shanti Parva

अन्तर्गतेincluded / contained (within)

आपद्धर्मपर्वणिin the Apaddharma-parvan (section on duties in distress)

कृतघ्नस्यof the ungrateful one (Kṛtaghna)

उपाख्यानविषयकःhaving as its topic the episode

एकone

शतhundred

एकसप्ततितमःone-hundred-and-seventy-first

अध्यायःchapter

समाप्तःcompleted / concluded

अभवत्was / became

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mahābhārata

Śānti Parva

Āpaddharma Parva

Kṛtaghna (as the subject of the upākhyāna)

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

By marking the chapter as centered on the theme of kṛtaghnatā (ingratitude), the text signals an ethical lesson: forgetting or denying received help is a serious moral failing, especially relevant to dharma under hardship (āpaddharma), where mutual support and remembrance of benefaction sustain social order.

What is happening in the narrative?

This line functions as a concluding colophon: it announces that the chapter has ended, identifies its placement (Śānti Parva → Āpaddharma section), and states its subject matter (the upākhyāna concerning the ungrateful).