Shloka 253

Draupadī’s Identification of the Pāṇḍavas and the Onset of the Chariot Engagement (द्रौपदी-पाण्डव-परिचयः)

Devanagari script

इति श्रीमहाभारते वनपर्वणि घोषयात्रापर्वणि कर्णदिग्विजये त्रिपज्चाशदधिकद्धिशततमो< ध्याय:

Transliteration

iti śrīmahābhārate vanaparvaṇi ghoṣayātrāparvaṇi karṇadigvijaye tripañcāśad-adhika-dviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ

Translation

So endet das zweihundertdreiundfünfzigste Kapitel der Mahābhārata im Vana Parva, im Abschnitt der Ghoṣa-yātrā, im Bericht von Karṇas Digvijaya, seinem Eroberungszug in alle Himmelsrichtungen.

Word by Word

इतिthus; so (end-quote marker)

श्रीमहाभारतेin the (holy) Mahabharata

वनपर्वणिin the Vana-parvan (Forest Book)

घोषयात्रापर्वणिin the Ghosha-yatra-parvan (section on the cattle-camp journey)

कर्णदिग्विजयेin (the episode of) Karna's conquest of the quarters

त्रिपञ्चाशदधिकद्विशततमःthe two-hundred-and-fifty-third (chapter)

अध्यायःchapter

Speaker

कर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

क

कर्ण (Karṇa)

म

महाभारत (Mahābhārata)

व

वनपर्व (Vana Parva)

घ

घोषयात्रापर्व (Ghoṣa-yātrā-parvan)

द

दिग्विजय (digvijaya)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

As a colophon, the line does not teach through direct instruction; it frames the episode ethically by highlighting a digvijaya—conquest pursued for prestige and dominance—inviting reflection on how royal glory-seeking can intensify rivalry and set the stage for larger conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

This is the chapter-ending colophon: it announces that the chapter has concluded and identifies its placement—Vana Parva, within the Ghoṣa-yātrā section, specifically the portion describing Karṇa’s digvijaya (campaign of conquest).