Shloka 174
पाण्डवानां पाञ्चालगमनम्
The Pāṇḍavas’ Journey toward Pāñcāla and News of the Svayaṃvara
इति श्रीमहाभारते आदिपर्वणि चैत्ररथपर्वणि वासिष्े विश्वामित्रपरा भवे चतु:सप्तत्यधिकशततमो<ध्याय:
iti śrīmahābhārate ādiparvaṇi caitrarathaparvaṇi vāsiṣṭhe viśvāmitraparā bhave catuḥsaptatyadhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ
Thus ends the one-hundred-and-seventy-fifth chapter of the Ādi Parva of the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Caitraratha section, in the episode concerning Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra. This closing colophon proclaims the completion of a narrative unit that sets in relief the ethical tension between spiritual authority and royal ambition, and it solemnly marks the transition to what follows in the epic’s unfolding.
गन्धर्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a colophon, the verse itself teaches indirectly: it highlights how the epic organizes moral narratives into discrete episodes. By naming Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra, it points to a recurring ethical theme—tension between kṣatriya power and brahminical/ascetic authority, and the need to discipline ambition through dharma.
This line is not spoken dialogue but an editorial closing formula marking the end of Ādi Parva, chapter 175, within the Caitraratha section, specifically the episode centered on Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra. It signals that the preceding story-unit has concluded and the text is moving to the next chapter/segment.