Shloka 177

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 178 — Royal Contestants Assemble; Cosmic Witnesses; The Bow Remains Unstrung

Devanagari script

इति श्रीमहाभारते आदिपर्वणि चैत्ररथपर्वण्यौवोपाख्याने सप्तसप्तत्यधिकशततमो<ध्याय:

Transliteration

iti śrīmahābhārate ādiparvaṇi caitrarathaparvaṇy auvopākhyāne saptasaptatyadhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ

Translation

Thus ends the one-hundred-and-seventy-eighth chapter of the Ādi Parva of the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Caitraratha section, in the episode known as the tale of Uparicara Vasu. This is a concluding colophon marking the close of the chapter rather than a spoken verse of instruction.

Word by Word

• इति: thus; end-quote marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• श्रीमहाभारते: in the venerable Mahabharata
• श्रीमहाभारते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमहाभारत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• आदिपर्वणि: in the Adi Parva
• आदिपर्वणि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदिपर्वन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• चैत्ररथपर्वणि: in the Chaitraratha-parvan section
• चैत्ररथपर्वणि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्ररथपर्वन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• औवोपाख्याने: in the Auvopakhyana (tale of Auva)
• औवोपाख्याने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: औवोपाख्यान
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• सप्तसप्तत्यधिकशततमः: the one hundred seventy-seventh
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तसप्तत्यधिकशततम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Mahābhārata
• Ādi Parva
• Caitraratha Parvan
• Auvopākhyāna (Uparicara Vasu episode)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

This line is a colophon, not a didactic verse. Its function is to authenticate and organize the text by stating the work, parva, sub-section, and chapter number, helping readers preserve the integrity of transmission.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrative action pauses: the chapter concludes. The colophon indicates that the preceding material belonged to the Caitraratha section of the Ādi Parva, specifically within the subsidiary tale connected with Uparicara Vasu.