Shloka 68
समन्तपञ्चक-आख्यानम् तथा अक्षौहिणी-प्रमाणनिर्णयः
Samantapañcaka Narrative and the Measure of an Akṣauhiṇī
पर्वोक्ते भगवद्वीता पर्व भीष्मवधस्तत: । द्रोणाभिषेचनं पर्व संशप्तकवधस्तत:,इसके बाद क्रमश: भगवदगीता, भीष्मवध, द्रोणाभिषेक तथा संशप्तकवधपर्व हैं
parvokte bhagavadgītā parva bhīṣmavadhastataḥ | droṇābhiṣecanaṃ parva saṃśaptakavadhastataḥ ||
Having described the preceding section, the narrative next enumerates the subsequent Parvas in sequence: first the Bhagavadgītā Parva, then the Parva concerning Bhīṣma’s slaying, thereafter the Parva of Droṇa’s consecration as commander, and then the Parva describing the destruction of the Saṃśaptakas.
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse’s main purpose is not doctrinal instruction but textual orientation: it maps the sequence of upcoming Parvas, implicitly showing that ethical-spiritual counsel (Bhagavadgītā) is embedded within the unfolding war narrative and precedes major turning points like Bhīṣma’s fall and Droṇa’s command.
The speaker is listing, in order, the next major divisions of the Mahābhārata’s war account: the Bhagavadgītā section, the account of Bhīṣma’s fall, the installation of Droṇa as commander, and the destruction of the Saṃśaptaka warriors.