Shloka 57
भूमिभार-निवारणप्रसङ्गः (Bhūmibhāra-nivāraṇa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Motif of Relieving Earth’s Burden
इस प्रकार श्रीमहाभारत आदिपव॑के अन्तर्गत आस्तीकपर्वमें सर्पनामकथनविषयक सत्तावनवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
Iti prakāraṃ Śrīmahābhārata Ādiparva-ke antargata Āstīkaparva-meṃ sarpanāmakathanaviṣayaka sattāvanavāṃ adhyāyaḥ pūrṇaḥ huā.
Thus concludes the fifty-seventh chapter of the Āstīka Parva, within the Ādi Parva of the Śrī Mahābhārata, dealing with the narration of the names of the serpents. This closing colophon signals the completion of a thematic unit in the frame-narrative, emphasizing orderly transmission of tradition through careful cataloguing and remembrance.
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a colophon, the verse primarily teaches textual discipline: knowledge is preserved through structured narration, careful enumeration, and clear closure of sections—supporting faithful transmission of dharma-related lore across generations.
The speaker-marker and colophon indicate that the chapter on recounting the names of serpents within the Āstīka Parva (itself within the Ādi Parva) has ended; it is a formal conclusion rather than a new plot event.