Shloka 87
राजपूजाविधानम् / Royal Reception Protocols during Āśvamedha Preparations
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत आश्वमेधिकपरववके अन्तर्गत अनुगीतापर्वरमें अजुनका प्रत्यागगनविषयक सतासीवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti prakāraṃ śrīmahābhārate āśvamedhika-parvaṇi antar-gataṃ anugītā-parvaṇi arjunasya pratyāgamanaviṣayakaḥ saptāśītitamo 'dhyāyaḥ pūrṇaḥ
Thus, in the sacred Mahābhārata, within the Āśvamedhika Parva, in the Anugītā section, the eighty-seventh chapter—concerning Arjuna’s return—comes to an end. This colophon marks the close of a narrative unit, placing the episode within the ethical frame of postwar restoration and the reorientation of kingship toward dharma after devastation.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
This verse is a colophon rather than a doctrinal statement: it emphasizes textual closure and context—placing Arjuna’s return within the Āśvamedhika Parva and the Anugītā section, which broadly frames post-war life as a return to dharma, restraint, and responsible kingship.
The text signals the completion of a chapter focused on Arjuna’s return. It functions as an editorial marker that the relevant adhyāya has ended within the larger structure of the Mahābhārata’s Āśvamedhika Parva.