Shloka 87
भीमसेन-दुर्योधन-प्रहारः तथा घटोत्कचमायाप्रादुर्भावः | Bhīmasena–Duryodhana Clash and the Manifestation of Ghaṭotkaca’s Māyā
इति श्रीमहा भारते भीष्मपर्वणि भीष्मवधपर्वणि अष्टमदिवसयुद्धारम्भे सप्ताशीतितमो<ध्याय:
iti śrīmahābhārate bhīṣmaparvaṇi bhīṣmavadhaparvaṇi aṣṭamadivasayuddhārambhe saptāśītitamo 'dhyāyaḥ
Thus, in the revered Mahābhārata, within the Bhīṣma Parva—specifically in the section concerning the slaying of Bhīṣma—begins the account of the battle on the eighth day; here ends the eighty-seventh chapter. This colophon frames the narrative as a solemn record of war, marking a decisive phase that culminates in Bhīṣma’s fall and invites reflection on the grave ethical weight of martial duty and its consequences.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a colophon, the verse does not teach through direct instruction; it frames the war narrative as a sacred history and highlights the moral gravity of the coming events—especially the turning point associated with Bhīṣma’s fall—prompting reflection on dharma in warfare and the cost of duty-bound violence.
This is an editorial/narrative marker concluding the chapter and situating it within Bhīṣma Parva and the Bhīṣma-vadha episode, indicating the commencement of the eighth day’s fighting and signaling that the story is moving toward the decisive developments surrounding Bhīṣma.