Shloka 64
Adhyāya 64 — Omens, Conch Signals, and Arjuna’s Assault on the Elephant Division
इति श्रीमहा भारते द्रोणपर्वणि अभिमन्युवधपर्वणि षोडशराजकीये चतु:षष्टितमो5 ध्याय:,इस प्रकार श्रीमहाभारत द्रोणपर्वके अन्तर्गत अभिमन्युवधपर्वमें षोडशराजकीयो- पाख्यानविषयक चौंसठवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti śrīmahābhārate droṇaparvaṇi abhimanyuvadhaparvaṇi ṣoḍaśarājakīye catuḥṣaṣṭitamo 'dhyāyaḥ |
Thus ends the sixty-fourth chapter of the Droṇa Parva of the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the sub-section concerning the slaying of Abhimanyu, specifically the episode known as the account of the sixteen kings.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
This verse is a colophon rather than a doctrinal statement: it teaches how the epic frames meaning through structure—by explicitly locating events (Abhimanyu’s death and the ‘sixteen kings’ episode) within the Droṇa Parva, it signals that ethical evaluation of war (dharma, vows, protection of the vulnerable, and responsibility of leaders) is to be read in context, not as isolated incidents.
The line announces the completion of the sixty-fourth chapter in the Droṇa Parva, specifically within the Abhimanyu-vadha section and the ‘Ṣoḍaśarājakīya’ episode. It functions as an editorial/narrative boundary marker indicating that the preceding account has concluded.