Shloka 12
Jarāsandha as Obstacle to the Rājasūya — Kṛṣṇa’s Strategic Genealogical Brief
Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 13
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत सभापवके अन्तर्गत लोकपालसभाख्यानपर्वमें पाण्डु-संदेश- कथनविषयक बारहवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ,वार्धुषी यज्ञसत्त्वानि गोरक्ष॑ कर्षणं वणिक्
iti prakāraḥ śrīmahābhārate sabhāparvaṇi antargate lokapālasabhākhyānaparvaṇi pāṇḍu-sandeśa-kathanaviṣayakaḥ dvādaśo 'dhyāyaḥ samāptaḥ | vārdhuṣī yajñasattvāni gorakṣaṃ karṣaṇaṃ vaṇik |
Thus, in the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Sabhā Parva—specifically in the section known as the ‘Account of the Assemblies of the World-Guardians’—the twelfth chapter, dealing with the narration of Pāṇḍu’s message, comes to an end. The closing words evoke the sustaining pillars of orderly life: wealth and lending, sacrificial resources, protection of cattle, agriculture, and trade—suggesting that righteous governance rests not only on power but on the ethical maintenance of society’s economic and ritual foundations.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The chapter-ending formula highlights that dharmic stability depends on sustaining society’s key supports—ritual resources (yajña), cattle protection, agriculture, trade, and responsible management of wealth—implying that righteous rule is measured by how well these are protected and regulated.
This is a colophon marking the completion of the twelfth chapter within the Lokapāla-sabhā narrative section of Sabhā Parva, identified as dealing with the telling of Pāṇḍu’s message.