Shloka 53
गदायुद्ध-समारम्भः
Commencement of the Mace-Duel Proceedings
इस प्रकार श्रीमहाभारत शल्यपर्वके अन्तर्गत गदापव॑नमें बलदेवजीकी तीर्थयात्रा और सारस्वतोपाख्यानके प्रसंगमें कुरुक्षेत्रकी महिमाका वर्णनविषयक तिरपनवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti prakāraṃ śrīmahābhārata-śalya-parvaṇi antargata-gadāparvaṇiṃ baladevasya tīrthayātrā-sārasvatopākhyāna-prasaṅge kuru-kṣetrasya mahimā-varṇana-viṣayakaḥ tripañcāśattamo 'dhyāyaḥ pūrṇaḥ
Thus ends the fifty-third chapter of the Śalya Parva of the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the section concerning the mace: in the context of Baladeva’s pilgrimage and the episode of Sārasvata, it has described the glory of Kurukṣetra.
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid a war narrative, the text foregrounds dharma through tīrtha-māhātmya: remembrance of sacred places and exemplary episodes (like Sārasvata) reinforces ethical orientation, purification, and continuity of tradition.
This is a concluding colophon: it announces that the chapter has finished, specifying its setting (Śalya Parva, within the gadā-related section) and its subject matter—Baladeva’s pilgrimage, the Sārasvata episode, and the praise of Kurukṣetra.