Shloka 188

Devanagari script

इति श्रीमहाभारते शान्तिपर्वणि मोक्षधर्मपर्वणि भूगुभरद्वाजसंवादे वर्णविभागकथने अष्टाशीत्यधिकशततमो< ध्याय:,इस प्रकार श्रीमह्ाभारत शान्तिपर्वके अन्तर्गत गोक्षधर्मपर्वमें भ्गु-भरद्वाजके प्रसंगमें वर्णोके विभायका वर्णनविषयक एक सौ अट्ठासीवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ

Transliteration

iti śrīmahābhārate śāntiparvaṇi mokṣadharmaparvaṇi bhṛgu-bharadvāja-saṃvāde varṇa-vibhāga-kathane aṣṭāśīty-adhika-śatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ

Translation

Thus, in the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Śānti Parva—specifically the Mokṣa-dharma section—during the dialogue between Bhṛgu and Bharadvāja, the chapter dealing with the classification of the social orders (varṇa) comes to its close: this is the one hundred and eighty-eighth chapter.

Word by Word

इतिthus; end-quote marker

श्रीauspiciousness; honorific 'śrī'

महाभारतेin the Mahābhārata

शान्तिपर्वणिin the Śānti-parvan

मोक्षधर्मपर्वणिin the Mokṣadharma section

भृगुof Bhṛgu

भरद्वाजof Bharadvāja

संवादेin the dialogue

वर्णविभागकथनेin the narration of the division of varṇas

अष्टाशीत्यधिकhaving eighty-eight in excess (i.e., 188th)

शततमःhundredth (ordinal base for numbering)

अध्यायःchapter

Speaker

भरद्वाज उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mahābhārata

Śānti Parva

Mokṣa-dharma Parva

Bhṛgu

Bharadvāja

Varṇa (social orders)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

This verse is a colophon marking the end of a chapter whose theme is varṇa-vibhāga (the classification of social orders) within Mokṣa-dharma. Its ethical context is that discussions of social duty and identity are framed as part of a larger inquiry into dharma and ultimately liberation (mokṣa).

What is happening in the narrative?

The text signals the conclusion of the discourse: within the Śānti Parva’s Mokṣa-dharma section, the dialogue between the sages Bhṛgu and Bharadvāja has completed a chapter explaining varṇa divisions; the chapter count is given as the 188th.