Shloka 53
Śara-śayyā-sthita-bhīṣma-saṃvāda-prastāvaḥ
The Prelude to Questioning Bhīṣma on the Bed of Arrows
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्ाभारत शान्तिपर्वके अन्तर्गत राजधमनुशासनपर्वमें युधिष्ठिर आदिका भीष्मके समीप गमनविषयक तिरपनवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti prakāraḥ śrīmahābhārate śāntiparvaṇi antargate rājadharmānuśāsanaparvaṇi yudhiṣṭhirādikānāṃ bhīṣmasamīpa-gamana-viṣayakaḥ tripañcāśattamo 'dhyāyaḥ pūrṇaḥ
Thus, in the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Śānti Parvan—specifically in the section on the instruction concerning the king’s dharma (Rājadharmānuśāsana Parvan)—the fifty-third chapter, dealing with Yudhiṣṭhira and the others going to Bhīṣma’s side, comes to its conclusion. The narrative frame emphasizes the transition from war to ethical governance: the victors approach the dying elder to seek guidance on righteous rule and conduct.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
This line functions as a chapter-colophon highlighting the ethical pivot of the Śānti Parva: after the devastation of war, rightful rule must be grounded in rājadharma, learned through disciplined instruction from an elder authority (Bhīṣma).
The chapter concludes with the framing note that Yudhiṣṭhira and his companions have gone to Bhīṣma’s presence; the epic is transitioning into Bhīṣma’s teachings on governance and dharma within the Rājadharmānuśāsana section.