Shloka 52
अर्जुन-माहात्म्य-चिन्ता
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Arjuna’s Strategic Supremacy
इति श्रीमहाभारते उद्योगपर्वणि यानसंधिपर्वणि धृतराष्ट्रवाक्ये द्विपज्चाशत्तमो5ध्याय:
iti śrīmahābhārate udyogaparvaṇi yānasaṃdhiparvaṇi dhṛtarāṣṭravākye dvipañcāśattamo 'dhyāyaḥ
Thus, in the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Udyoga Parva—specifically the section on mission and negotiations (Yāna–Sandhi Parva)—ends the fifty-second chapter, presented in the context of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s words. The colophon marks a formal closure of the chapter, underscoring that the narrative is situated amid attempts at diplomacy and settlement before the outbreak of war.
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a colophon, the verse does not teach through direct instruction; it frames the ethical setting: the story is placed within efforts toward yāna (mission) and sandhi (settlement), highlighting that war is preceded by opportunities for negotiation and responsible counsel—an implicit reminder of dharma in statecraft.
This line formally closes the chapter, identifying the larger book (Udyoga Parva), the relevant sub-section (Yāna–Sandhi Parva), and the speaker-context (Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s words). It signals a transition point in the diplomacy-centered portion of the epic.