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Shloka 97

Adhyāya 96: Nārada Guides Mātali in Varuṇa’s Realm

Varuṇa-loka Darśana

Devanagari script

इति श्रीमहाभारते उद्योगपर्वणि भगवद्यानपर्वणि मातलिवरान्वेषणे सप्तनवतितमो<5ध्याय:

Transliteration

iti śrīmahābhārate udyogaparvaṇi bhagavadyānaparvaṇi mātalivarānveṣaṇe saptanavatitamo 'dhyāyaḥ

Translation

Thus, in the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Udyoga Parva, in the section concerning the Lord’s mission (Bhagavad-yāna), in the episode of searching for the excellent charioteer Mātali, ends the ninety-seventh chapter. This colophon marks the close of a narrative unit that frames duty-bound action and counsel in the lead-up to war.

Word by Word

इतिthus; end-quote marker

श्रीमहाभारतेin the revered Mahabharata

उद्योगपर्वणिin the Udyoga-parvan

भगवद्यानपर्वणिin the Bhagavad-yana sub-parvan

मातलिवरान्वेषणेin the (section) 'search for Mātali's boon/excellent (thing)'

सप्तनवतितमःninety-seventh (ordinal)

अध्यायःchapter

Speaker

कण्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mahābhārata

Udyoga Parva

Bhagavad-yāna Parva

Mātali

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

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 line is a colophon rather than a didactic verse; its function is to mark textual closure and locate the chapter within the Mahābhārata’s larger ethical narrative—preparations, counsel, and duty (dharma) as the conflict approaches.

What is happening in the narrative?

The statement announces the end of the ninety-seventh chapter in the Udyoga Parva, specifically within the Bhagavad-yāna section, and identifies the episode-theme as the search for the excellent Mātali.