Shloka 175
Bhīmasena’s Capture by the Serpent and Nahūṣa’s Self-Disclosure (भीमसेन-भुजङ्गग्रहणं नहुषोपाख्यानप्रस्तावः)
इति श्रीमहाभारते वनपर्वणि निवातकवचयुद्धपर्वणि अस्त्रदर्शने पजञ्चसप्तत्यधिकशततमो<ध्याय:
iti śrīmahābhārate vanaparvaṇi nivātakavacayuddhaparvaṇi astradarśane pañcasaptatyadhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ
Thus, in the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Vana Parva, in the sub-episode concerning the battle with the Nivātakavacas, in the section on the revelation and demonstration of celestial weapons, ends the one-hundred-and-seventy-sixth chapter. The line functions as a formal colophon, marking the close of a narrative unit that emphasizes disciplined acquisition of power (astra-knowledge) and its ethical containment within dharma.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a colophon, the verse does not teach through direct instruction; it frames the ethical arc of the section: divine power (astras) is to be received through discipline and used within dharma, not as mere violence.
The line marks the conclusion of Chapter 176 in the Vana Parva, specifically within the episode of the Nivātakavaca battle and the subsection describing the revelation/demonstration of celestial weapons.