Shloka 44
Aśvatthāman’s Admonition to Karṇa on Boasting, Varṇa-Duties, and the Threat of Arjuna
Virāṭa-parva, Adhyāya 45
इस प्रकार श्रीमहाभारत विराटप्वके अन्तर्गत गोहदरणपर्वमें उत्तरगोग्रहके अवसरपर अजुनिपरिचयसम्बन्धी चौवालीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti prakāraṁ śrīmahābhārate virāṭaparvaṇi antaragate goharaṇaparvaṇi uttaragograhasya avasare arjunaparicaya-sambandhī catuścatvāriṁśattamo 'dhyāyaḥ samāptaḥ
Thus, in the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Virāṭa Parva, in the episode known as the Cattle-Raid (Goharaṇa Parvan), on the occasion of the capture of the northern cattle, the forty-fourth chapter—concerning the recognition and revelation of Arjuna’s identity—comes to an end.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a concluding colophon, the verse highlights a key ethical motif of the Virāṭa narrative: disciplined concealment in service of dharma, followed by timely revelation and decisive action when righteousness demands it.
This line marks the end of a chapter in the Virāṭa Parva, specifically within the Goharaṇa (cattle-raid) episode, at the moment connected with the northern cattle’s capture and the recognition/introduction of Arjuna.