Shloka 251

Draupadī-apaharaṇa-saṃdeśaḥ

Report of Draupadī’s Abduction and the Pāṇḍavas’ Pursuit

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत वनपर्वके अन्तर्गत घोषयात्रापर्वमें दुर्योधनप्रायोपवेशनविषयक दो सौ इक्यावनवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ

Transliteration

iti prakāraṁ śrīmahābhārate vanaparvake antargata ghoṣayātrāparvaṇi duryodhana-prāyopaveśana-viṣayakaḥ dviśata-eka-pañcāśattamo 'dhyāyaḥ pūrṇaḥ

Translation

Así concluye el capítulo ducentésimo quincuagésimo primero del subepisodio Ghoṣayātrā, contenido en el Vana Parva del sagrado Mahābhārata, relativo a la resolución de Duryodhana de emprender el prāyopaveśa (ayuno hasta la muerte). Esta nota final señala una crisis moral: cuando el orgullo y la humillación se endurecen en un propósito autodestructivo, el consejo y el dharma se vuelven las pruebas decisivas del reinado y del carácter.

Word by Word

इतिthus

प्रकारम्manner, way

श्रीमहाभारतेin the Śrī-Mahābhārata

वनपर्वणिin the Vana-parvan

अन्तर्गतेincluded (within)

घोषयात्रापर्वणिin the Ghoṣa-yātrā-parvan

दुर्योधनप्रायोपवेशनविषयकःconcerning Duryodhana's fast-unto-death (prāyopaveśa)

द्विशतैकपञ्चाशत्तमःtwo-hundred-and-fifty-first

अध्यायःchapter

समाप्तःcompleted, concluded

अभवत्was, became

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mahābhārata

Vana Parva

Ghoṣayātrā Parvan

Duryodhana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The colophon points to an ethical hinge in the story: when ego and wounded honor drive a ruler toward self-harm (prāyopaveśa), true dharma is tested through restraint, right counsel, and responsibility rather than impulsive extremes.

What is happening in the narrative?

This is the chapter-ending notice stating that the 251st chapter of the Ghoṣayātrā episode within Vana Parva is complete, and that its subject is Duryodhana’s intention to undertake prāyopaveśa (fasting unto death).