Adhyāya 272: Vṛtrasya Dharmiṣṭhatā, Indrasya Mohaḥ, Vasiṣṭha-upadeśaḥ
Vṛtra’s dharmic stature; Indra’s disorientation; Vasiṣṭha’s counsel
इति श्रीमहाभारते शान्तिपर्वणि मोक्षधर्मपर्वणि चतु:प्राश्निको नाम त्रिसप्तत्यधिकद्धिशततमो<5 ध्याय:
iti śrīmahābhārate śāntiparvaṇi mokṣadharmaparvaṇi catuḥpraśniko nāma trisaptatyadhikadviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ
Ainsi, dans le Śrī Mahābhārata, au sein du Śānti Parva et plus précisément de la section Mokṣa‑dharma, s’achève le deux-cent-soixante-treizième chapitre, intitulé « Les Quatre Questions (et leurs Réponses) ». Ce colophon final marque l’achèvement d’un épisode d’enseignement présenté comme l’instruction de Bhīṣma sur le dharma orienté vers la délivrance.
भीष्म उवाच
This verse is a colophon rather than a doctrinal statement: it marks the completion of a Mokṣa-dharma teaching unit titled “Four Questions (and their Answers),” situating the instruction within Bhīṣma’s broader guidance on dharma oriented toward liberation.
The text formally closes the chapter: the narrator/editorial voice indicates that, within the Śānti Parva’s Mokṣa-dharma section, the 273rd chapter named “Catuḥpraśnika” has ended—signaling a transition to the next unit of Bhīṣma’s discourse.