Shloka 97
भीष्म-पर्व अध्याय १०० — त्रिगर्त-आक्रमण, भीष्म-केन्द्रित पुनर्संयोजन, तथा शक्त्यस्त्र-विनिमय
इति श्रीमहाभारते भीष्मपर्वणि भीष्मवधपर्वणि भीष्म॑ प्रति दुर्योधनवाक्ये सप्तनवतितमो<ध्याय:
iti śrīmahābhārate bhīṣmaparvaṇi bhīṣmavadhaparvaṇi bhīṣmaṃ prati duryodhanavākye saptanavatitamo 'dhyāyaḥ
Thus, in the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Bhīṣma Parva—specifically in the section concerning the fall of Bhīṣma—ends the ninety-seventh chapter, known as Duryodhana’s address directed toward Bhīṣma. This is a colophon marking the close of a narrative unit, situating the discourse in the ethical tension of war: a king’s pressure upon an elder and commander, and the looming consequence of choices made on the battlefield.
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a colophon, the verse does not teach through direct instruction; it frames the ethical situation: Duryodhana’s words are set against Bhīṣma’s role as an elder bound by vows and duty, highlighting how power can pressure conscience during war.
The text is closing a chapter in the Bhīṣma Parva, identifying it as the ninety-seventh chapter and characterizing its content as Duryodhana’s address directed to Bhīṣma, within the episode leading to Bhīṣma’s fall.