Shloka 128
Somadatta’s Kṣātra-Dharma Accusation; Night Combat, Māyā, and the Fall of Ghaṭotkaca
Droṇa-parva, Adhyāya 131
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्ाभारत द्रोणपर्वके अन्तर्गत जयद्रथवधपर्वमें भीमसेनका कौरव-सेनामें प्रवेश तथा युधिष्ठिरका हर्षविषयक एक सौ अद्ठाईसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
Iti prakāraḥ Śrīmahābhārate Droṇaparvake antargata-Jayadrathavadhaparvaṇi Bhīmasenasya Kaurava-senāyāṁ praveśaḥ tathā Yudhiṣṭhirasya harṣaviṣayaka ekaśatāṣṭāviṁśat-tamo 'dhyāyaḥ pūrṇaḥ.
Sañjaya said: Thus, in the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Droṇa Parva—specifically in the Jayadratha-slaying section—the one hundred and twenty-eighth chapter comes to an end, describing Bhīmasena’s entry into the Kaurava army and the occasion for Yudhiṣṭhira’s joy. The closing line signals a turning point in the war narrative: decisive action on the battlefield is paired with the moral and emotional response of the righteous king, whose relief and hope arise from the momentum gained against injustice.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid war, the text highlights the ethical dimension of action and response: courageous, purposeful effort (Bhīma’s breakthrough) can restore morale and righteous confidence (Yudhiṣṭhira’s joy), suggesting that dharmic resolve is sustained by tangible progress against adharma.
This is a concluding colophon stating that the chapter has ended. It summarizes the chapter’s subject matter: Bhīmasena’s entry into the Kaurava battle formation and Yudhiṣṭhira’s resulting joy, within the Jayadratha-slaying episode of the Droṇa Parva.