Shloka 138
Adhyāya 140: Rātriyuddhe Droṇa-prāpti-prayatnaḥ
Night engagement and the attempt to reach Droṇa
इति श्रीमहाभारते द्रोणपर्वणि जयद्रथवधपर्वणि भीमकर्णयुद्धे अष्टात्रिंशधिकशततमो< ध्याय:,इस प्रकार श्रीमह्माभारत द्रोणपर्वके अन्तर्गत जयद्रथवधपर्वमें भीम और कर्णका युद्धविषयक एक सौ अड़तीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti śrīmahābhārate droṇaparvaṇi jayadrathavadhaparvaṇi bhīmakarṇayuddhe aṣṭātriṃśādhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ |
Sañjaya said: Thus, in the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Droṇa Parvan—under the sub-episode concerning the slaying of Jayadratha—this one-hundred-and-thirty-eighth chapter, describing the battle between Bhīma and Karṇa, is concluded. The colophon frames the combat as part of a larger moral and strategic arc: the Kurukṣetra war’s escalating violence is narrated in service of a decisive objective, where individual duels become instruments within a broader pursuit of vowed duty and consequential justice.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a colophon, the verse does not teach by direct instruction; it situates a violent duel within a larger dharmic and strategic narrative. It highlights how personal heroics in war are subordinated to overarching vows and objectives (here, the Jayadratha-slaying arc), reminding readers that actions in the epic are evaluated by their role in duty, consequence, and the unfolding of justice.
Sañjaya marks the end of the 138th chapter in the Droṇa Parvan, specifically within the Jayadratha-vadha section, and identifies the chapter’s focus as the combat between Bhīma and Karṇa. It is a formal closing statement indicating the completion of that chapter’s narration.