Shloka 165
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्ााभारत द्रोणपर्वके अन्तर्गत घटोत्कचवधपर्वमें यात्रियुद्धके अवसरपर युधिष्टिरका पलायनविषयक एक सौ पैंसठवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
Iti prakāraḥ Śrīmahābhārate Droṇaparvake antargata Ghaṭotkacavadhaparvaṇi yātriyuddhasya avasare Yudhiṣṭhirasya palāyanaviṣayaka ekaśata-paiṃsaṭṭhamaḥ adhyāyaḥ pūrṇaḥ.
Thus ends the one hundred and sixty-fifth chapter of the Śrī Mahābhārata’s Droṇa Parva, within the section on the slaying of Ghaṭotkaca, describing—on the occasion of the marching battle—the episode concerning Yudhiṣṭhira’s retreat. This colophon marks the close of a narrative unit that frames the ethical strain of war: even the most dharma-minded king is shown confronting fear, responsibility, and the hard choices forced by battlefield crisis.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a colophon, the line does not teach through direct instruction but by framing the episode: it highlights how war pressures even a dharma-centered leader into contemplating retreat, raising ethical questions about courage, duty, and the protection of one’s forces amid crisis.
This is an end-of-chapter notice stating that the 165th chapter—within Droṇa Parva’s Ghaṭotkaca-slaying section—has concluded, and that its subject was Yudhiṣṭhira’s retreat during a marching battle.