Shloka 168
द्रौणिप्रतिज्ञा–नारायणास्त्रवर्णनम्
Drauṇi’s Vow and the Description of the Nārāyaṇāstra
इति श्रीमहाभारते द्रोणपर्वणि घटोत्कचवधपर्वणि रात्रियुद्धे शतानीकादियुद्धे5ष्टषष्ट्यधिकशततमो< ध्याय:,इस प्रकार श्रीमह्ाभारत द्रोणपर्वके अन्तर्गत घटोत्कचवधपर्वमें रात्रियुद्धके समय शतानीक आदिका युद्धविषयक एक सौ अड़सठवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti śrīmahābhārate droṇaparvaṇi ghaṭotkacavadhaparvaṇi rātriyuddhe śatānīkādiyuddhe aṣṭaṣaṣṭyadhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ
Sañjaya said: Thus, in the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Droṇa Parva, in the sub-section concerning the slaying of Ghaṭotkaca, during the night-battle, in the episode describing the combat involving Śatānīka and others, the one hundred and sixty-eighth chapter is concluded. This colophon marks the close of a narrative unit that frames the night’s warfare and its moral weight—where duty, strategy, and the tragic costs of battle converge.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a colophon, the verse does not teach through direct instruction; it frames the ethical atmosphere of the narrative—war conducted at night, the escalation of tactics, and the heavy consequences that accompany the fulfillment of martial duty (kṣātra-dharma). It reminds the reader that the epic’s moral inquiry continues even through cataloged battles and chapter closures.
This line signals the end of the chapter: it situates the concluded portion within Droṇa Parva, specifically in the episode connected with Ghaṭotkaca’s death, during the night-fighting, and within a combat sequence involving Śatānīka and others.