Shloka 187
इस प्रकार श्रीमहाभारत द्रोणपर्वके अन्तर्गत द्रोणवधपर्वमें नकुलका युद्धाविषयक एक सौ सतासीवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti prakāraḥ śrīmahābhārate droṇaparvake antargata-droṇavadhaparvaṇi nakulasya yuddhaviṣayaka ekaśata-saptāśītitamo 'dhyāyaḥ pūrṇaḥ
Sanjaya said: Thus ends the one hundred and eighty-seventh chapter on Nakula’s battle, within the Droṇa Parva of the Śrī Mahābhārata, in the sub-section concerning the slaying of Droṇa. The narration marks a formal closure, reminding the listener that the war’s events are being recorded in ordered stages, even as they culminate in the grave and morally weighty episode of Droṇa’s death.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
This is a colophon-style closing line rather than a doctrinal verse. Its implicit lesson is about disciplined narration and accountability: even amid chaotic war and ethically fraught acts (like the impending slaying of Droṇa), the tradition frames events carefully, marking sections and conclusions to preserve clarity and responsibility in recounting history.
The text formally concludes the 187th chapter, identified as dealing with Nakula’s battle, and situates it within the larger Droṇa Parva and specifically within the sub-section on Droṇa’s death. It signals a transition to the next unit of the war narrative.