Shloka 191
इति श्रीमहाभारते द्रोणपर्वणि द्रोणवधपर्वणि संकुलयुद्धे एकनवत्यधिकशततमो< ध्याय:,इस प्रकार श्रीमहाभारत द्रोणपर्वके अन्तर्गत द्रोणवधपर्वमें संकुलयुद्धविषयक एक सौ इक्यानबेवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti śrīmahābhārate droṇaparvaṇi droṇavadhaparvaṇi saṅkulayuddhe ekanavatyadhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ |
Sañjaya said: Thus ends the one hundred and ninety-first chapter, entitled “The Confused and Intermingled Battle,” within the Droṇa Parva of the Śrī Mahābhārata, in the sub-section concerning the slaying of Droṇa. The narration marks a formal closure to this phase of the war-account, underscoring how the conflict has reached a state of dense entanglement—where clarity of order and restraint is strained, and the ethical weight of warfare presses heavily upon all sides.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
This is a colophon (chapter-ending formula), not a doctrinal verse. Its ethical resonance lies in the label “saṅkula-yuddha” (confused mêlée), which highlights how war tends toward disorder, blurring lines of restraint and intensifying moral pressure—an implicit reminder of the fragility of dharma amid escalating violence.
Sañjaya formally concludes the chapter, identifying its placement: within the Droṇa Parva, specifically the sub-section dealing with Droṇa’s death, and characterizing the episode as a “confused, intermingled battle.” It functions as a structural marker that the account of this particular battle-phase has ended.