Shloka 88
द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय ९०: हार्दिक्यस्य पराक्रमः
Kṛtavarmā’s Stand against the Pāṇḍavas
इति श्रीमहाभारते द्रोणपर्वणि जयद्रथवधपर्वणि अर्जुनरणप्रवेशे अष्टाशीतितमो<ध्याय:
iti śrīmahābhārate droṇaparvaṇi jayadrathavadhaparvaṇi arjunaraṇapraveśe aṣṭāśītitamo 'dhyāyaḥ
Sanjaya concludes: Thus, in the sacred Mahābhārata, within the Droṇa Parva—specifically the section concerning the slaying of Jayadratha—this is the eighty-eighth chapter, describing Arjuna’s entry into the thick of battle. The closing formula frames the episode as a decisive moral turning-point in the war, where vows, responsibility, and the consequences of protection or betrayal of dharma converge on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a colophon, the verse does not teach through direct instruction; it frames the episode ethically: war is narrated as a field where vows and accountability matter. Arjuna’s entry into battle is presented as purposeful action tied to justice and responsibility, not mere violence.
Sañjaya marks the close of a chapter in the Droṇa Parva, within the Jayadratha-slaying section, identifying it as the chapter describing Arjuna’s entry into combat—setting the stage for the decisive pursuit and the moral stakes surrounding Jayadratha’s fate.