Shloka 155
Rājarṣi-samāgamaḥ — Yudhiṣṭhirasya Dharma-parīkṣā ca
Meeting the Royal Sage and a Dharmic Audit
इति श्रीमहाभारते वनपर्वणि तीर्थयात्रापर्वणि लोमशतीर्थयात्रायां सौगन्धिकाहरणे पजञ्चपञ्चाशदधिकशततमोड< ध्याय:
iti śrīmahābhārate vanaparvaṇi tīrthayātrāparvaṇi lomaśatīrthayātrāyāṃ saugandhikāharaṇe pañcapañcāśadadhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ
Thus, in the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Vana Parva—specifically the section on pilgrimage (Tīrthayātrā Parva), in the account of Lomāśa’s pilgrimage, in the episode concerning the bringing of the fragrant saugandhika flowers—ends the one hundred and fifty-fifth chapter. This is a colophon marking the close of a narrative unit, situating the episode within the broader ethical frame of pilgrimage, restraint, and the testing of desire and pride amid exile.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a colophon, the verse itself teaches by framing the episode within a sacred itinerary: pilgrimage is not merely travel but a discipline that contextualizes actions (like seeking rare pleasures) within dharma—encouraging restraint, humility, and ethical reflection during hardship.
This line closes a chapter and identifies its placement: during the Pāṇḍavas’ forest exile, Lomāśa narrates a pilgrimage sequence, and this particular unit concerns the obtaining of saugandhika flowers; the verse functions as an editorial/narrative marker rather than direct dialogue.