Shloka 178
इति श्रीमहाभारते वनपर्वणि आजगरपर्वणि अजगरग्रहणे अष्टसप्तत्यधिकशततमो< ध्याय:,इस प्रकार श्रीमह्या भारत वनपर्वके अन्तर्गत आजगरपर्वमें भीमयेनका अजगरद्वारा ग्रहणसम्बन्धी एक सौ अठहत्तरवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti śrīmahābhārate vanaparvaṇi ājagaraparvaṇi ajagaragrahaṇe aṣṭasaptatyadhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ |
Thus, in the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Vana Parva—specifically the Ājagara episode concerning the serpent’s seizure—ends the one-hundred-and-seventy-eighth chapter. Here the narrative closure marks the completion of the account in which Bhīma is seized by the great serpent (ājagara), framing the episode as a moral inquiry into restraint, right understanding, and the power of discerning speech to resolve peril without violence.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a chapter-colophon, the line itself closes the episode; the surrounding Ājagara narrative is commonly read as emphasizing dharma through restraint and discernment—meeting danger not merely with strength but with right understanding and measured speech.
This is the formal end-of-chapter statement: it announces that the chapter in the Vana Parva dealing with Bhīma’s seizure by the great serpent (ājagara) has concluded.