Shloka 227

Duryodhana’s Departure toward Dvaītavana; Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Caution and Śakuni’s Assurance

Devanagari script

इति श्रीमहाभारते वनपर्वणि मार्कण्डेयसमास्यापर्वणि आज्धिरसे इन्द्रस्कन्दसमागमे सप्तविंशत्यधिकद्धिशततमो< ध्याय:,इस प्रकार श्रीमहाभारत वनपर्वके अन्तर्गत मार्कण्डेयसमास्यापर्वमें आंगिरसोपाख्यानके प्रसंगमें इन्द्र-स्कन्दसमागमविषयक दो सौ सत्ताईसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ

Transliteration

iti śrīmahābhārate vanaparvaṇi mārkaṇḍeyasamāsyāparvaṇi āṅgirasopākhyānaprasaṅge indra-skanda-samāgame saptaviṃśatyadhika-dviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ |

Translation

Thus, in the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Vana Parva—under the section known as the Mārkaṇḍeya-samāsya sub-parvan—on the occasion of the Āṅgirasa narrative, the chapter concerning the meeting of Indra and Skanda comes to an end (being the 227th chapter). This colophon signals the completion of the episode, marking a formal pause in the teaching-through-story that frames divine encounters as confirmations of cosmic order and rightful authority.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'iti', 'definition': 'thus

• an end-marker introducing a colophon'}, {'term': 'śrīmahābhārate', 'definition': 'in the Śrī Mahābhārata (locative)'}, {'term': 'vanaparvaṇi', 'definition': "in the Vana Parva, the 'Forest Book' (locative)"}, {'term': 'mārkaṇḍeya', 'definition': 'Mārkaṇḍeya (sage

• narrator in this section)'}, {'term': 'samāsya/samāsyā', 'definition': 'a named sub-section (as given in the edition’s colophon)'}, {'term': 'parvaṇi', 'definition': 'in the parvan/section (locative)'}, {'term': 'āṅgirasa', 'definition': 'relating to Aṅgiras

• the Āṅgirasa episode/narrative'}, {'term': 'upākhyāna', 'definition': 'sub-tale

• embedded narrative'}, {'term': 'prasaṅga', 'definition': 'context

• narrative setting'}, {'term': 'indra', 'definition': 'Indra, king of the gods'}, {'term': 'skanda', 'definition': 'Skanda (Kārttikeya), divine commander'}, {'term': 'samāgama', 'definition': 'meeting

• encounter'}, {'term': 'saptaviṃśatyadhika-dviśatatamaḥ', 'definition': 'two-hundred-and-twenty-seventh'}, {'term': 'adhyāyaḥ', 'definition': 'chapter'}]

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Indra
• Skanda
• Mahābhārata
• Vana Parva
• Āṅgirasa (episode/tradition)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

As a colophon, the verse’s function is to close an episode and authenticate its placement in the larger work. Indirectly, it reinforces the Mahābhārata’s method of teaching dharma through structured storytelling: divine meetings and narrated precedents are framed as supports for cosmic order and rightful conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker-marked section concludes: within Vana Parva’s Mārkaṇḍeya-related sub-parvan, in the context of the Āṅgirasa embedded tale, the chapter describing the encounter between Indra and Skanda is formally declared complete (chapter 227).