Shloka 250
इति श्रीमहाभारते वनपर्वणि घोषयात्रापर्वणि दुर्योधनप्रायोपवेशे कर्णवाक्ये पजञ्चाशदधिकद्धिशततमो<्ध्याय:
iti śrīmahābhārate vanaparvaṇi ghoṣayātrāparvaṇi duryodhana-prāyopaveśe karṇa-vākye pañcāśad-adhika-dviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ
Thus, in the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Vana Parva—specifically the Ghoṣa-yātrā section—this concludes the chapter concerning Duryodhana’s resolve to fast unto death and the counsel spoken by Karṇa: the two-hundred-and-fiftieth chapter (i.e., the 250th).
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a colophon, the verse does not teach through direct instruction; it frames the episode ethically by highlighting two contrasting impulses: Duryodhana’s self-destructive resolve (prāyopaveśa) arising from wounded pride, and Karṇa’s role as an adviser whose words shape action. The implied lesson is that honor-driven despair can lead to harmful vows, and counsel can either restrain or inflame such impulses.
This is an end-of-chapter marker identifying the textual location: in the Vana Parva, within the Ghoṣa-yātrā section, the chapter dealing with Duryodhana’s decision to fast unto death and Karṇa’s speech has concluded; it labels the chapter number as the 250th.