Shloka 251
Draupadī-apaharaṇa-saṃdeśaḥ
Report of Draupadī’s Abduction and the Pāṇḍavas’ Pursuit
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत वनपर्वके अन्तर्गत घोषयात्रापर्वमें दुर्योधनप्रायोपवेशनविषयक दो सौ इक्यावनवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti prakāraṁ śrīmahābhārate vanaparvake antargata ghoṣayātrāparvaṇi duryodhana-prāyopaveśana-viṣayakaḥ dviśata-eka-pañcāśattamo 'dhyāyaḥ pūrṇaḥ
Thus ends the two-hundred and fifty-first chapter of the Ghoṣayātrā sub-episode within the Vana Parva of the sacred Mahābhārata, dealing with Duryodhana’s resolve to undertake prāyopaveśa (fasting unto death). The closing note signals a moral crisis: when pride and humiliation harden into self-destructive resolve, counsel and dharma become the decisive tests for kingship and character.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The colophon points to an ethical hinge in the story: when ego and wounded honor drive a ruler toward self-harm (prāyopaveśa), true dharma is tested through restraint, right counsel, and responsibility rather than impulsive extremes.
This is the chapter-ending notice stating that the 251st chapter of the Ghoṣayātrā episode within Vana Parva is complete, and that its subject is Duryodhana’s intention to undertake prāyopaveśa (fasting unto death).