Shloka 255
जयद्रथ-निग्रहः — Jayadratha Restrained, Shamed, and Released
इति श्रीमहाभारते वनपर्वणि घोषयात्रापर्वणि दुर्योधनयज्ञसमारम्भे पञ्चपञ्चाशदधिकद्वधिशततमो<ध्याय:
iti śrīmahābhārate vanaparvaṇi ghoṣayātrāparvaṇi duryodhanayajñasamārambhe pañcapañcāśadadhikadvadhiśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ
Thus, in the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Vana Parva—specifically the Ghoṣa-yātrā section—this marks the conclusion of the chapter concerning Duryodhana’s commencement of a sacrificial rite. (This is a colophon indicating the end of the chapter.)
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
This line is a colophon rather than a doctrinal verse; its value is structural and ethical-contextual: it frames the narrative around Duryodhana’s ritual undertaking, inviting reflection on how outwardly pious acts (yajña) can be driven by pride, rivalry, or political display rather than dharmic intent.
The text signals the close of a chapter in the Vana Parva’s Ghoṣa-yātrā episode, identifying the chapter’s theme as the beginning/undertaking of Duryodhana’s sacrifice. It functions as an editorial marker concluding the adhyāya.