Shloka 256
Rāmopākhyāna—Rāma–Sītā Origins and the Opening of Rāvaṇa’s Genealogy
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्ाभारत वनपवके अन्तर्गत घोषयात्रापर्वमें दुर्योधनका यज्ञविषयक दो सौ छप्पनवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
Iti prakāraḥ Śrīmahābhārata-Vanaparvaṇi antargata-Ghoṣayātrāparvaṇi Duryodhanasya yajñaviṣayakaḥ dviśata-ṣaṭpañcāśattamo 'dhyāyaḥ pūrṇaḥ.
Thus ends the two hundred and fifty-sixth chapter in the Ghoṣayātrā sub-section of the Vana Parva of the Śrī Mahābhārata, dealing with Duryodhana’s sacrificial undertaking. The colophon marks the completion of this unit, framing the episode as a concluded narrative segment and implicitly reminding the listener that ritual display, when driven by pride or rivalry, is ethically distinct from sacrifice grounded in dharma.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a colophon, the line primarily signals completion; ethically, it invites reflection that yajña (ritual) gains true merit when aligned with dharma and humility, not when used as a vehicle for status, rivalry, or self-display.
The narrator (Vaiśampāyana) closes the chapter, stating that the 256th adhyāya of the Ghoṣayātrā episode within the Vana Parva—focused on Duryodhana’s sacrificial matter—has concluded.