Shloka 52
Damayantī’s Proposal of a Witnessed Choice; Nala Reports to the Lokapālas
Adhyāya 53
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्या भारत वनपर्वके अन्तर्गत नलोपाख्यानपर्वमें बुहदश्चयुधिष्टिस्संवादविषयक बावनवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti prakāraṁ śrīmahābhārate vanaparvaṇi antargate nalopākhyānaparvaṇi bṛhadaśva-yudhiṣṭhira-saṁvāda-viṣayakaḥ bāvanattamo 'dhyāyaḥ pūrṇaḥ
Thus, in the revered Mahābhārata, within the Vana Parva, in the section known as the Nala episode, the fifty-second chapter—concerned with the dialogue between Bṛhadaśva and Yudhiṣṭhira—comes to its conclusion. The closing formula underscores the didactic frame: Yudhiṣṭhira’s moral inquiry is answered through exemplary narrative, presenting dharma as something to be learned through lived experience, counsel, and reflection amid adversity.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
This line functions as a colophon: it highlights that the chapter’s purpose is instructional—Yudhiṣṭhira’s ethical concerns are addressed through Bṛhadaśva’s counsel within the Nala narrative, emphasizing dharma learned through guidance and example.
The text is not a spoken verse-content but a formal closing statement marking the end of the fifty-second chapter of the Nala episode within Vana Parva, specifically the portion centered on the Bṛhadaśva–Yudhiṣṭhira dialogue.