Shloka 73
दमयन्ती–बाहुकसंवादः
Damayantī’s Dialogue with Bāhuka; Recognition and Disclosure
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत वनपववके अन्तर्गत नलोपाख्यानपर्वमें ऋतुपर्णका राजा भीमके नगरमें प्रवेशविषयक तिहत्तरवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti prakāraṁ śrīmahābhārate vanaparvaṇi antargate nalopākhyānaparvaṇi ṛtuparṇasya rājño bhīmasya nagare praveśa-viṣayakaḥ trayaḥsaptatitamo 'dhyāyaḥ samāptaḥ
Thus ends the seventy-third chapter of the Nalopākhyāna section within the Vana Parva of the Śrī Mahābhārata, describing King Ṛtuparṇa’s entry into Bhīma’s city. The closing formula signals a transition in the narrative: the movement of a king into another ruler’s domain, an act that in epic ethics carries implications of protocol, hospitality, and the duties of rulers toward guests and envoys.
बृहदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a colophon, the verse primarily marks completion rather than giving a direct moral injunction; implicitly it highlights epic values around royal conduct—entry into another ruler’s city invokes dharma of proper protocol and the host’s duty of hospitality.
The text announces the end of the seventy-third chapter of the Nalopākhyāna within the Vana Parva, whose subject is King Ṛtuparṇa’s entry into Bhīma’s city, and signals a transition to the next chapter.