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
अशा प्रकारे श्रीमहाभारताच्या वनपर्वातील नलोपाख्यानपर्वात बृहदश्व-युधिष्ठिर संवादविषयक बावन्नावा अध्याय समाप्त झाला।
युधिछिर उवाच
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.