Shloka 87
भीमसेन-दुर्योधन-प्रहारः तथा घटोत्कचमायाप्रादुर्भावः | Bhīmasena–Duryodhana Clash and the Manifestation of Ghaṭotkaca’s Māyā
इति श्रीमहा भारते भीष्मपर्वणि भीष्मवधपर्वणि अष्टमदिवसयुद्धारम्भे सप्ताशीतितमो<ध्याय:
iti śrīmahābhārate bhīṣmaparvaṇi bhīṣmavadhaparvaṇi aṣṭamadivasayuddhārambhe saptāśītitamo 'dhyāyaḥ
Demikianlah, dalam Mahābhārata yang dimuliakan, di dalam Bhīṣma Parva—khususnya pada bahagian tentang gugurnya Bhīṣma—bermulalah kisah pertempuran pada hari kelapan; di sini berakhir bab yang kelapan puluh tujuh. Kolofon ini membingkai naratif sebagai catatan perang yang khidmat, menandai suatu fasa penentu yang menuju kejatuhan Bhīṣma, serta mengundang renungan tentang beratnya dharma seorang kesatria dan akibatnya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a colophon, the verse does not teach through direct instruction; it frames the war narrative as a sacred history and highlights the moral gravity of the coming events—especially the turning point associated with Bhīṣma’s fall—prompting reflection on dharma in warfare and the cost of duty-bound violence.
This is an editorial/narrative marker concluding the chapter and situating it within Bhīṣma Parva and the Bhīṣma-vadha episode, indicating the commencement of the eighth day’s fighting and signaling that the story is moving toward the decisive developments surrounding Bhīṣma.