Shloka 161
दुःशासन-सहदेव-संक्षोभः; भीम-राधेय-गदायुद्धम्; द्रोण-पार्थ-अस्त्रसंग्रामः
Duhshasana–Sahadeva Clash; Bhima–Karna Mace Exchange; Drona–Arjuna Astra Duel
इति श्रीमहाभारते द्रोणपर्वणि घटोत्कचवधपर्वणि रात्रियुद्धे संकुलयुद्धे एकषष्ट्यधिकशततमो<ध्याय:
iti śrīmahābhārate droṇaparvaṇi ghaṭotkacavadhaparvaṇi rātriyuddhe saṅkulayuddhe ekaṣaṣṭyadhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ
Thus, in the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Droṇa Parvan—specifically in the section on the slaying of Ghaṭotkaca—this concludes the one-hundred-and-sixty-first chapter, describing the night-battle and the confused, densely entangled fighting. The colophon frames the episode as a morally fraught escalation of warfare into darkness and disorder, marking a turning point where strategy, desperation, and the erosion of ordinary restraints become prominent.
संयज उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a colophon, the verse does not teach through direct instruction; it frames the episode ethically by highlighting that the battle has shifted into night-fighting and chaotic entanglement—signals of escalating desperation where conventional restraints of warfare and clarity of conduct are strained, prompting reflection on dharma under extreme conditions.
The verse marks the close of the 161st chapter in the Droṇa Parvan, within the Ghaṭotkaca-slaying section, summarizing the setting as a night battle characterized by confused, tightly interwoven combat.