Shloka 96
Adharmic Victory as Unstable; Rules of Restraint, Mediation, and Conciliation (अधर्मविजय-अध्रुवत्व तथा क्षमा-नयः)
इति श्रीमहा भारते शान्तिपर्वणि राजधर्मानुशासनपर्वणि विजिगीषमाणपृत्ते षण्णवतितमो<ध्याय:
iti śrīmahābhārate śāntiparvaṇi rājadharmānuśāsanaparvaṇi vijigīṣamāṇapṛtte ṣaṇṇavatitamo 'dhyāyaḥ
Demikianlah, dalam Mahābhārata yang mulia, di dalam Śānti Parva—khususnya pada bahagian Rājadharmānuśāsana Parva, iaitu ajaran tentang kewajipan raja—berakhirlah bab yang kesembilan puluh enam, yang diucapkan sebagai jawapan kepada pertanyaan seorang yang mendambakan kemenangan. Rumusan penutup ini menandai selesainya satu unit nasihat Bhīṣma tentang pemerintahan yang benar serta seni kenegaraan.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
This line is a colophon rather than a doctrinal verse: it signals that Bhīṣma’s instruction on rājadharma (royal duty and ethical governance) has concluded for the chapter, framed as counsel given in response to a would-be victor’s questions.
The text is marking the end of a chapter in the Śānti Parva. Bhīṣma, lying on the bed of arrows, continues to instruct the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) on righteous rule; this formula closes that chapter’s discourse.