Shloka 71
Keśinī’s Inquiry to Bāhuka and the Emotional Signs of Concealed Identity (केशिन्याः बाहुकपरीक्षा)
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत वनपर्वके अन्तर्गत नलोपाख्यानपर्वमें ऋतुपर्णका विदर्भदिशमें गमनविषयक इकहतत्तरवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
Iti prakāraṃ Śrīmahābhārate Vanaparvaṇi antargate Nalopākhyānaparvaṇi Ṛtūparṇasya Vidarbhadiśi gamanaviṣayaka ekasaptatitamo ’dhyāyaḥ samāptaḥ.
Demikianlah berakhir bab ketujuh puluh satu dalam kisah Nala (Nalopākhyāna) yang terkandung dalam Vana Parva Mahābhārata, yang menceritakan perjalanan Raja Ṛtūparṇa menuju negeri Vidarbha. Kolofon ini menandai peralihan naratif: gerak langkah sang raja yang penuh tujuan menjadi landasan bagi putaran peristiwa berikutnya, ketika tekad, dharma (tanggungjawab), dan akibat pilihan masa lampau terus tersingkap.
ऋचुपर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a colophon, the verse does not teach through direct instruction; it frames the ethical arc by marking a decisive journey. It highlights purposeful action (pravṛtti) in response to duty and circumstance, reminding the reader that choices and movement in the world carry consequences that shape the unfolding of dharma.
The text announces the completion of the seventy-first chapter of the Nalopākhyāna within the Vana Parva, specifically the portion about King Ṛtūparṇa’s departure and travel toward Vidarbha. It functions as a formal closure and signals the next narrative development.