Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 50
अध्याय ५०: उत्तरेण सह अर्जुनस्य रथप्रयाणे ध्वजचिह्नैः कौरवसेनानिर्देशः
Arjuna directs Uttara by identifying Kaurava commanders through banners
इति श्रीमहाभारते विराटपर्वणि गोहरणपर्वणि उत्तरगाग्रहे द्रौणिवाक्यं नाम पज्चाशत्तमोडथ्याय:
iti śrīmahābhārate virāṭaparvaṇi goharaṇaparvaṇi uttarāgāgrahe drauṇivākyaṃ nāma pañcāśattamo 'dhyāyaḥ
Demikian berakhir bab kelima puluh Virāṭa Parva dalam Śrī Mahābhārata, dalam bahagian serbuan lembu, pada saat Uttara tampil memimpin—berjudul “Ucapan Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā).”
कृप उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a colophon, the verse itself teaches by framing: it signals that speeches and decisions made during conflict are part of a larger moral narrative. The cattle-raid context highlights how kṣatriya valor, pride, and strategic counsel can either uphold dharma (right conduct in war and governance) or intensify adharma through aggression and provocation.
This is the chapter-ending marker for Virāṭa Parva, chapter 50, identifying the setting (the cattle-raid section) and the moment (Uttara moving to the fore) and naming the chapter’s focus as the speech of Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā). It indicates the completion of that discourse within the unfolding confrontation.