Shloka 251

Devanagari script

इति श्रीमहाभारते वनपर्वणि घोषयात्रापर्वणि दुर्योधनप्रायोपवेशे एकपज्चाशदधिकद्वधिशततमो<5ध्याय:

Transliteration

iti śrīmahābhārate vanaparvaṇi ghoṣayātrāparvaṇi duryodhana-prāyopaveśe ekapañcāśad-adhika-dviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ

Translation

Assim termina o capítulo ducentésimo quinquagésimo primeiro do Vana Parva do Śrī Mahābhārata, na seção da expedição da razia de gado (Ghoṣa-yātrā), descrevendo a resolução de Duryodhana de empreender um jejum até a morte. Este colofão assinala uma virada narrativa: orgulho e humilhação conduzem Duryodhana a um propósito autodestrutivo, instaurando tensão ética entre o ego obstinado e os deveres da realeza e do parentesco.

Word by Word

इतिthus; end-quotation marker

श्रीमहाभारतेin the Śrī-Mahābhārata

वनपर्वणिin the Vana-parvan (Forest Book)

घोषयात्रापर्वणिin the Ghoṣayātrā-parvan (section on the cattle-raid/journey)

दुर्योधनप्रायोपवेशेin (the episode of) Duryodhana's fast-unto-death

एकपञ्चाशत्fifty-one

अधिकadditional; over and above

द्विशततमःtwo-hundred-and-(something)th; 200th (ordinal base)

अध्यायःchapter

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mahābhārata

Vana Parva

Ghoṣa-yātrā (cattle-raid expedition)

Duryodhana

Prāyopaveśa (fast unto death)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The colophon highlights an ethical fault-line: when honor and ego dominate, a ruler may choose self-harmful extremes rather than self-correction. It implicitly contrasts impulsive, pride-driven resolve with dharmic steadiness—endurance, accountability, and responsibility to one’s role and relationships.

What is happening in the narrative?

This is an end-of-chapter colophon marking the conclusion of a chapter in the Ghoṣa-yātrā episode, specifically the portion dealing with Duryodhana’s decision to undertake prāyopaveśa (a fast unto death). It signals that the preceding narrative has brought Duryodhana to a crisis point.