Shloka 154
Tapas as the Root of Attainment (तपः—साधनमूलप्रशंसा)
इति श्रीमहाभारते शान्तिपर्वणि आपद्धर्मपर्वणि पवनशाल्मलिसंवादे चतुष्पड्चाशदधिकशततमो<्ध्याय:
iti śrīmahābhārate śāntiparvaṇi āpaddharmaparvaṇi pavanāśālmalisaṃvāde catuṣpaṇcāśad-adhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ
இதி ஸ்ரீமஹாபாரதத்தின் சாந்திபர்வத்தின் உட்பிரிவான ஆபத்தர்மபர்வத்தில் ‘பவன–சால்மலி உரையாடல்’ எனப்படும் நூற்று ஐம்பத்து நான்காம் அத்தியாயம் நிறைவுற்றது.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
This verse is a colophon rather than a teaching verse: it marks the completion of a dharma-in-distress (āpaddharma) discussion framed as a dialogue between Pavana and the Śālmalī tree, emphasizing that ethical instruction is being delivered through a narrative conversation.
The text formally closes the Pavana–Śālmalī dialogue within the Āpaddharma portion of the Śānti Parvan and identifies the chapter count, functioning as an editorial/narrative boundary rather than advancing the story events.