Shloka 256

Jājali–Tulādhāra-saṃvāda: Yajña, Vṛtti, and Ātma-tīrtha (जाजलि-तुलाधार-संवादः)

Devanagari script

इति श्रीमहा भारते शान्तिपर्वणि मोक्षधर्मपर्वणि मृत्युप्रजापतिसंवादोपक्रमे षट्पञ्चाशदधिकद्विशततमो<ध्याय:

Transliteration

iti śrīmahābhārate śāntiparvaṇi mokṣadharmaparvaṇi mṛtyuprajāpati-saṃvāda-upakramae ṣaṭpañcāśad-adhika-dviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ

Translation

Như vậy, trong bộ Mahābhārata tôn kính, thuộc Śānti Parva—đặc biệt là phần Mokṣadharma—mở đầu đoạn dẫn nhập của cuộc đối thoại giữa Mṛtyu (Tử thần) và Prajāpati. Tại đây kết thúc chương thứ 256 (adhyāya 256).

Word by Word

• इति: thus; so (end-quote marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• श्री: auspiciousness; venerable (honorific)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• महा: in the great (work)
• महा: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• भारते: in the Mahabharata
• भारते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• शान्तिपर्वणि: in the Shanti-parvan
• शान्तिपर्वणि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शान्तिपर्वन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• मोक्षधर्मपर्वणि: in the Moksha-dharma section
• मोक्षधर्मपर्वणि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्षधर्मपर्वन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• मृत्युप्रजापतिसंवादोपक्रमे: in the commencement of the dialogue of Mrityu and Prajapati
• मृत्युप्रजापतिसंवादोपक्रमे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्युप्रजापतिसंवादोपक्रम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• षट्पञ्चाशत्: fifty-six
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट्पञ्चाशत्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अधिक: additional; over and above
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• द्विशततमः: two-hundredth (i.e., 200th)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विशततम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mahābhārata
• Śānti Parva
• Mokṣadharma Parva
• Mṛtyu
• Prajāpati
• Nārada

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

This line functions as a colophon and thematic signpost: it frames the surrounding teaching as part of Mokṣadharma (the dharma of liberation) and signals that the discourse is anchored in a dialogue between Death (Mṛtyu) and the progenitor Prajāpati—implying reflection on mortality, cosmic order, and the path beyond fear and attachment.

What is happening in the narrative?

The text marks a structural transition: within Śānti Parva’s Mokṣadharma section, the introductory setup for the Mṛtyu–Prajāpati dialogue is indicated, and the chapter count is stated—serving as the formal close/heading marker in the manuscript tradition.