Shloka 251

धर्मलक्षण-प्रश्नः (Marks and Sources of Dharma) | Chapter 251: Inquiry into the Definition of Dharma

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत शान्तिपर्वके अन्तर्गत गोक्षधर्मपर्वमें शुकदेवका अनुप्रश्नविषयक दी सौ इक्यावनवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ

Transliteration

iti prakāreṇa śrī-mahābhārata-śānti-parva-antargata-gokṣa-dharma-parvaṇi śukadevasya anuprasna-viṣayakaḥ dvi-śata-eka-pañcāśattamaḥ adhyāyaḥ samāptaḥ

Translation

至此，《圣摩诃婆罗多》寂静篇（Śānti Parva）中，属“Gokṣa-dharma”之部，论述舒迦提婆（Śukadeva）续问之第二百五十一章圆满。此结尾题记标示该段教诲之完成，并将全篇言说安置于循序问答、层层阐明的法（dharma）探究之中。

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• प्रकारम्: manner, way
• प्रकारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकार
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• श्री: splendour; honorific 'Shri'
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• महाभारत: Mahabharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभारत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• शान्ति: in (the) Shanti (Parva)
• शान्ति: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शान्ति
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• पर्व: in the book/section (parva)
• पर्व: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्व
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अन्तर्गत: included within
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तर्गत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• गोक्ष: in Goksha (name of a sub-parva/topic)
• गोक्ष: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• धर्म: in the Dharma (section/topic)
• धर्म: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• पर्व: in the sub-book (parva)
• पर्व: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्व
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• शुकदेव: of Shukadeva
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुकदेव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अनुप्रश्न: in (the topic of) follow-up questions
• अनुप्रश्न: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुप्रश्न
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• विषयक: concerning, pertaining to
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषयक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• द्वि: two
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्वि

• शत: hundred
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• एक: one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पञ्चाशत्: fifty
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चाशत्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• एक: one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• पूर्ण: completed, finished
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभवत्: was (completed)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Śukadeva
• Mahābhārata
• Śānti Parva
• Gokṣa-dharma Parva

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse functions as a colophon rather than a doctrinal statement: it emphasizes the pedagogical method of dharma-teaching through disciplined inquiry (anuprasna), where understanding is refined by follow-up questions and structured completion of topics.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa signals the formal end of Adhyāya 251 in the Śānti Parva, specifying that this chapter belongs to the Gokṣa-dharma section and that its subject is Śukadeva’s follow-up questioning; it is an editorial/narrative closure marker.