Shanti Parva Adhyaya 255 Shloka 256 - Mahabharata | Chinese | Vedapath

Vyasa

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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

如是，在尊贵的《摩诃婆罗多》中，于《寂静篇》（Śānti Parva）之内，尤在“解脱法”（Mokṣadharma）一部，开启了“死神”摩利底优（Mṛtyu）与生主般若波底（Prajāpati）对话的引子。至此，第二百五十六章（第256 adhyāya）告终。

Word by Word

इतिthus; so (end-quote marker)

श्रीauspiciousness; venerable (honorific)

महाin the great (work)

भारतेin the Mahabharata

शान्तिपर्वणिin the Shanti-parvan

मोक्षधर्मपर्वणिin the Moksha-dharma section

मृत्युप्रजापतिसंवादोपक्रमेin the commencement of the dialogue of Mrityu and Prajapati

षट्पञ्चाशत्fifty-six

अधिकadditional; over and above

द्विशततमःtwo-hundredth (i.e., 200th)

अध्यायःchapter

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mahābhārata

Śānti Parva

Mokṣadharma Parva

Mṛtyu

Prajāpati

Nārada

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

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.