भीष्मकृतः पाण्डवपक्ष-महारथ-प्रशंसा
Bhishma’s appraisal of Pandava-aligned chariot-warriors
इति श्रीमहाभारते उद्योगपर्वणि रथातिरथसंख्यानपर्वणि भीष्मकर्णसंवादे अष्टषष्ट्यधिकशततमो<ध्याय:
iti śrīmahābhārate udyogaparvaṇi rathātirathasaṅkhyānaparvaṇi bhīṣmakarṇasaṃvāde aṣṭaṣaṣṭyadhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ
至此,《圣摩诃婆罗多》之《优提瑜伽篇》(Udyoga Parva)中,关于战车武士与阿底罗陀(ratha 与 atiratha)之列举一章,于毗湿摩与迦尔纳的对话里,第一百六十八章告终。
भीष्म उवाच
Though this line is a colophon rather than a doctrinal verse, it highlights a key Mahābhārata concern: before war, leaders must realistically assess strength and responsibility. Enumerating rathas/atirathas is not mere boasting—it underscores accountability, the weight of command decisions, and the ethical gravity of unleashing violence.
The text marks the close of a chapter in the Udyoga Parva within the Bhīṣma–Karṇa conversation, situated in the section that counts and classifies elite chariot-warriors. It functions as an editorial/narrative boundary indicating that the preceding discussion belongs to this strategic catalogue in the run-up to the great war.