Tapas-śreṣṭhatā: Anāśana as the Highest Austerity
Bhagīratha–Brahmā Saṃvāda
इस प्रकार श्रीमहाभारत अनुशासनपर्वके अंतर्गत दानधर्मपर्वमें हस्तिकूट नामक एक सौ दोवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti prakāraḥ śrīmahābhārata anuśāsana-parva-ke antargata dāna-dharma-parva-meṃ hastikūṭa nāmaka eka-śata-dvitīyo 'dhyāyaḥ pūrṇaḥ
وهكذا يُختَتَم الفصل الثاني بعد المئة، المسمّى «هستيكوطا (Hastikūṭa)»، ضمن قسم «دارما العطاء (Dāna-dharma)» من «أنوشاسانا بارفا (Anuśāsana Parva)» في «المهابهاراتا» الموقَّرة. وبهذا تُسدَل الستارة على خطابٍ دارت محاوره حول أخلاق البذل والسلوك القويم.
गौतम उवाच
This line functions as a colophon: it signals the completion of a chapter within the Dāna-dharma discourse, reinforcing the Mahābhārata’s emphasis on dāna (charitable giving) as an essential expression of dharma.
Rather than advancing the story, the text marks a structural boundary: the chapter titled “Hastikūṭa” (the 102nd in this internal sequence) is declared finished within the Anuśāsana Parva’s section on the dharma of giving.