Shloka 142
समन्तपञ्चक-आख्यानम् तथा अक्षौहिणी-प्रमाणनिर्णयः
Samantapañcaka Narrative and the Measure of an Akṣauhiṇī
श्लोकाश्नैकादश ज्ञेया: पर्वण्यस्मिन् द्विजोत्तमा: । अतः पर तृतीयं तु ज्ञेयमारण्यकं महत्,श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणो! इस पर्वमें अध्यायोंकी संख्या अठहत्तर (७८) है और श्लोकोंकी संख्या दो हजार पाँच सौ ग्यारह (२,५११) बतायी गयी है। इसके पश्चात् महत्त्वपूर्ण वनपर्वका आरम्भ होता है
ślokāś ca ekādaśa jñeyāḥ parvaṇy asmin dvijottamāḥ | ataḥ paraṃ tṛtīyaṃ tu jñeyam āraṇyakaṃ mahat |
“O best of twice-born ones, know that in this Parva there are eleven sections (or units) of verses. After this, the great third (major division) is to be understood as the Āraṇyaka—i.e., the great Forest narrative.”
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse functions as a structural marker: it instructs the listener to understand the internal division and verse-units of the current Parva and signals the transition to the next major narrative segment (the great forest-related section). The emphasis is on orderly transmission and comprehension of the epic’s organization.
A speaker addresses a Brahmin and summarizes how the present Parva is arranged, then indicates that after this comes the great Āraṇyaka/Forest portion—corresponding (in the accompanying note) to the commencement of the important Vana Parva.