Shloka 187

कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः

Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार श्रीम्याभारत वनपर्वके अन्तर्गत मार्कण्डेयसमास्यापर्वनें मत्स्योपाख्यानविषयक एक सौ सतासीवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ

Transliteration

iti prakāraḥ śrīmahābhārata-vanaparvaṇi antargata-mārkaṇḍeya-samāsyāparvaṇā matsyopākhyāna-viṣayaka ekaśata-saptāśītitamo 'dhyāyaḥ samāptaḥ

Translation

Thus ends the one hundred and eighty-seventh chapter of the Matsya-upākhyāna (the episode concerning King Matsya), within the Markandeya Samasya Parvan of the Vana Parva of the sacred Mahābhārata. This closing colophon marks the completion of the narrated section and frames it as a concluded teaching-episode within the larger Forest Book.

Word by Word

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

• प्रकारेण: in the manner/way
• प्रकारेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकार
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• श्रीमहाभारते: in the Śrī Mahābhārata
• श्रीमहाभारते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमहाभारत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वनपर्वणि: in the Vana-parvan
• वनपर्वणि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनपर्वन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अन्तर्गते: included/contained (in)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तर्गत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• मार्कण्डेयसमास्यापर्वणि: in the Mārkaṇḍeya-samāsya-parvan (section)
• मार्कण्डेयसमास्यापर्वणि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय-समास्य-पर्वन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• मत्स्योपाख्यानविषयकः: concerning the Matsya-upākhyāna
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्स्य-उपाख्यान-विषयक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एकशतसप्ताशीतितमः: one hundred eighty-seventh
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक-शत-सप्ताशीति-तम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• समाप्तः: completed/ended
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाप्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mahābhārata
• Vana Parva
• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Matsyopākhyāna

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

This line functions as a colophon rather than a doctrinal verse: it teaches how the Mahābhārata is organized into parvas and embedded episodes, marking the completion of a narrative unit (the Matsya-upākhyāna) within the Vana Parva.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator’s section is being formally closed: the text announces that the 187th chapter on the Matsya episode, situated within the Markandeya-related sub-parvan of the Vana Parva, has ended.