Shloka 204

Vyādha–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda: Śāpa, Vṛtta-Dharma, and Counsel Against Viṣāda

Grief

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत वनपवके अन्तर्गत मार्कण्डेयसमास्यापर्वमें धुन्धुमारोपाख्यानविषयक दो सौ चारवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ

Transliteration

iti prakāraṁ śrīmahābhārate vanaparvaṇi antargate mārkaṇḍeyasamāsyāparvaṇi dhundhumāropākhyānaviṣayakaḥ dviśata-catur-adhikaḥ adhyāyaḥ samāptaḥ

Translation

Thus ends the two-hundred-and-fourth chapter of the Mahābhārata’s Vana Parva, within the Markandeya Summary Section, dealing with the episode of Dhundhumāra, as narrated by Sage Mārkaṇḍeya. This colophon marks the completion of this unit, a pause for reflection on the tale’s moral and exemplary import.

Word by Word

इतिthus; end-quote marker

प्रकारेणin this manner; by this way

श्रीrevered; auspiciousness (honorific)

महाभारतेin the Mahabharata

वनपर्वणिin the Vana Parva

अन्तर्गतेincluded; contained (within)

मार्कण्डेयसमास्यापर्वणिin the Markandeya-samasyā section/parvan

धुन्धुमारोपाख्यानविषयकेconcerning the Dhundhumara-upakhyana

द्विशतचतुर्थःtwo-hundred-and-fourth

अध्यायःchapter

समाप्तःcompleted; finished

अभवत्was; became

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mahābhārata

Vana Parva

Mārkaṇḍeya

Dhundhumāra (upākhyāna)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

As a colophon, the verse primarily teaches attentiveness to textual closure: it marks the completion of an instructive sub-tale (upākhyāna) and invites the listener/reader to retain its dharmic and exemplary lessons before moving on.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sage Mārkaṇḍeya’s narration reaches a formal stopping point: the Dhundhumāra-related episode within the Vana Parva’s Markandeya section is declared finished, and the chapter is concluded.