Shloka 283
सूर्य–कर्णोपदेशः
Sūrya’s Counsel to Karṇa on Kīrti and the Kuṇḍala
इति श्रीमहाभारते वनपर्वणि रामोपाख्यानपर्वणि सेतुबन्धने त्रयशीत्यधिकद्धिशततमो< ध्याय:,इस प्रकार श्रीमह्ााभारत वनपर्वके अन्तर्गत रामोपाख्यानपर्वमें सेतुबन्धविषयक दो सौ तिरासीवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti śrīmahābhārate vanaparvaṇi rāmopākhyānaparvaṇi setubandhane trayāśītyadhikadviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ |
Thus, in the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Vana Parva, in the section known as the Rāmopākhyāna, the chapter concerning the building of the bridge (to Laṅkā) comes to an end—this being the two-hundred-and-eighty-third chapter. The colophon marks the completion of this narrative unit, underscoring the righteous resolve and disciplined effort by which a just cause is advanced through collective action and steadfast leadership.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a colophon, the verse primarily signals completion, but it implicitly highlights a dharmic pattern: great aims are fulfilled through steadfast resolve, orderly cooperation, and disciplined action—virtues exemplified in the bridge-building episode that enables the pursuit of justice.
This is the closing formula for the Setubandhana portion of the Rāmopākhyāna within Vana Parva, indicating that the chapter dealing with the construction of the bridge has concluded.