कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः
Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma
इति श्रीमहाभारते वनपर्वणि मार्कण्डेयसमास्यापर्वणि अष्टाशीत्यधिकशततमो<ध्याय:
iti śrīmahābhārate vanaparvaṇi mārkaṇḍeyasamāsyāparvaṇi aṣṭāśītyadhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ
Demikian berakhir bab ke-188 dalam Vana Parva dari Śrī Mahābhārata, pada bagian yang dikenal sebagai Mārkaṇḍeya-samāsya (kompendium Mārkaṇḍeya).
वैशम्पायन उवाच
This line is not a didactic verse but a colophon. Its function is to authenticate and locate the chapter within the Mahābhārata’s structure, reminding readers that teachings and narratives are transmitted in an ordered tradition and should be interpreted in their proper textual context.
The narrative action pauses: the text signals the close of a chapter in the Vana Parva, specifically within the Mārkaṇḍeya-associated sub-section. It is an editorial/recensional marker rather than spoken dialogue content.