Shloka 281
Sāvitrī-Upākhyāna: Dyumatsena’s Restoration and the Return to Kāmyaka
Conclusion
इस प्रकार श्रीमहाभारत वनपर्वके अन्तर्गत रामोपाख्यानपर्वमें सीता-रगवणसंवादविषयक दो सौ इकक््यासीवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti prakāraṁ śrīmahābhārata-vanaparvake antargata-rāmopākhyānaparvaṇi sītā-rāvaṇa-saṁvāda-viṣayaka dviśata-ekaśītitamo 'dhyāyaḥ pūrṇaḥ
Thus ends the 281st chapter of the Rāmopākhyāna section within the Vana Parva of the Śrī Mahābhārata, dealing with the dialogue between Sītā and Rāvaṇa. The colophon signals the close of this narrative unit, underscoring the ethical tension between steadfast virtue and coercive desire that frames their exchange.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a colophon, the verse primarily marks completion, but it points back to the ethical core of the Sītā–Rāvaṇa exchange: unwavering adherence to dharma and personal integrity in the face of intimidation and desire-driven coercion.
The text announces the end of the chapter within the Rāmopākhyāna episode in Vana Parva, specifically the portion centered on the dialogue between Sītā and Rāvaṇa, and formally closes that chapter’s narrative unit.