Shloka 291
Adhiratha-Rādhā Discover the Casket; Vasuṣeṇa (Karṇa) is Adopted and Formed
इति श्रीमहा भारते वनपर्वणि रामोपाख्यानपर्वणि श्रीरामाभिषेके एकनवत्यधिकद्विशततमो< ध्याय:,इस प्रकार श्रीमह्या भारत वनपर्वके अन्तर्गत रामोपाख्यानपर्वमें श्रीयरमाभिषेकविषयक दो सौ इक्यानबेवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti śrīmahābhārate vanaparvaṇi rāmopākhyānaparvaṇi śrīrāmābhiṣeke ekanavatyadhikadviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ |
Thus, in the Mahābhārata, within the Vana Parva, in the section known as the Rāmopākhyāna, the chapter concerning Śrī Rāma’s consecration (abhiṣeka) — the two-hundred-and-ninety-first chapter — is concluded. The colophon signals the completion of a narrative unit, framing Rāma’s coronation theme as an ethical exemplar of rightful kingship and dharma-oriented governance.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
As a colophon, the line primarily teaches textual framing: it marks the completion of a chapter and situates the episode within the larger structure. By naming Rāma’s abhiṣeka, it implicitly highlights dharma-centered kingship and the ideal of righteous rule as the ethical horizon of the narrative unit.
The narration pauses to formally close the chapter: within Vana Parva’s Rāmopākhyāna, the chapter themed around Śrī Rāma’s consecration is declared complete (the 291st chapter).