Shloka 203
Dharma-vyādha on Parental Worship
Pitṛ-mātṛ-śuśrūṣā as Paramadaivata
इति श्रीमहा भारते वनपर्वणि मार्कण्डेयसमास्यापर्वणि धुन्धुमारोपाख्याने त्यधिकद्धिशततमो< ध्याय:,इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत वनपर्वके अन्तर्गत मार्कण्डेयसमास्यापर्वमें धुन्धुमारोपाख्यानविषयक दो सौ तीनवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti śrīmahābhārate vanaparvaṇi mārkaṇḍeyasamāsyāparvaṇi dhundhumāropākhyāne tryadhikadviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ |
かくして、尊崇される『マハーバーラタ』の「森の巻（ヴァナ・パルヴァ）」、とりわけ「マールカンデーヤ・サマーシャ」区分において、「ドゥンドゥマーラ」のウパーキャーナ（挿話）に関する第二百三章は終わる。この結語（コロフォン）は当該章の完結を告げ、物語を「森の巻」の文脈に織り込まれた教訓的・例示的な挿話として位置づける。
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
This line is a colophon rather than a doctrinal verse: its function is to mark the completion of a chapter and to locate the preceding story within the epic’s structure. Indirectly, it highlights how the Mahābhārata teaches dharma through embedded illustrative narratives (upākhyānas) framed by authoritative speakers like Mārkaṇḍeya.
The narrative action pauses: the text formally closes the chapter that contained the Dhundhumāra episode, identifying its placement in Vana Parva under the Markandeya-related sub-section.