Shloka 291

Adhiratha-Rādhā Discover the Casket; Vasuṣeṇa (Karṇa) is Adopted and Formed

Devanagari script

इति श्रीमहा भारते वनपर्वणि रामोपाख्यानपर्वणि श्रीरामाभिषेके एकनवत्यधिकद्विशततमो< ध्याय:,इस प्रकार श्रीमह्या भारत वनपर्वके अन्तर्गत रामोपाख्यानपर्वमें श्रीयरमाभिषेकविषयक दो सौ इक्यानबेवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ

Transliteration

iti śrīmahābhārate vanaparvaṇi rāmopākhyānaparvaṇi śrīrāmābhiṣeke ekanavatyadhikadviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ |

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ ശ്രീമഹാഭാരതത്തിലെ വനപർവ്വത്തിനകത്തുള്ള രാമോപാഖ്യാനപർവ്വത്തിൽ ശ്രീരാമാഭിഷേകവിഷയമായ ഇരുനൂറ്റി തൊണ്ണൂറ്റൊന്നാം അധ്യായം സമാപ്തമായി.

Word by Word

इतिthus; end-quote marker

श्रीauspiciousness; honorific 'Śrī'

महाभारतेin the Mahābhārata

वनपर्वणिin the Vana-parvan (Forest Book)

रामोपाख्यानपर्वणिin the Rāmopākhyāna-parvan (section on the story of Rāma)

श्रीरामाभिषेकेin (the topic of) the consecration of Śrī Rāma

एकनवत्यधिकद्विशततमःthe 291st

अध्यायःchapter

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mahābhārata

Vana Parva

Rāmopākhyāna

Śrī Rāma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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).