Shloka 4
उग्रश्रवाः सूतः नैमिषारण्ये — Sauti at Naimiṣāraṇya
Protocol of Epic Recitation
तत्र भगवान् कुलपतिस्तु शौनकोडग्निशरणमध्यास्ते,किंतु पूज्यपाद कुलपति भगवान् शौनक अभी अग्निकी उपासनामें संलग्न हैं इति श्रीमहा भारते आदिपर्वणि पौलोमपर्वणि कथाप्रवेशो नाम चतुर्थोउध्याय: ।। ४ |। इस प्रकार श्रीमह्या भारत आदिपव॑के अन्तर्गत पौलोगपर्वमें कथा-प्रवेश नामक चौथा अध्याय पूरा हुआ
tatra bhagavān kulapatistu śaunako 'gniśaraṇam adhyāste, kintu pūjyapāda kulapati bhagavān śaunakaḥ abhī agnikī upāsanāyāṃ saṃlagnaḥ iti śrīmahābhārate ādiparvaṇi paulomapārvaṇi kathāpraveśo nāma caturtho 'dhyāyaḥ || 4 || iti prakāraṃ śrīmahābhārate ādiparvaṇy antargate paulomapārvaṇi kathāpraveśa-nāmakaś caturtho 'dhyāyaḥ pūrṇaḥ
Uttanka disse: “Ali, o venerável preceptor do clã, Śaunaka, está sentado no santuário sagrado do fogo; contudo, o preceptor de pés dignos de veneração, o bem-aventurado Śaunaka, encontra-se agora empenhado no culto do fogo.” Assim, no Mahābhārata, dentro do Ādi Parva, no Pauloma Parva, encerra-se o quarto capítulo chamado “Entrada na Narrativa”. Deste modo, completa-se o quarto capítulo, “Entrada na Narrativa”, do Pauloma Parva contido no Ādi Parva.
उत्तड़क उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse functions as a framing colophon emphasizing reverence for the kulapati and the centrality of sacred duty: even a revered teacher is shown as actively engaged in agni-upāsanā, highlighting disciplined ritual attention and respect for spiritual authority.
Uttanka points out that Śaunaka is present in the fire-sanctuary but currently occupied with worship of the sacred fire; the text then closes the chapter with a formal statement that the ‘Kathāpraveśa’ (Entry into the Narrative) chapter has ended within the Pauloma section of the Ādi Parva.