Bhakti-Śraddhā-Ācāra-Māhātmya and the Commencement of the Mārkaṇḍeya Narrative
इति श्रीबृहन्नारदीयपुराणे पूर्वभागे प्रथमपादे भक्तिवर्णनप्रसङ्गेन मार्कण्डेयचरितारम्भो नाम चतुर्थोऽध्यायः ॥ ४ ॥
iti śrībṛhannāradīyapurāṇe pūrvabhāge prathamapāde bhaktivarṇanaprasaṅgena mārkaṇḍeyacaritārambho nāma caturtho'dhyāyaḥ || 4 ||
ఇట్లు శ్రీ బృహన్నారదీయపురాణము పూర్వభాగము, ప్రథమపాదములో భక్తివర్ణనప్రసంగమున ‘మార్కండేయచరితారంభ’ నామక చతుర్థ అధ్యాయము సమాప్తమైంది।
Sūta (traditional Purāṇic narrator; chapter colophon rather than a spoken dialogue line)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: none
This is a colophon marking the completion of Adhyāya 4, highlighting that the Markandeya narrative is introduced within the broader teaching-context of bhakti—devotion as a principal spiritual method in the Purāṇa.
It does so indirectly: by stating that the chapter’s theme and narrative turn (the beginning of Mārkaṇḍeya’s account) arises “in the course of describing bhakti,” it frames the forthcoming story as an illustration or support of devotional teaching.
No specific Vedāṅga (such as Śikṣā, Vyākaraṇa, Chandas, Nirukta, Kalpa, or Jyotiṣa) is taught in this colophon; it primarily provides textual organization and thematic indexing for the chapter.