Shloka 26
मარკण्डेयागमनम् तथा सत्यव्रत-उपदेशः
Arrival of Mārkaṇḍeya and Counsel on Truth-Vows
इति श्रीमहाभारते वनपर्वणि अर्जुनाभिगमनपर्वणि द्वैतवनप्रवेशे षड्विंशो 5ध्याय: ।। २६ || इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत वनपर्वमें अजुनाभिगमनपर्वमें द्वैतवनप्रवेशविषयक छब्बीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti śrīmahābhārate vanaparvaṇi arjunābhigamanaparvaṇi dvaitavanapraveśe ṣaḍviṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ || 26 ||
Sa ganito, sa Śrī Mahābhārata, sa loob ng Vana Parva, sa bahaging tumatalakay sa paglapit/pagdating ni Arjuna, ang kabanatang hinggil sa pagpasok ng mga Pāṇḍava sa gubat ng Dvaita—ang ika-dalawampu’t anim na kabanata—ay nagwakas.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
This verse is a colophon rather than a didactic śloka: its function is to close a chapter and locate it within the Mahābhārata’s structure. Ethically, it underscores that the exile narrative is framed as a disciplined progression through trials, where endurance and right conduct (dharma) are tested in changing settings.
The narrator signals the completion of the twenty-sixth chapter in the Vana Parva, specifically the portion describing entry into the Dvaita forest and connected with Arjuna’s arrival/approach. It serves as a formal transition point to the next unit of narration.