Adhyāya 290: Kuntī’s Mantra-Parīkṣā and the Appearance of Sūrya (कुन्ती–सूर्यसंवादः)
इति श्रीमहाभारते वनपर्वणि रामोपाख्यानपर्वणि इन्द्रजिद्युद्धे अष्टाशीत्यधिकद्विशततमो 5 ध्याय:
iti śrīmahābhārate vanaparvaṇi rāmopākhyānaparvaṇi indrajidyuddhe aṣṭāśītyadhikadviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ
Sa ganitong paraan, sa Śrī Mahābhārata, sa loob ng Vana Parva—lalo na sa bahaging Rāmopākhyāna—nagtatapos ang ika-288 kabanata, na ang paksa ay ang labanan kay Indrajit. (Ito ay pahayag na pangwakas na nasa anyong kolofon upang markahan ang pagtatapos ng kabanata.)
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
This line is not a didactic verse but a colophon. Its function is to preserve textual order and context—identifying the work (Mahābhārata), the book (Vana Parva), the embedded narrative (Rāmopākhyāna), and the episode focus (Indrajit battle).
The statement marks the close of a chapter within the Rāmopākhyāna narration (told by Mārkaṇḍeya), indicating that the chapter concerned the conflict involving Indrajit and that this particular chapter has concluded.