Shloka 203

Dharma-vyādha on Parental Worship

Pitṛ-mātṛ-śuśrūṣā as Paramadaivata

Devanagari script

इति श्रीमहा भारते वनपर्वणि मार्कण्डेयसमास्यापर्वणि धुन्धुमारोपाख्याने त्यधिकद्धिशततमो< ध्याय:,इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत वनपर्वके अन्तर्गत मार्कण्डेयसमास्यापर्वमें धुन्धुमारोपाख्यानविषयक दो सौ तीनवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ

Transliteration

iti śrīmahābhārate vanaparvaṇi mārkaṇḍeyasamāsyāparvaṇi dhundhumāropākhyāne tryadhikadviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ |

Translation

如是，在尊贵的《摩诃婆罗多》中，于林书（Vana Parva）——尤指“马尔坎德耶汇集”之分段（Markandeya-samāsya）——关于“敦敦胡摩罗”附叙（upākhyāna）的第二百零三章告终。此结尾题记（colophon）标示该章完结，并将此故事框定为嵌入“森林之书”语境中的劝诫性、示范性的叙事。

Word by Word

इतिthus; so

श्रीauspiciousness; honorific 'śrī'

महाभारतेin the Mahābhārata

वनपर्वणिin the Vana-parvan

मार्कण्डेयसमास्यापर्वणिin the Markandeya-samāsya sub-parvan

धुन्धुमारोपाख्यानेin the episode (upākhyāna) of Dhundhumāra

अध्यायःchapter

त्र्यधिकthree more (i.e., plus three)

द्विशततमःtwo-hundredth

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mahābhārata

Vana Parva

Mārkaṇḍeya

Mārkaṇḍeya-samāsya Parva

Dhundhumāra (Dhundhumāra-upākhyāna)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

This line is a colophon rather than a doctrinal verse: its function is to mark the completion of a chapter and to locate the preceding story within the epic’s structure. Indirectly, it highlights how the Mahābhārata teaches dharma through embedded illustrative narratives (upākhyānas) framed by authoritative speakers like Mārkaṇḍeya.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrative action pauses: the text formally closes the chapter that contained the Dhundhumāra episode, identifying its placement in Vana Parva under the Markandeya-related sub-section.