d with discus and mace, through affection for
thee, was the four-armed Vasudeva, that ancient rishi. That high-souled
one of expansive eyes, Krishna, having lightened the burthen of the Earth
and cast off his (human) body, has attained to his own high seat. By thee
also, O foremost of men, with Bhima for thy helpmate and the twins, O
mighty-armed hero, has the great work of the gods been accomplished. O
foremost one of Kuru's race, I regard thee and thy brothers as crowned
with success, for ye have accomplished the great purpose of your lives.
The time has come for your departure from the world. Even this, O
puissant one, is what is beneficial for you now. Even thus, understanding
and prowess and foresight, O Bharata, arise when days of prosperity have
not outrun. These very acquisitions disappear when the hour of adversity
comes. All this has Time for its root. Time is, indeed, the seed of the
universe, O Dhananjaya. It is Time, again, that withdraws everything at
its pleasure. One becomes mighty, and, again, losing that might, becomes
weak. One becomes a master and rules others, and, again, losing that
position, becomes a servant for obeying the behests of others. Thy
weapons, having achieved success, have gone away to the place they came
from. They will, again, come into thy hands when the Time for their
coming approaches. The time has come, O Bharata, for you all to attain to
the highest goal. Even this is what I regard to be highly beneficial for
you all, O chief of Bharata's race."

"Vaishampayana continued: 'Having heard these words of Vyasa of
immeasurable energy, the son of Pritha, receiving his permission,
returned to the city named after the elephant. Entering it, the hero
approached Yudhishthira and informed him of all that had taken place with
reference to the Vrishnis.'"

The end of Mausala-parva.

The Mahabharata

of

Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa

BOOK 17

Mahaprasthanika-parva

Translated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text

by

Kisari Mohan Ganguli

[1883-1896]

Scanned and Proofed by Mantra Caitanya. Additional proofing and
formatting at sacred-texts.com, by J. B. Hare, October 2003.

1

Om! Having bowed down unto Narayana, and to Nara, the foremost of men, as
also to the goddess Sarasvati, should the word "Jaya" be uttered.

"Janamejaya said: 'Having heard of that encounter with iron bolts between
the heroes of the Vrishni and the Andhaka rac