Page:The Mahabharata (Kishori Mohan Gangopadhyay, First Edition) Volume 18.djvu/9

 The Mahāprasthānika Parva is completed. The Swargārohanika is taken up. Of the eighteen Parvas this is the last. With its completion the English transition of the Mahābhārata will be complete; the sacred vow of my lamented husband will be duly fulfilled; his debt to subscribers and contributors will be paid off; and the promise I made to him, at his death bed, will also be redeemed. It is true, with the completion of the Mahābhārata the solemn promise I gave my husband will become discharged; but then the debts which he has left me and which I have already incurred and shall have to incur for discharging that promise are sure to press heavily on me. I have already parted with what little I had in the form of my separate property. I am not at all sorry for it. The wants of a Hindu widow, for the support of her life, are few and easily met. No anxiety can be mine on that account. To repay, however, the debts left me by my husband, and those incurred and to be incurred by me, is not so easy. My chief anxiety is about that. I have done all in my power to appeal to the friends and patrons of the enterprise. I have received letters of sympathy from many quarters near and distant. As yet the only kind of assistance that is much by me has not come from any source. I do not know how is it, but the belief I cannot shake off that I shall not be left to struggle with my debts. There are many liberal men who have not as yet contributed anything towards the accomplishment of this national enterprise. Even if these distinguished persons do not come forward to help me, even half the number of those who are interested in the work, by contributing each a trifle, may enable me to pay off all the debts I shall have to pay. In rendering this assistance, for which I have already appealed to them, no one, I am sure, will feel any inconvenience or pressure.

The last Parva of the Mahābhārata, which has been taken up, is of small extent. It cannot cost much, nor would the