Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/75

Rh "Then comes the fifteenth Parva called Asramavasika. In this abdicating the kingdom, and accompanied by Gandhari and Vidura, went to the woods. Seeing this, the virtuous Pritha also, ever engaged in cherishing her superiors, leaving the court of her sons, followed the old couple. In this is described the wonderful meeting through the kindness of Vyasa of the King ( with the spirits of his slain children,  and other princes, returned from the other world. Then the monarch abandoning his sorrows acquired with his wife the highest fruit of his meritorious actions. In this Parva, Vidura after having leaned on virtue all his life attaineth to the most meritorious state.

"The learned son of Gavalgana, Sanjaya also, of passions under full control, and the foremost of ministers, attained, in this Parva, to the blessed state. In this, the just met Narada and heard from him about the extinction of the race of the Vrishnis. This is the very wonderful Parva called Asramavasika. The number of sections in this is forty two, and the number of slokas composed by Vyasa cognisant of truth is one thousand five hundred and six.

"After this, you know, comes the Maushala of painful incidents. In this, those heroes (of the race of Vrishni) with the scars of many a field on their bodies, oppressed with the curse of a Brahmana, while deprived of reason with drink, impelled by the fates, slew each other on the shores of the salt sea with the Eraka grass which (in their hands) became (invested with the fatal attributes of the) thunder. In this, both Balarama and Keshava (Krishna) after causing the extermination of their race, their hour having come, themselves did not rise superior to the sway of  Time. In this, Arjuna the foremost among men, going to Dwaravati (Dwaraka) and seeing the city destitute of the Vrishnis was much affected and became exceedingly sorry. Then after the funeral of his maternal uncle Vasudeva the foremost among the Yadus (Vrishnis), he saw the heroes of the Yadu race lying stretched in death on the spot where they had been drinking. He then caused the cremation of the bodies of the illustrious Krishna and Balarama and of the principal 6