"After this hath been recited the highly pathetic Parva called Stri,
Dhritarashtra of prophetic eye, afflicted at the death of his children,
and moved by enmity towards Bhima, broke into pieces a statue of hard
iron deftly placed before him by Krishna (as substitute of Bhima). Then
Vidura, removing the distressed Dhritarashtra's affection for worldly
things by reasons pointing to final release, consoled that wise monarch.
Then hath been described the wending of the distressed Dhritarashtra
accompanied by the ladies of his house to the field of battle of the
Kauravas. Here follow the pathetic wailings of the wives of the slain
heroes. Then the wrath of Gandhari and Dhritarashtra and their loss of
consciousness. Then the Kshatriya ladies saw those heroes,--their
unreturning sons, brothers, and fathers,--lying dead on the field. Then
the pacification by Krishna of the wrath of Gandhari distressed at the
death of her sons and grandsons. Then the cremation of the bodies of the
deceased Rajas with due rites by that monarch (Yudhishthira) of great
wisdom and the foremost also of all virtuous men. Then upon the
presentation of water of the manes of the deceased princes having
commenced, the story of Kunti's acknowledgment of Karna as her son born
in secret. Those have all been described by the great Rishi Vyasa in the
highly pathetic eleventh Parva. Its perusal moveth every feeling heart
with sorrow and even draweth tears from the eyes. The number of sections
composed is twenty-seven. The number of slokas is seven hundred and
seventy-five.

"Twelfth in number cometh the Santi Parva, which increaseth the
understanding and in which is related the despondency of Yudhishthira on
his having slain his fathers, brothers, sons, maternal uncles and
matrimonial relations. In this Parva is described how from his bed of
arrows Bhishma expounded various systems of duties worth the study of
kings desirous of knowledge; this Parva expounded the duties relative to