deprived of reason from 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 Kesava (Krishna) after causing the extermination of their
race, their hour having come, themselves did not rise superior to the sway
of all-destroying 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 members of the
Vrishni race. Then as he was journeying from Dwaraka with the women and
children, the old and the decrepit--the remnants of the Yadu race--he was
met on the way by a heavy calamity. He witnessed also the disgrace of his
bow Gandiva and the unpropitiousness of his celestial weapons. Seeing all
this, Arjuna became despondent and, pursuant to Vyasa's advice, went to
Yudhishthira and solicited permission to adopt the Sannyasa mode of life.
This is the sixteenth Parva called Maushala. The number of sections is
eight and the number of slokas composed by Vyasa cognisant of truth is
three hundred and twenty.

"The next is Mahaprasthanika, the seventeenth Parva.

"In this, those foremost among men the Pandavas abdicating their kingdom
went with Draupadi on their great journey called Mahaprasthana. In this,
they came across Agni, having arrived on the shore of the sea of red
waters. In this, asked by Agni himself, Arjuna worshipped him duly,
returned to him the excellent celestial bow called Gandiva. In this,
leaving his brothers who dropped one after another and Draupadi also,