सङ्ग्रामे बभ्रुवाहेन संशयं चात्र जग्मिवान्। सुदर्शनं तथाऽऽख्यानं वैष्णवं धर्ममेव च। अश्वमेधे महायज्ञे नकुलाख्यानमेव च
In battle with Babruvahana, he encountered danger; also, the narrative of Sudarshana, the Vaishnava story, the matter of righteousness, and the tale of Nakula in the great Ashvamedha sacrifice.
इत्याश्वमेधिकं पर्व प्रोक्तमेतन्महाद्भुतम्। अध्यायानां शतं चैव त्रयोऽध्यायाश्च कीर्तिताः
Thus, this wondrous Ashvamedhika book is described; it is said to have one hundred and three chapters.
त्रीणि श्लोकसहस्राणि तावन्त्येव शतानि च। विंशतिश्च तथा श्लोकाः संख्यातास्तत्त्वदर्शिना
There are three thousand verses, and just so many hundreds, and also twenty verses, as counted by those who see the truth.
ततस्त्वाश्रमवासाख्यं पर्व पञ्चदशं स्मृतम्। यत्र राज्यं समुत्सृज्य गान्धार्या सहितो नृपः
Then comes the fifteenth book, known as Ashramavasika, in which the king, having renounced the kingdom, went to the hermitage together with Gandhari.
धृतराष्ट्रोश्रमपदं विदुरश्च जगाम ह। यं दृष्ट्वा प्रस्थितं साध्वी पृथाप्यनुययौ तदा
Dhritarashtra went to the hermitage, as did Vidura; seeing them depart, the virtuous Pritha also followed at that time.
पुत्रराज्यं परित्यज्य गुरुशुश्रूषणे रता। यत्र राजा हतान्पुत्रान्पौत्रानन्यांश्च पार्थिवान्
There, having renounced the kingdom of her son, devoted to serving her elders, the queen saw her sons, grandsons, and other kings who had been slain.
लाकान्तरगतान्वीरानपश्यत्पुनरागतान्। ऋषेः प्रसादात्कृष्णस्य दृष्ट्वाश्चर्यमनुत्तमम्
She saw the heroic ones who had gone to another world, now returned, through the grace of the sage Krishna, witnessing a most marvelous wonder.
त्यक्त्वा शोकं सदारश्च सिद्धिं परमिकां गतः। यत्र धर्मं समाश्रित्य विदुरः सुगतिं गतः
Having abandoned grief, together with her husband, she attained the highest perfection; and Vidura, relying on righteousness, attained a blessed state.
संजयश्च सहामात्यो विद्वान्गावल्गणिर्वशी। ददर्श नारदं यत्र धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः
Sanjaya, wise and accompanied by his ministers, and the self-controlled Gāvalgaṇa, saw Nārada where King Yudhishthira, upholder of dharma, was present.
नारदाच्चैव शुश्राव वृष्णीनां कदनं महत्। एतदाश्रमवासाख्यं पर्वोक्तं महदद्भुतम्
And from Nārada he heard of the great slaughter among the Vṛṣṇis; this is the wondrous and great event called the 'Dwelling in the Hermitage' section.
द्विचत्वारिंशदध्यायाः पर्वैतदभिसङ्ख्यया। सहस्रमेकं श्लोकानां पञ्चश्लोकशतानि च
This section consists, by reckoning, of forty-two chapters, one thousand and five hundred verses.
षडेव च तथा श्लोकाः संख्यातास्तत्त्वदर्शिना। अतः परं निबोधेदं मौसलं पर्व दारुणम्
And, in addition, six verses are counted by those who see the truth; after this, listen to the dreadful Mausala Parva.
यत्र ते पुरुषव्याघ्राः शस्त्रस्पर्शहता युधि। ब्रह्मदण्डविनिष्पिष्टाः समीपे लवणाम्भसः
There, those tiger-like men, struck by weapons in battle, crushed by the rod of Brahma, fell near the salt sea.
आपाने पानकलिता दैवेनाभिप्रचोदिताः। एरकारूपिभिर्वज्रैर्निजघ्नुरितरेतरम्
Intoxicated with drink in the assembly, driven by fate, they struck each other with reeds that had become like thunderbolts.
यत्र सर्वक्षयं कृत्वा तावुभौ रामकेशवौ। नातिचक्रामतुः कालं प्राप्तं सर्वहरं महत्
There, after destroying all, both Rāma and Keśava did not overstep the great time that brings all to an end.
यत्रार्जुनो द्वारवतीमेत्य वृष्णिविनाकृताम्। दृष्ट्वा विपादमगमत्परां चार्तिं नरर्षभः
There, Arjuna, having come to Dvāravatī bereft of the Vṛṣṇis, saw disaster and fell into deep anguish, O bull among men.
स संस्कृत्य नरश्रेष्ठं मातुलं शौरिमात्मनः। ददर्श यदुवीराणामापाने वैशसं महत्
Having performed the funeral rites for his noble maternal uncle Śauri, Arjuna saw the great massacre of the Yadu heroes in the assembly hall.
शरीरं वासुदेवस्य रामस्य च महात्मनः। संस्कारं लम्भयामास वृष्णीनां च प्रधानतः
He arranged the cremation of the bodies of Vāsudeva and the great-souled Rāma, and especially for the chief men among the Vṛṣṇis.
सवृद्धबालमादाय द्वारवत्यास्ततो जनम्। ददर्शापदि कष्टायां गाण्डीवस्य पराभवम्
Taking with him the old, the young, and the people of Dvāravatī, he witnessed, in that time of distress, the defeat of his Gandiva bow.
सर्वेषां चैव दिव्यानामस्त्राणामप्रसन्नताम्। नाशं वृष्णिकलत्राणां प्रभावानामनित्यताम्
He saw the loss of favor of all the divine weapons, the destruction of the Vṛṣṇi women, and the impermanence of all powers.
दृष्ट्वा निर्वेदमापन्नो व्यासवाक्यप्रचोदितः। धर्मराजं समासाद्य संन्यासं समरोचयत्
Seeing this, he became disillusioned; prompted by Vyāsa's words, he approached King Yudhishthira and approved of renunciation.
इत्येतन्मौसलं पर्व षोडशं परिकीर्तितम्। अध्यायाष्टौ समाख्याताः श्लोकानां च शतत्रयम्
Thus, this Mausala Parva, the sixteenth, is declared; it is said to have eight chapters and three hundred verses.
श्लोकानां विंशतिश्चव संख्याता तत्त्वदर्शिना। महाप्रस्थानिकं तस्मादूर्ध्वं सप्तदशं स्मृतम्
And twenty verses are counted by those who see the truth; after this, the Mahāprasthānika, the seventeenth, is remembered.
यत्र राज्यं परित्यज्य पाण्डवाः पुरुषर्षभाः। द्रौपद्या सहिता देव्या महाप्रस्थानमास्थिताः
There, the Pāṇḍavas, best among men, together with Queen Draupadī, renounced the kingdom and set out on the great journey.
यत्र तेऽग्निं ददृशिरे लौहित्यं प्राप्य सागरम्। यत्राग्निना चोदितश्च पार्थस्तस्मै महात्मने
There, having reached the ocean at the mouth of the Lauhitya, they saw the fire; and Arjuna, urged by Agni, gave to that great soul—
ददौ संपूज्य तद्दिव्यं गाण्डीवं धनुरुत्तमम्। यत्र भ्रातृन्निपतितान्द्रौपदीं च युधिष्ठिरः
—having duly honored him, that divine, supreme bow, the Gāṇḍīva; there Yudhishthira saw his brothers and Draupadī fallen.
दृष्ट्वा हित्वा जगामैव सर्वाननवलोकयन्। एतत्सप्तदशं पर्व महाप्रस्थानिकं स्मृतम्
Having seen and abandoned, he departed, not looking back at anyone; this is known as the seventeenth book, called the Mahāprasthānika.
यत्राध्यायास्त्रयः प्रोक्ताः श्लोकानां च शतत्रयम्। विंशतिश्च तथा श्लोकाः संख्यातास्तत्त्वदर्शिना
In which three chapters are recounted, and three hundred verses, along with twenty more, are enumerated by those who see the truth.
स्वर्गपर्व ततो ज्ञेयं दिव्यं यत्तदमानुषम्। प्राप्तं दैवरथं स्वर्गान्नेष्टवान्यत्र धर्मराट्
After that, the Svargaparva should be known, which is divine and beyond human; there, the king of righteousness attained the heavenly chariot and entered heaven.
आरोदुं सुमहाप्राज्ञ आनृशंस्याच्छुना विना। तामस्याविचलां ज्ञात्वा स्थितिं धर्मे महात्मनः
To ascend, the supremely wise one, out of compassion, without the dog, knowing the steadfastness of the great-souled one in righteousness, did so.