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,
Yudhishthira went on his journey without once looking back on them. This
the seventeenth Parva is called Mahaprasthanika. The number of sections in
this is three. The number of slokas also composed by Vyasa cognisant of
truth is three hundred and twenty.
"The Parva that comes after this, you must know, is the extraordinary one
called Svarga of celestial incidents. Then seeing the celestial car come
to take him, Yudhishthira moved by kindness towards the dog that
accompanied him, refused to ascend it without his companion. Observing the
illustrious Yudhishthira's steady adherence to virtue, Dharma (the god of
justice) abandoning his canine form showed himself to the king.
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