Mahabharata 16.8.32 — Mausala Parva, Adhyaya 8, Shloka 32

मौसलपर्व — अध्याय ८

Arjuna’s evacuation of Dvārakā, Vasudeva’s rites, and the caravan’s crisis

Devanagari script

गमन॑ प्राप्तकालं व इदं श्रेयस्करं विभो । कुरुश्रेष्ठ! मैं समझता हूँ कि अब तुमलोगोंने अपना कर्तव्य पूर्ण कर लिया है। तुम्हें सब प्रकारसे सफलता प्राप्त हो चुकी है। प्रभो! अब तुम्हारे परलोक-गमनका समय आया है और यही तुमलोगोंके लिये श्रेयस्कर है ।।

Transliteration

gamanaprāptakālaṃ va idaṃ śreyaskaraṃ vibho | kuruśreṣṭha! manye ’haṃ yad adya yuṣmābhiḥ svaṃ kartavyaṃ paripūrṇam | sarvathā siddhiṃ prāptā yūyam | prabho! idānīṃ yuṣmākaṃ paralokagamana-kāla āgataḥ, etad eva ca yuṣmākaṃ śreyaskaram ||

Translation

Vyāsa said: “O mighty one, O best of the Kurus—this is the fitting time to depart, and it is for your highest good. I understand that you have now fulfilled your duty; you have attained success in every way. Lord, the time has come for your journey to the next world, and that very departure is what is most beneficial for you.”

Word by Word

• {'gamana': 'going, departure', 'prāpta-kāla': 'the time that has arrived

• the due moment', 'śreyaskara': 'bringing the highest good

• salutary', 'vibho': 'O powerful one

• O lord', 'kuruśreṣṭha': 'best among the Kurus', 'manye': 'I think

• I consider', 'kartavya': 'duty

• what must be done', 'paripūrṇa': 'completed

• fully accomplished', 'sarvathā': 'in every way', 'siddhi': 'success

• attainment', 'prabho': 'O lord

• O master', 'paraloka': 'the next world

• afterlife', 'paraloka-gamana': 'going to the next world

• passing on', 'āgata': 'has come

• has arrived', 'idānīm': 'now

• at this time', 'etad eva': 'this very thing'}

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Kuru (lineage)
• Kuruśreṣṭha (addressed person, best of the Kurus)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When one’s dharma and worldly responsibilities have been fulfilled, accepting the natural time of departure without clinging is presented as śreyas—spiritually beneficial and ethically appropriate.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa addresses a foremost Kuru, declaring that their obligations are complete and that the destined time for going to the next world has arrived; he frames this transition as auspicious and for their ultimate good.